Pictures of Ikebukuro Neighborhood, Tokyo, January 2006

Ikebukuro Pictures

by Parent on Sun Nov 04, 2007 5:43 pm

Ikebukuro, a part of Toshima ward, is a large commercial and entertainment district of Tokyo^(pics), Japan and is a bit similar to Shinjuku^(pics) or Shibuya^(pics). It is the location of the Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station and several extremely large department stores. At the center of Ikebukuro is the train and subway station, a huge urban gathering shared by the JR East lines, the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tōbu Tōjō Line. Ikebukuro Station is the second busiest station in Japan, second only to Shinjuku Station. East of the station, on the site of Sugamo Prison, stands Sunshine 60, which was Tokyo's tallest building at the time of its construction. Located nearby the north-west exits, there is a small pleasure district similar to Shinjuku's Kabukicho^(pics), but less lively and less attractive for tourists. The old village of Ikebukuro stood to the northwest of the station. In the Taishō and Shōwa periods, the relatively low land prices attracted artists and foreign workers, who lent a somewhat cosmopolitan atmosphere to Ikebukuro. The kanji for Ikebukuro literally means pond bag. Outside the west exit of Ikebukuro station near an entrance to the Yurakucho New Line is a small plaque explaining three origins of the name Ikebukuro. The first and most probable is that in the northeastern part of the village there was a lake shaped like someone holding a bag.

Picture of Ikebukuro neighborhood, Tokyo City, Japan, January 2006 by Parent (Tokyo Nightlife District, Shopping District, Middle Class Residential Neighborhood) Inside the Ikebukuro station arcade: neckties for 3000 yens. (434.42 KB) Photo viewed 1641 times

Pic. 1. Inside the Ikebukuro station arcade: neckties for 3000 yens. View photo in original size (1024x768 pixels).

Pic. 2. Another mahjong play spot on the left of this picture. Other establishments include a yakiniku and okonomiyaki restaurants. View photo in original size (777x766 pixels).

Pic. 3. An HMV superstore. View photo in original size (768x1024 pixels).

Pic. 4. On the left, an electronic store. I'm not sure what the tall slender tower is for (at the back). Maybe an incinerator? Not sure.. View photo in original size (1024x768 pixels).

Pic. 5. Inside the Ikebukuro subway station, in the underground arcade. View photo in original size (985x716 pixels).

Pic. 6. The major department stores in this area usually have an entrance directly within the train station. View photo in original size (997x728 pixels).

Pic. 7. Outside the Ikebukuro station. Notice the "COCO MIYAGI" store. In this store, only products from the Miyagi prefecture can be found. There are other such prefecture-oriented stores (Niigata, Okinawa, etc) where "foreign" goods from other prefectures or even other countries can be obtained easily. View photo in original size (872x682 pixels).

Pic. 8. The entrance to the Sunshine 60 street. On the right side of the street, there are four money-lending organizations (Aiful, Promise, Lake, Takefuji). These are not banks - rather, specialized organizations (perhaps related to the Yakuzas)) who lend money to people with a bad credit rating. The interest rates are in the 25% per annum range. View photo in original size (1006x746 pixels).

Pic. 9. A typical backalley in the Ikebukuro entertainment distict. A motel, a KFC, a Pachinko, a steakhouse, and a mahjong place. Hm, but there's something missing.. View photo in original size (1007x744 pixels).

Pic. 10. Ah, here it is. An adult shop: vibrators, sexy underwears, useful gels and liquids. View photo in original size (732x990 pixels).

Pic. 11. In the distance, the Sunshine 60 Building. A bit similar to McDonald's, Lotteria is a fast food restaurant owned by Lotte Corporation. It started in Japan in the early 1970s. View photo in original size (768x1024 pixels).

Pic. 12. View photo in original size (734x990 pixels).

Pic. 13. The top advertising spots are paid for by the Acomo and Takefuji money-lending organizations. View photo in original size (1024x768 pixels).

Pic. 14. Cinema Sunshine. View photo in original size (768x1024 pixels).

Pic. 15. Ikebukuro appeals a lot to the Tokyo youth, with lots of affordable japanese and foreign restaurants. Typically, 500-1000 yens per meal per person in this area. View photo in original size (732x986 pixels).

Pic. 16. This 'hood is great. I recommend

. View photo in original size (737x713 pixels).

Map of Ikebukuro.

Satellite photograph of Ikebukuro neighborhood, Tokyo city.

How to get to Ikebukuro Neighborhood

South and East exits, Ikebukuro Station on the Seibu Ikebukuro Line, JR Yamanote Line, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line.

Last edited by Parent on Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:50 pm, edited 14 times in total.

Map of Ikebukuro.

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