Things to Do in Ikebukuro! 34 Recommended Spots! Hi, I'm Samurai Junjiro, born and raised in Japan. This time, we'll introduce recommended spots in Ikebukuro. The main area of Ikebukuro is divided into east and west sides
centered around the station. There are many popular shops for tourists on the east side,
but first, let's briefly introduce the west side. The west side is an area with many izakayas,
so it's a recommended place for people who like drinking. In the west side, a particularly popular restaurant is Eishow. The most popular food is the grilled xiaolongbao. The outside is crispy, and the dough is chewy. It overflows with savory meat juices. In front of the west exit, there is Ikebukuro West Exit Park. It's a beautiful park that was renovated in 2019. Right near the park is Mister Donut,
the most famous donut shop in Japan. It's recommended to buy donuts and eat them in the park. The most popular Pon de Ring has a chewy texture
that is addictive. In front of the west exit, there is also Katsuya,
a specialty shop for Katsu-don. The Katsu-don is 616yen. The tonkatsu, which is soaked in Japanese-style broth, is juicy. The Sauce Katsu-don, drizzled with spicy sauce,
is also popular. You can enjoy a crispier texture compared to regular Katsu-don. Another popular dish is the curry rice
topped with freshly fried tonkatsu. It's a Japanese-style curry with a rich flavor. Alright, let's head to the east exit. On the east side, there are 2 department stores:
SEIBU and PARCO. First, we'll introduce a recommended spot in SEIBU,
which has many high-end shops. It's the rooftop on the 9th floor. There is a lot of greenery and even a pond. It's such a quiet place
that you wouldn't think you're in Ikebukuro. Near the pond, there is a shrine. On the rooftop, there are 5 restaurants,
so you can also enjoy lunch or dinner. There are also restrooms and trash cans,
making it a perfect place to take a break. On the 8th floor, there is a restaurant floor with over 20 shops. Katsu-midori, a conveyor belt sushi restaurant, is popular. It's recommended to go around 4 PM
because it gets crowded during lunchtime. You can enjoy sushi made by sushi chefs at affordable prices. Next up is PARCO. PARCO has many shops for younger people compared to SEIBU. We'll briefly introduce 5 popular foods you can buy at PARCO. First up is MERCER bis,
the specialty shop for caramel chiffon cakes. Especially recommended is the chiffon cake coated with caramel. The chewy texture of the cake
and the sweetness of white chocolate are a nice combination. Next up is RINGO, the specialty shop for apple pie. The pie crust is crispy and has a light texture. It's filled with sweetened apples and custard cream. It's an apple pie with a pleasant aroma of butter. TRUFFLE mini, a bakery that opened in March 2023,
is so popular that there are always long lines. The most popular item is salt bread with white truffle. It's made with truffle butter, truffle oil, and truffle salt. Your mouth will be filled with the flavor of truffles! The staff's top recommendation is the donuts. The dough is fluffy and moist. The sweetness of the sugar is just right. If you like donuts, we recommend "Hello! Donuts"
on the 2nd basement floor. There are various types available,
but the most popular one is the donut filled with milk cream. The fluffy dough is filled with plenty of cream,
making it delicious. Right in front of Ikebukuro Station, there are large electronics stores like YAMADA-DENKI
and Bic Camera. The selection is just as extensive as Akihabara,
which has many electronics stores. LABI1 Yamada, located in front of the station,
is a recommended store. On the 6th floor, there are various items
such as games and toys. There are also claw machines available. You'll also find a wide selection of anime figures on this floor. It's fun just to look around, so be sure to check it out! By the way, did you know that you can use free Wi-Fi
at popular tourist spots in Japan? JAPAN FREE Wi-fi is one of them. Anyone can use it for free by entering their email address. Akanemaru and I use it a lot. Free Wi-Fi is very convenient, but be careful because there are malicious free Wi-Fi networks
that can steal your information. Connecting to such Wi-Fi networks
might expose your personal information, such as bank account or social media passwords,
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and the pinned comment too, so please check it out. It's better to use NordVPN to protect your personal information. Now, let's move on to the next place. Next up is Don Quijote located in front of the station. It's a large store spanning from the basement to the 7th floor. There are branded items and suitcases on the 7th floor. On the 6th floor, there are medicine and cosmetics. You'll also find a wide variety of souvenirs. If you want to take the tax-free service,
you need to pay on this floor. On the 5th and 4th floors,
you'll find a wide selection of character merchandise. The 3rd floor sells clothing items like T-shirts and shoes. On the 2nd floor, you'll find plenty of snacks. By the way, did you know
that there is an exclusive KitKat at Don Quijote? The flavor is Sakura and kinako (roasted soybean flour). Compared to the milk chocolate flavor,
it has a better aroma and a more elegant taste. Next to Don Quijote is Matsumoto Kiyoshi, the drugstore. It's one of the most affordable drugstores in Japan. You can also take the tax-free service. The next shop is located in a building about a 3-minute walk
from Ikebukuro Station. It's SWEETS PARADISE on the 5th floor. It's a sweets buffet restaurant,
and prices start from 1,490 yen for 1 hour and 10 minutes. You can enjoy all-you-can-eat over 30 types of desserts. In addition to sweets, there are also udon, curry, and pasta. If you like sweets, be sure to check it out! Next up is animate, located about a 5-minute walk
from the station. It's a specialty store for anime merchandise
that reopened in March 2023, with the sales floor area doubled from before. It's a building with 2 basement floors and 9 floors above ground, making it one of the largest anime merchandise
specialty stores in the world. It's a recommended shop for anime lovers. Minami-Ikebukuro Park is located about a 10-minute walk
from the station. This park has lawns, and it's often crowded with many people. There are benches and tables available,
so you can enjoy take-out food. There are also restaurants within the park. Next to the park is Châteraisé, a specialty shop for sweets. There are apple pies and tarts,
but the cream puff is highly recommended. The pastry has a crispy texture like a cookie. The custard cream inside has a rich egg yolk flavor
that tastes delicious. Sunshine 60 Street is the busiest spot in Ikebukuro. It's lined with various shops like restaurants and UNIQLO,
and it's a street that connects to Sunshine City, the largest commercial facility in Ikebukuro with the most shops. In the middle of this Street is Round One Ikebukuro,
an indoor entertainment complex. The 1st and 2nd floors are dedicated to claw machines. On the 3rd floor, there are medal games, and it's very lively. In addition to arcade games,
there are also darts and billiards. Bowling alley is always bustling with many people. At the end of Sunshine 60 Street,
this building has many recommended shops. First up is Rokunen-Yonkumi on the 5th floor. It's an izakaya themed after Japanese elementary school. It's recommended to take a photo with a school bag,
which Japanese elementary school students use to go to school. On the 6th floor of this building,
Kura Sushi has unique counter seats not found in other stores. There is only one seat separated like at Ichiran Ramen. By the way, you can't reserve this seat,
so it's lucky if you get to sit there. SYABU-YO is located next to Kura Sushi. It's a popular restaurant where you can enjoy all-you-can-eat
shabu-shabu starting from 1,539 yen. There are a variety of dishes besides shabu-shabu,
so it's a recommended place. On the 1st floor of the building, there is Bakudanyaki Honpo. At this place, you can try takoyaki as big as your fist. It contains various ingredients like octopus, squid, and mochi. It's also recommended for when you're feeling a bit hungry. At the end of the street is Sunshine City. Sunshine City is a large building with 4 basement floors
and 60 floors above ground, and there are many shops. This time, we'll introduce 13 recommended spots among them. First up is SANRIO CAFE located at the entrance
of the Sunshine City underground passage. It's a highly popular shop where you can enjoy sweets
featuring characters like Hello Kitty. The pork bun with Hello Kitty's face drawn on it is so cute! It overflows with meat juices from inside. The roll cake featuring KUROMI's face is also very cute. The dough and cream are made with black sesame,
giving them a nice aroma. Next to SANRIO CAFE is Mamemono-to-Taiyaki. It's a taiyaki shop with its main store in Kyoto. The most popular one is the taiyaki with butter inside. The melted butter and sweet red bean paste
are a perfect match. On the 1st floor, you'll find SESAME STREET MARKET. It's the world's only official Sesame Street store,
opened in November 2023. Next to it is a restaurant,
where most people order these donuts. They're cute and taste authentic. Next is the Flower Miffy juice garden on the basement floor. It's a specialty store for Miffy merchandise
that opened in March 2023. There are various sweets available,
but the most popular one is the Miffy tart. The tart is moist and has a flavor of butter. The cheesecake has just the right amount of tartness
and is refreshing. Next is Baker's DINER on the basement floor. There are German-style pancakes,
but the roast beef bowl is recommended. The meat is tender and melts in your mouth. The onion sauce has a rich flavor, so it goes well with rice. Next is NAMJA TOWN on the 2nd floor. It's an indoor amusement park opened in 1996. The admission fee is 1,000 yen for adults. Inside, there are various types of attractions. A particularly popular spot in NAMJA TOWN is Gyoza Stadium. There are 7 popular gyoza shops from various parts of Japan. Each shop offers gyoza with different flavors and shapes,
so we recommend trying them out and comparing. The combination of beer and gyoza is highly recommended! Next to NAMJA TOWN is the BANDAI NAMCO Cross Store. It's a capsule toy specialty store that reopened in March 2023. The capsule toy machines here number over 3,000,
making it the largest store in Japan. In addition to capsule toys,
there are also claw machines available. In front of the BANDAI NAMCO Cross Store is KIDDY LAND. There is a wide variety of popular character merchandise
in Japan. Compared to the Harajuku store, this one is a bit smaller. Right near KIDDY LAND is the MUGIWARA STORE. It's a specialty shop for ONE PIECE merchandise
and is bustling with many people. You can also take photos. If you like Pokémon, Pikachu Sweets is recommended. You can buy sweets featuring Pokémon. The most popular item is the Pikachu waffle. It's drizzled with chocolate and has the sweetness of honey. Right near Pikachu Sweets is the Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO. There are Pokémon stores all over Japan,
but this one is particularly large with a wide selection of items. Next is Sunshine Aquarium. It's the only aquarium in Japan located on the rooftop
of a building. On weekdays, you can buy tickets at the counter, but on weekends and holidays,
you'll need to purchase tickets online in advance to enter, so keep that in mind. On the 1st floor, you can see various types of fish found in the ocean. There are 550 species and a total of 23,000 fish and creatures. The jellyfish is particularly popular on this floor. The gently floating jellyfish are very magical. The 2nd floor is divided into 2 areas. There are many freshwater fish. Beyond this area is the outdoor marine garden. There are seals and sea lions. Pelicans and otters are also very cute. The most popular attraction in this aquarium is the penguins. As you proceed further,
there is a tank where you can see the penguins from below. It's a special spot where you can watch the penguins
as if they're flying in the sky. The last spot we'll introduce is the Sunshine 60 Observatory. The admission fee is 700 yen for adults, and tickets can be purchased at the ticket counter
on the day of your visit. This observatory is located at a height of 221 meters above ground, and the height of this part of Tokyo Tower is almost the same. There are also many photo spots. The artificial turf area is particularly popular. You can borrow picnic blankets for free,
so you can relax and enjoy your time. There are many indoor tourist attractions in Ikebukuro,
so it's a recommended spot even on rainy days. Well, that's it for today! See you in the next video!