Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro Station is located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima Ward of Tokyo. It is the busiest subway station in Japan and the second busiest train station in the world (after Shinjuku) with over 2.7 million people passing through the station each day.

The station serves Saikyo, Shonan Shinjuku, and Yamanote Lines of JR East; Ikebukuro Line of Seibu Railway; Tojo Main Line of Tobu Railway; and Marunouchi, Yurakucho, and Yurakucho New Lines of Tokyo Metro subways. It is also the Tokyo terminal for the Seibu Ikebukuro and Tobu Tojo Main Lines.

The Tobu platforms are located to the northwest of the station, while the Seibu platforms are located to the southeast. Both Tobu and Seibu operate department stores adjacent to their terminal stations.

Two stories underground running east-west are the Marunouchi and Yurakucho Lines platforms. The Yurakucho New Line is four stories underground to the west of the main station complex.

Ikebukuro Station has two entrances – East and West – leading to the two sides of Ikebukuro. 

Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo's several city centers, located in the northwestern part of the city. In the eastern part of Ikebukuro (from the East Exit of the Station), there are several department stores, fashion industry buildings, and the Sunshine City with its aquarium, planetarium, hotel, shopping mall and convention center. In the western part (from the West Exit), some department stores, shopping area, the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, and some universities are located. The east side is more of an entertainment area, while the west side is a cultural and educational district with the Station as "Ikebukero's Berlin Wall", as it is popularly known.

Adjacent to the two exits of the Station are two of the largest department stores in Tokyo – Seibu on the East Exit and Tobu on the West Exit. Both have entrances from within the station building as well. Seibu Department Store is owned by the Seibu Group, which also operates several suburban railway lines, including the Seibu Ikebukuro Line which terminates at Ikebukuro Station. Tobu Department Store belongs to the Tobu Group, which also operates several suburban railway lines, including the Tobu Tojo Line which also terminates at Ikebukuro Station. Seibu and Tobu are competitors and compete in almost all lines of business – from railway lines to consumer goods, and from restaurants to art exhibitions. Both the stores are huge and dominate their own sides of the Station. They both sell the widest selections of goods possible.

Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space

The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, located just 3 minutes walk from Ikebukuro Station from the West Exit, was established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in October 1990. Its objective is to promote art and culture such as music, theater, opera and dance, and international exchange activities.

The Metropolitan Art Space is a large building consisting of 14 floors – 10 above ground level and 4 underground. Facilities include -

A concert hall: Designed primarily for orchestral performances, the hall can seat 1,999 people. The stage can accommodate a 120 piece orchestra with a 200 member choir. A 126-stop Garnier pipe organ is installed at the rear center of the stage.

Theater: This 841-seat theater is meant for opera, ballet, dance, and drama productions. The stage of the theater is the first of its kind in Japan. The main stage has a 28-stage lift and can also be tilted. There two side stages as well – the right one can revolve and tilt towards the center stage, while the left one tilts towards the auditorium. There is also an orchestra pit for about 60 players.

Two small theaters: Each of the mini-theaters can seat 300 people. Suitable for unconventional drama productions and small concerts, the stages are not fixed and can be changed according to requirements.

Rehearsal rooms: The rehearsal rooms are located on the second basement level. There are six rooms, two of which are fitted with sound engineering equipment, allowing them to double up as recording studios. The rooms can be hired for drama, dance, and orchestra rehearsals.

Other facilities at the Metropolitan Art Space include 9 conference rooms, 1 large exhibition gallery, 4 smaller exhibition rooms, restaurants, tea/coffee shops, flower shops, fine arts shops, and book stores. The building also has the world's longest escalators.

A visit to Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space is well worth a visit, whether to tour the facilities, watch a performance in one of the theaters, or visit an exhibition at one of the galleries.

Rikkyo University

Rikkyo University, also known as St. Paul's University, is located in the western side of Ikebukuro. It is one of Tokyo's six universities and a major private co-educational  
university. Founded in 1874 by Channing Moore Williams, a missionary of Episcopal Church in the United States, Rikkyo University today offers many different courses to students. Most of the courses are offered in Japanese as almost all students here are Japanese.

Fukuro Festival

Fukuro Matsuri is Ikebukuro's biggest festival held on the last weekend in September and first weekend in October. This annual festival is commercially sponsored by the Ikebukuro Trade Association and mainly aims to promote tourism. The main event of Fukuro Festival is the oddly named “Let's Carry the Mikoshi for International Exchange Association”, which involves foreigners carrying the mikoshi (portable shrines) on their shoulders. The idea is to promote Japan's cultural heritage and involve foreigners in Japanese traditions. The Festival, held in Ikebukuro's West Square, also features Japanese drumming, a karate demonstration and Yosakoi (a Japanese folk dance) dancing in the evening. The dancing is a competition and a great number of Yosokoi teams from all over the country perform to compete. During the Festival, Ikebukuro is jam-packed with people gathered for fun and enjoyment.