A large anime store was built at the east exit of Ikebukuro
Speaking of Ikebukuro, I occasionally go there to buy electronics such as computers and smartphones.
I only go there to visit an electronics store. It is not a town I use on a regular basis,
I took a walk in Ikebukuro for the first time in a while and found a surprise, so I would like to introduce it to you.
I would be happy if this blog can convey the current atmosphere of the east side of Ikebukuro to foreigners who come to Japan on vacation.
I know everyone who travels to Japan searches for the latest information beforehand,
I, Kimura, was also surprised to see that Ikebukuro has become an anime town.
Do you know what Ikebukuro is?
To begin with, Ikebukuro is an area with as many people as Shinjuku and Shibuya,
Ikebukuro is a very crowded area along with Shinjuku and Shibuya, and these three stations rank in the top three in terms of the number of daily passengers.
It takes less than 10 minutes to get to Shinjuku by train, and you can take the JR Yamanote Line.
Ikebukuro has a large downtown area mainly on the west side, and large electronics retail stores on the east side,
the landmark “Sunshine 60” skyscraper.
I took a walk on the east side.
When I went by train, I got off at the east exit of the station and walked around for about 5 minutes.
There is a brand new building here that was recently built as part of the city’s redevelopment.
I came to see this.
It seems that this corner is called “Hareza Ikebukuro.
Originally there was a ward office, and three buildings were erected there to create a new landmark.
A quick look at the buildings shows that they are used as offices, a movie theater, and an event hall.
One of the three buildings serves as a ward center, with an information center on the first floor.
The website states that the center is multi-lingual and can provide assistance for sightseeing.
Tokyo seems to be very proactive about tourism these days, and is increasingly catering to foreign visitors.
As I was strolling around the area, I noticed this new symbol of the city,
As mentioned in the title, there is a huge anime store in one corner of the building that has become the symbol of this new city.
This surprised me enough to write this blog.
I am a non-geek, so I am not familiar with recent anime and manga culture.
From my point of view, I can see that otaku culture has now become a content that is adjacent to the city center and government facilities.
I believe this “animate” store is an otaku store in Akihabara and other places, but when I looked it up, I found that the main store is located in Ikebukuro,
Is Ikebukuro now recognized as an anime and otaku town? Not only here, but there are several otaku stores in the neighborhood,
There is also an area called “Otome Road,” a sacred place for female otaku, adjacent to Ikebukuro.
For an old man like me, I was under the impression that it was just an electronics store or a game store, but recently it has evolved into a cultural town on a par with Akihabara.
Ikebukuro is a place where even families can have fun.
Ikebukuro is a cultural district that has recently evolved into a cultural district on a par with Akihabara, but with the same abundance of electronics stores and restaurants as before, all within close proximity,
It may be an easy place to visit for families traveling together.
For example, if your child is interested in anime and your father or mother wants to shop at a Japanese electronics store or drugstore, there are a variety of stores nearby.
There are a variety of stores nearby. There are also many large stores.
There are also a variety of dining options. There may be websites with rankings here and there, so check them out.
In my opinion, it is an interesting experience to buy food at a supermarket and eat it at your accommodation, while eating at a restaurant is also good.
If you have a chance, try to experience simple meals such as prepared foods, frozen foods, or fast foods that we also eat in our daily lives.
I wrote about supermarket sushi and fast food “Fuji Soba” in my past blog.
Please take a look if you like.
Fuji Soba. Ikebukuro also has one!
Yes, Ikebukuro also has a Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo nearby.
