Minami Ikebukuro

Minami-Ikebukuro hosts a busy local life for all ages: Indie anime shops, used bookstores and Otome Road (a major destination for women who love manga and anime) offer contrast to the young energy that the aquarium, the observatory and the numerous floors of the Sunshine City entertainment complex bring to the area. One thing is certain: No one is bored.

Stay observant of the narrow streets, where 10-seats-or-less ramen spots hold a line of locals out the door, and Japanese cafes where locals share seasonal drinks. The hints of what’s trending for locals are all around. It is a neighborhood that finds more residents than tourists, and a city that doesn't feel like it's performing itself for visitors.

Minami Ikebukuro mixes a Tokyo residential character with the lively dynamic of a well connected neighborhood. After all, it is home to Ikebukuro Station, the third busiest station in the city after Shibuya and Shinjuku. Hosting 8 lines of trains and subways, including the JR Yamanote Line, you’ll get to almost anywhere in the city in less than 30 minutes.