Ikebukuro

Understand

Toshima is, in some sense, the "real" Tokyo: while very central, it's notably short on historical landmarks or glitzy tourist attractions. Ikebukuro in particular is a major transport hub nearly as large as Shinjuku, but somehow lacking all the cachet. But, as so often in Japan, if you dig a little you'll discover all sorts of interesting, quirky places well off the tourist trail.

Tourist office 1 Toshima Tourist Information Center, Notoya building 3F 1-19-7 Nishi-Ikebukuro, ☏ +81 3-3985-8311, fax: +81 3-3985-8315. 09:00-18:00, holiday 10:00-17:00. The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site.

Getting there

By plane The fastest way to get from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro is to take a Keisei Skyliner train to Nippori and change to a JR Yamanote Line train. This takes about 60 minutes and costs ¥2560. JR's Narita Express makes many runs to Ikebukuro, but they take longer (95 minutes) and cost more (¥4010 round-trip only, as of 2015). Some Narita Express trains terminate at Shinjuku and do not continue to Ikebukuro; in this case, it's suggested to exit the Narita Express at Shibuya, where you can pick up a commuter train on the same platform that will bring you to Ikebukuro in two stops. (Switching at Shinjuku is not recommended as you will likely have to change platforms.) The budget option is to take the Keisei Line limited express from Narita Airport to Nippori, and change there to the Yamanote line (95 minutes, ¥1160). During the evening hours, faster Access Tokkyu commuter trains from Narita Airport to Nippori shave 20 minutes off the overall travel time against a ¥200 additional fare. Airport Limousine buses also make runs from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro's Hotel Metropolitan and Sunshine City Prince Hotel, the latter located right next to the Sunshine 60 tower and shopping complex (about 2 hours, ¥3000). From Haneda Airport to Ikebukuro, take the Keikyu Railway to Shinagawa and change to the JR Yamanote Line (55 minutes, ¥650). Limousine Buses run from Haneda to the same hotels mentioned above (about one hour, ¥1200).

By train

Ikebukuro is served by the JR Yamanote, Saikyo and Shonan-Shinjuku lines. The Super View Odoriko (スーパービュー踊り子) Limited Express service departs each morning for Atami, Itō and Shimoda, and returns in the afternoon. Two private railway lines start from Ikebukuro. The Seibu Ikebukuro Line has departures for Tokorozawa, Irumashi and Hanno, with Chichibu (ちちぶ) Limited Express trains running all the way to the national park in Chichibu. The Tobu Tojo Line runs trains to Kawagoe and Ogawamachi.

By subway The Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line start

Getting around

The Toden Arakawa line (aka Sakura Tram), the last streetcar line in Tokyo, putters through Toshima starting from Waseda University (just across the ward border with Shinjuku), through Zoshigaya, Otsuka, and all the way to Minowa at the northern edge of Taito.

See

There is, quite frankly, very little in the way of attractions for tourists in Toshima.

1 Zōshigaya Cemetery (雑司が谷霊園 Zōshigaya-reien), Minami-Ikebukuro 4-chome (near Higashi-Ikebukuro station). The final resting place of Lafcadio Hearn is about the most exciting attraction in this neck of the woods.

2 Kōgan-ji Temple (高岩寺), 3-35-2 Sugamo. This small temple in Sugamo is known for two statues: Togenuki Jizō, who heals sick children, and the boddhisattva Kannon, who will cure your pains if you wash themagical appropriate part of the statue. More morbidly, you can also pray to Kannon for a swift and painless death, so you will not be a burden to your relatives in your old age. Visitors pray Enmei Jizōson for their health too. The way to pray is unusual. People drink a small Japanese paper. A small picture of a stone statue of Enmei Jizōson is drawn on it. 3 Myōkō-ji Temple (妙行寺) (15 min from JR Sugamo station). According to legend, the grave of Lady Oiwa (Oiwa-san) in Yotsuya Kaidan, Japan's best-known ghost story and a direct inspiration for the Ring horror movies, is in this temple. In a nutshell, the beautiful Oiwa was disfigured, divorced and killed, and then comes back to haunt the people who wronged her.

4 Honmyōji Temple (本妙寺), 5-35-6 Sugamo (10 min from JR Sugamo station). This temple is known for a fire called Meireki-no-Taika, an inferno 400 years ago which killed over 100,000 people. It is said that this fire broke out in Honmyōji. There are also some tombs of famous people in this temple. A Japanese swordman Chiba Shūsaku and a political office leader Tōyama Kinshirō, for example. 5 Hōmyōji (法明寺) (3-18-18 Minamiikebukuro), ☏ +81 3-3971-4383. Famous Japanese temple built in 810. Features the statue of Kishimojin (鬼子母神像) who is a Japanese God of fertility. Visitors go to Hōmyōji to pray for their children's birth, growth and security. The Kishimojin figure typically take the form of the devil, but this statue holds a baby, and the figure is beautiful. I

Do

1 Ikefukurō (いけふくろう), Ikebukuro. A statue of an owl (fukurō) near the east exit. Many people use this as a meeting spot. 2 Namja Town (ナンジャタウンホーム), Ikebukuro (in Sunshine 60 on 2 & 3F). 10:00-22:00. The Namja Town has many attractions. For example there are some Japanese style haunted houses, interactive 1964 shooting games, egg-raising game (the whole process is quite similar to raising a child, where you will need to take the egg to toilets, restaurants, and hospitals, until after a certain point. Then you can take the eggs to play games. This is quite a 'couply' game to do). And there are big food shops: the gyoza stadium, the ice cream city, and the dessert empire of Tokyo. The ¥3,900 "Namja Passport" tickets (¥3,300 for under 18) admits you to 14 attractions and the food shops. Night passport, which you can get for ¥2,500 (¥2,000 for under 18), is available after 17:00. But if you want to visit the food shops only, you buy the ¥300 "Namja Entry" tickets. The attractions cost from ¥600 to ¥1000 each. . Namja Town is not very friendly to non-Japanese speakers. English translations are only present in few places and most of the game require you to answer a few questions, totally in Japanese. To fully enjoy this unique theme park, proficiency in Japanese language is important. That being said, you definitely can still have fun even if you only speak English. 3 Manten (満天), Ikebukuro (10 min from JR Ikebukuro station). There is a planetarium called Manten (meaning "full sky") in Sunshine City. This planetarium shows three types of programs and repeats them in a day. These three types of programs are called The Planetarium Program, The CG Planetarium Program, The Healing Program. The Planetarium Program shows some themes of programs with Japanese famous musicians. The CG Planetarium Program shows science programs. The Healing Program shows are more intended for relaxing to. Some aromas are changed when scenes are changed. These programs are changed regularly. ¥1000-

Buy

Animate, Ikebukuro (next door to K-Books, down the street from Mandarake, and across the highway from the Sunshine 60