Tokyo/Toshima

Tourist office

• Toshima Tourist Information Center

  phone: +81 3-3985-8311
  address: Notoya building 3F 1-19-7 Nishi-Ikebukuro

By plane

The fastest way to get from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro is to take a Keisei Skyliner train to Nippori and change to a JR Yamanote Line train. This takes about 60 minutes and costs ¥2560. JR's Narita Express makes many runs to Ikebukuro, but they take longer (95 minutes) and cost more (¥3110), although for foreigners the one-way cost can be brought down to ¥1500 by purchasing a N'EX Tokyo Direct Ticket (From March 2015 this ticket will only be sold in a round-trip version for ¥4000). Some Narita Express trains terminate at Shinjuku and do not continue to Ikebukuro; in this case, it's suggested to exit the Narita Express at Shibuya, where you can pick up a commuter train on the same platform that will bring you to Ikebukuro in two stops. (Switching at Shinjuku is not recommended as you will likely have to change platforms.)
The budget option is to take the Keisei Line limited express from Narita Airport to Nippori, and change there to the Yamanote line (95 minutes, ¥1160). During the evening hours, faster Access Tokkyu commuter trains from Narita Airport to Nippori shave 20 minutes off the overall travel time against a ¥200 additional fare.
Airport Limousine buses also make runs from Narita Airport to Ikebukuro's Hotel Metropolitan and Sunshine City Prince Hotel, the latter located right next to the Sunshine 60 tower and shopping complex (about 2 hours, ¥3000).
From Haneda Airport to Ikebukuro, take the Keikyu Railway to Shinagawa and change to the JR Yamanote Line (55 minutes, ¥650). Limousine Buses run from Haneda to the same hotels mentioned above (about one hour, ¥1200).

By train

Ikebukuro is served by the JR Yamanote, Saikyo and Shonan-Shinjuku lines. The Super View Odoriko (スーパービュー踊り子) Limited Express service departs each morning for Atami, Itō and Shimoda, and returns in the afternoon.
Two private railway lines start from Ikebukuro. The Seibu Ikebukuro Line has departures for Tokorozawa, Irumashi and Hanno, with Chichibu (ちちぶ) Limited Express trains running all the way to the national park in Chichibu. The Tobu Tojo Line runs trains to Kawagoe and Ogawamachi.

By subway

The Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line starts here, and the Yurakucho Line for Ginza, Shin-Kiba and Wakoshi stops here. The Fukutoshin Line connects Ikebukuro to Shinjuku and Shibuya, paralleling the Yamanote Line.
Both the Yurakucho and Fukutoshin subway lines offer through-runs to the Seibu Ikebukuro and Tobu Tojo lines (at Kotake-Mukaihara and Wakoshi stations, respectively).

The Toden Arakawa line, the last streetcar line in Tokyo, putters through Toshima starting from Waseda University (just across the district line in Shinjuku), through Zoshigaya, Ikebukuro, and all the way to Minowa at the northern edge of Taito.

There is, quite frankly, very little in the way of attractions for tourists in Toshima.

• Zōshigaya Cemetery

  address: Minami-Ikebukuro 4-chome
  The final resting place of Lafcadio Hearn is about the most exciting attraction in this neck of the woods.

• Kōgan-ji Temple

  address: 3-35-2 Sugamo
  This small temple in Sugamo is known for two statues: Togenuki Jizō, who heals sick children, and the boddhisattva Kannon, who will cure your pains if you wash themagical appropriate part of the statue. More morbidly, you can also pray to Kannon for a swift and painless death, so you will not be a burden to your relatives in your old age. Visitors pray Enmei Jizōson for their health too. The way to pray is unusual. People drink a small Japanese paper. A small picture of a stone statue of Enmei Jizōson is drawn on it.

• Myōkō-ji TempleAccording to legend, the grave of Lady Oiwa (Oiwa-san) in Yotsuya Kaidan, Japan's best-known ghost story and a direct inspiration for the Ring horror movies, is in this temple. In a nutshell, the beautiful Oiwa was disfigured, divorced and killed, and then comes back to haunt the people who wronged her.

• Honmyōji Temple

  address: 5-35-6 Sugamo
  This temple is known for a fire called Meireki-no-Taika, an inferno 400 years ago which killed over 100,000 people. It is said that this fire broke out in Honmyōji. There are also some tombs of famous people in this temple. A Japanese swordman Chiba Shūsaku and a political office leader Tōyama Kinshirō, for example.

• Hōmyōji

  phone: +81 3-3971-4383
  Famous Japanese temple built in 810. Features the statue of Kishimojin (鬼子母神像) who is a Japanese God of fertility. Visitors go to Hōmyōji to pray for their children's birth, growth and security. The Kishimojin figure typically take the form of the devil, but this statue holds a baby, and the figure is beautiful. In this temple the Oeshiki-Taisai festival (御会式大祭) is held from October 16 to October 18 every year.

• Sunshine 60

  address: Ikebukuro
  Sunshine 60 was once the tallest building in Japan and it remains the most prominent building within the Sunshine City complex. The surrounding Sunshine City complex includes shops, restaurants, an aquarium, and an observatory at the top of the Sunshine 60 building. The observatory is closed until Spring 2016 for renovations.

• Nekobukuro

  address: Ikebukuro
  A unique shop on the top floor of the Tokyu Hands building where you pay ¥600 entry fee and pet or play with the 20+ cats that live on the premises. The building is located at the end of Sunshine-60 dori.

• Metropolitan Art Space

  address: on the west side of the Ikebukuro train/subway station
  Has the former world's longest escalator and offers various exhibits and concerts.

• Tokyo Shaheed Minar

  address: Ikebukuro
  A beautiful monument, symbolizing love to the mother language. It is based on the mother language movement, that originated in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1952, followed by the UNESCO declaration of International Mother Language Day (21 February). It was a present from Bangladesh to the Japanese people, in 2005, recognizing Tokyo Boishakhi Mela (Bangladesh New Year Festival), organized every year in mid April, by Japan Bangladesh Society.

• Ikefukuro

  address: Ikebukuro
  A statue of an owl near the east exit. Many people use this as a meeting spot.

• Namja Town

  address: Ikebukuro
  The Namja Town has many attractions. For example there are some Japanese style haunted houses, interactive 1964 shooting games, egg-raising game(the whole process is quite similar to raising a child, where you will need to take the egg to toilets, restaurants, and hospitals, until after a certain point. Then you can take the eggs to play games. This is quite a 'couply' game to do). And there are big food shops – the gyoza stadium, the ice cream city, and the dessert empire of Tokyo. If customers buy the 3,900 yen(3,300 yen for under 18) "Namja Passport" tickets, they can enjoy 14 attractions and visit food shops. Night passport, which you can get for 2,500 yen (2,000 yen for under 18), is available after 5pm. But if you want to visit the food shops only, you buy the 300 yen "Namja Entry" tickets. The attractions range from 600 yen to 1000 yen in price each.

• Namja Town is not very friendly to non-Japanese speakers. English translations are only present in few places and most of the game require you to answer a few questions, totally in Japanese. To fully enjoy this unique theme park, proficiency in Japanese language is very important. That being said, you definitely can still have fun even if you only speak English.

Manten

address: Ikebukuro

There is a planetarium called Manten in the Sunshine city. This planetarium shows three types of programs and repeats them in a day. These three types of programs are called The Planetarium Program, The CG Planetarium Program, The Healing Program. The Planetarium Program shows some themes of programs with Japanese famous musicians. The CG Planetarium Program shows some science programs, for example the mystery of black hall. The Healing Program shows programs relax people. Some aromas are changed when scenes are changed. These programs are changed regularly.

• Animate

  address: Ikebukuro
  Lots of new anime/manga-related merchandise.

• K-Books

  address: Ikebukuro
  Good selection of anime, manga, and posters.

• Mandarake

  address: Lions Mansion Ikebukuro B1F, 3-15-2 Higashi-ikebukuro
  One of the newest in the Mandarake chain of used anime/manga goods stores, the Ikebukuro branch specializes in doujinshi, in particular doujinshi for girls.
• Two of Tokyo's major department store/railroad conglomerate chains, Seibu and Tobu, are based in Ikebukuro and the stores here were not long ago the largest in the world. Paradoxically, Seibu, which roughly means "west Tokyo", is on the east side of the station, while Tobu, which means "east Tokyo", is on the west side.

• Bic Camera

  address: Ikebukuro
  This discount retailer's flagship store on the east side of the station, with several branches nearby.

• Junkudō

  address: Ikebukuro
  A 9-story bookstore (top floor has English titles).

• Tokyu Hands

  address: 1-28-10 Higashi-Ikebukuro
  A crazy 7 story 'DIY' store with floors of kitchenware, bath accessories, paper goods, scrap-booking supplies, tools, hardware, exotic woods, travel supplies, toys, pet supplies, and Nekobukuro on the top floor. This is a place where you can find, for example, lava lamps next to a shark suit next to a Gundam model.

• SugamoPopularly known as "Grandma's Harajuku" (obaachan no Harajuku), and indeed most shops in the area do seem targeted towards an older clientèle. For the (rare) tourist, however, this means a plentiful supply of tea, pottery, kitchen implements and clothes in styles that went out of fashion 50 years ago. The area is at its liveliest on the 4th, 14th and 24th of each month when a street market is held.

• Maruji

  address: Sugamo 4-21-11 and three other outlets nearby
  Probably the most famous and successful shop in Sugamo, Maruji specializes in one thing: red underwear (赤パンツ aka-pantsu). By energizing a pressure point below your navel, Maruji's crimson panties, boxers and long-johns will keep you warm and fill you with vigor — or so they say.

• Konaya

  address: Sugamo 3-37-1
  The original shop of restaurant chain renowned for its curry udon noodles. The noodles are cut by hand, the special curry stock is brewed for two days, and ¥1050 will get you some mighty fine tasting udon.

• Akebono Sushi

  phone: +81 3-3984-4936
  address: 1-9-23 Minami-Ikebukuru

• Fight Gyoza

  phone: +81 3-3917-6261
  address: 3-7-3 Nisisugamo
  Japanese gyoza is boiled ordinally. But the fight Gyozas are hoisted after boiled. It is a very famous restaurant for gyoza. So many people stand in a line in front of the restaurant.

• Souten

  phone: +81 3-5944-8105
  address: Otsuka 3-39-13
  High-end yakitori. Five stick set from around ¥1,600. Do try the chicken sashimioutside the comfort zone for many visitors, but you may be pleasantly surprised. Extensive selection of nihonshu featuring Kozaemon.

• Tobu and Seibu basements

  address: Ikebukuro
  Urban Japanese keep their grocery stores beneath their department stores. If you go to the B1 and B2 levels of the massive stores flanking the Ikebukuro station, you will find endless acres of raw and prepared food. Buy a bunch and take it back to your hotel fridge.

• Shakey's Pizza

  address: Ikebukuro
  Down Sunshine-Dori on the way to Sunshine 60, on the left, there's a Shakey's Pizza. There are lunchtime buffets with great pizza the way only Japanese like to serve it.

• Ghiottone

  address: Nishi-Ikebukuro 3-27-1
  Excellent pasta and salads, in portions that are ample for two. The crab spaghetti is very popular. No non-smoking tables.

• Kaiten Sushi

  address: Ikebukuro
  A very nice "conveyor belt" sushi restaurant

• Malay-Chan

  address: Ikebukuro
  A small Malaysian restaurant on the west side of the train/subway station that is a little hard to find.

• Mutekiya

  address: Ikebukuro
  Good ramen.

• Al-Flah

  address: Ikebukuro
  A halal supermarket and restaurant that sells halal food, including vegetarian curries. The store also conveniently has a bollywood-movie section.

• Namja Town

  address: Ikebukuro
  Namja Town has some big food shops in Sunshin City– the gyoza studium, the ice cream city, and the dessert empire of Tokyo. Gyoza is a kind of Japanese food. The gyoza stadium collects gyozas of many famous gyoza restaurants in Japan. The ice cream city collects many kinds of ice creams in the world. The dessert empire of Tokyo collects some famous cakes. And it has events regularly. For example many kinds of pudding were collected before. Namja Town is exhilarating but incomprehensible if you don't speak Japanese. In the ice cream section, for example, there is a shop selling over 100 varieties of ice cream in single-serving cups, almost none of which have a single non-Japanese word on the label. Still, it's easy to try various gyoza by pointing at picture menus.

• Mama's Philippine Store & Restaurant

  phone: +81 3-3590-1291
  address: Toshima-ku Ikebukuro 2-5-4 Ichi Bldg. 3F
  A "Feel at home place" when Filipinos miss their native foods, or want to introduce their friends to the cuisine! Authentic Filipino food served by warm, informative, attentive staff. Also sells Filipino grocery items, health and beauty products.

• Edoya

• Omamori

Ikebukuro has an extensive assortment of places to drink and get drunk, detailed in that article. For sampling sake, JR Otsuka station has a number of good choices:

Cafes

• Cafe du Monde

  address: Ikebukuro
  The Tokyo version of the New Orleans cafe.

• ZOZOI

  address: Nishi-Ikebukuro 3-22-6
  A cozy and quiet French-style cafe located next to a small park. Light meals are served, and there's an amusing collection of French books to browse.

• Sakura Cafe Ikebukuro

  phone: +81 3-3971-2237
  address: 2-40-7 Ikebukuro
  Opened in 2008, one of Tokyo's largest open-air-terrace cafes with easy-going and relaxed style located at 1st floor of "Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro" which welcomes guests from over 110 countries every year. International atmosphere with 60 beer from around the world from 550 yen, monthly changing snacks and meals from 300 yen also from a wide variety of countries, and coffee for 180 yen.

Bars/Clubs

• Bed

  address: Ikebukuro
  One of the few nightclubs in Ikebukuro.

Cat Cafes

• Nekorobi

  phone: +81 3-6228-0646
  address: 3F Tact T.O Building Higashi-Ikebukuro
  This café is decorated in wicker and burlap and boasts having a Nintendo Wii as well as cats. Most of the cats at this café were once strays or given to shelters by their owners. You can use anything in the room you'll be entering, including laptop, drinks dispenser, cat toys and the Wii. Be sure to take off shoes, wash hands, and be gentle with the cats.

Budget

• Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro

  phone: +81 3-3971-2237
  address: 2-40-7 Ikebukuro
  Various rooms are good for groups and private. All staff speak English.

• Kimi Ryokan

  phone: +81 3-3971-3766
  address: 2-36-8 Ikebukuro
  This friendly if very tourist-oriented minshuku (no, it's not a ryokan) is an excellent option for first time travelers to Tokyo. It is reasonably priced (4500 yen) and has English speaking staff. A nice way to spend your first night on a tatami.

Mid-range

• Crowne Plaza Metropolitan - Tokyo

  phone: +81 3-3980-1111
  address: 1-6-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro
  A short walk away from Ikebukuro station, a decent 4-star hotel with nice, clean rooms and friendly staff who mostly speak fluent English. Limosine bus services are available to both Narita and Haneda airports.

• Dai-ichi Inn Ikebukuro

  phone: +81 3-3986-1221
  address: 1-42-8 Higashi-Ikebukuro
  A 1 minute walk from the station (take East Exit), right across from the back of Parco. In-room broadband internet, massage service, 24-hour convenience store, and many other amenities. TV channel list includes CNN. Some of the staff speak near-fluent English, others not so much. Internet reservations can greatly reduce room rates.

• Hotel Grand City

  phone: +81 3-3984-5121
  address: 1-30-7 Higashi-Ikebukuro
  The staff don't speak English very well.

• APA Hotel Tokyo Itabashi

  phone: +81 3-5974-8111
  address: 4-47-1 Kami-Ikebukuro
  This three star hotel offers a convenient location near the Itabshi Station, 3 min to Ikebukuro and 8min to Shinjuku.