User talk:(WT-en) Asako

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Ikebukuro practice page Ikebukuro (池袋) is a shopping district and major stop on the Yamanote Line. It is located in Tokyo's Toshima ward.

By train
Ikebukuro is served by the JR Yamanote, Saikyo and Shonan-Shinjuku lines. There is also Narita Express train and limousine bus service to and from Narita Airport. The Super View Odoriko (スーパービュー踊り子) Limited Express service departs each morning for Atami, Ito 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.

From Narita airport you can take the limousine/bus leaving every 1/2 hour (make reservation inside the airport) directly to the Sunshine City Prince Hotel, which is right next to the Sunshine 60 tower and shopping complex.

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).

See

 * Sunshine 60 - At one point Sunshine 60 was 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.
 * Toyota Amlux - A 5-story automotive showroom across the street from the Sunshine 60 building.
 * Nekobukuro - A unique shop on the top floor of the Tokyu Hands building where you pay 600 yen entry fee to enter 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 - Located on the west side of the Ikebukuro train/subway station. Has the world's longest escalator and offers various exhibits and concerts.

Do

 *  - A statue of an owl near the east exit. Many people meet here.


 * The Namjatown has many attractions. Parents and their children, friends and a pair of lovers can enjoy.There have a kind of foods. Gyoza studium, ice cream city and dessert empire of Tokyo. These shops have a variety of district. Ticket booth has 2nd floor.

Buy

 *  - The Animate HQ store is right next door to K-Books, down the street from Mandarake, and across the highway from the Sunshine 60. Lots of new anime/manga-related merchandise.
 *  - Good selection of anime, manga, and posters. Next door to the Animate, down the block from Mandarake, across the highway from the Sunshine 60.
 *  - 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.
 * Discount retailer Bic Camera has their flagship store on the east side of the station, with several branches nearby.
 * Junkudo is a 9-story bookstore (top floor has English titles). Leave the train station by the Seibu exit, turning right and go down the street a couple of blocks until you see the tall building with a "Sushi" sign flashing on top. Junkudo is located about half a block up from that building.


 * 7 story 'DIY' store with floors of kitchenware, bath accessories, paper goods, scrapbooking supplies, tools, hardware, exotic woods, travel supplies, toys, pet supplies, and Nekkobukuro on the top floor.

Eat

 * 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.
 * 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, Nishi-Ikebukuro 3-27-1 (5 min. walk from west exit). Excellent pasta and salads, in portions that are ample for two. The crab spaghetti is very popular. No non-smoking tables.
 * Kaiten Sushi - a very nice "conveyor belt" sushi restaurant is located about 2 blocks from the Ikebukuro subway/train station. Take the Seibu exit, turn right and walk down the street. You will see a tall building on the left with a large flashing "Sushi" sign on top.
 * Malay-Chan is a small Malaysian restaurant on the west side of the train/subway station. It is a little hard to find. Locate the Metropolitan Art Space and the bus loop that services that area. Walk to the curve of the loop, cross the main street (Geikijo dori - map) there and walk up a little street that winds left, then right. Then walk about 2 blocks farther. There is also an Indian restaurant and a Thai restaurant (mekong) nearby.

Ramen
Go visit Mutekiya, located on the east side of Ikebukuro, opposite Junkudo Bookstore.

Cafes

 * New Orleans' Cafe du Monde has a branch right outside the west exit.
 * ZOZOI, Nishi-Ikebukuro 3-22-6 (5 min. from west exit). 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.
 * ZAO, Nishi-Ikebukuro 1-18-1. This 24-hour basement coffee shop, with an interior that probably hasn't been changed since 1975, seems to be a favorite for smoking insomniacs and college students pulling all-nighters. You'll need to order something every two hours to hang around (and not fall asleep), but the toast and boiled eggs are free. If that's not enough, try the huge jumbo parfait (ice cream sundae), which is literally served in a fishbowl.

Budget

 * Kimi Ryokan, 2-36-8 Ikebukuro (8 min from JR Ikebukuro West Exit), tel. +81-3-3971-3766, . 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 Tatami!

Mid-Range

 * Crowne Plaza Metropolitan - Tokyo 1-6-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, tel 03-3980-1111, fax 03-3980-5600. 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 1-42-8 Higashi-Ikebukuro, tel 03-3986-1221, fax 03-3982-4128. 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. Accepts all major credit cards.
 * Hotel Grand City, 1-30-7 Higashi-Ikebukuro, tel 03-3984-5121, fax 03-3984-5127 (5 minute walk towards Sunshine City). The staff doesn't speak English very well.

Get out

 * Hop on the Seibu line for the 1.5-hour trip to Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park.