 Ikebukuro, Tokyo
Ikebukuro is a district (officially, a city) in Toshima ward in Tokyo. It is renowned as a major commercial and entertainment precinct of the metropolis.
Ikebukuro at night, as seen from Sunshine 60
Author: nattou (public domain)
At the heart of Ikebukuro is Ikebukuro Station, a massive transportation hub served by the JR East lines, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tobu Tojo Line. The station is the second busiest in Japan to only the Shinjuku Station. It is surrounded by huge department stores, office blocks, restaurants and shops.
There are three theories over how Ikebukuro got its name. These you can find on a plaque on the west exit of Ikebukuro Station. The name itself means "pond bag", and all three explanations have something to do with a lake or pond and someone holding a bag. A popular meeting place in Ikebukuro is the owl statue. It is called Ikefukuro-zo, meaning Lake Owl Statue.
Ikebukuro streetscape
Author: mroach (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
How to go to Ikebukuro
By Subway
There are several subway lines that can take you to Ikebukuro Station, among them the Marunouchi Line (M-25), Yurakucho Line (Y-09), and Fukutoshin Line (F-09).
By Train
Among the trains going to Ikebukuro Station includes the JR Yamanote Line, Saikyo Line and Shonan-Shinjuku Line. Also serving the Ikebukuro Station are the two private railway lines, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tobu Tojo Line.
Ikebukuro Station at night
Author: Ray Tsang (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)
Location Map of Ikebukuro
View Ikebukuro, Tokyo in a larger map
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