Source: Tomohiro Ohtake
Ikebukoro is one of the liveliest districts in Tokyo. The area is packed with entertainment and shopping options. Whatever you want to buy, you will surely find it here. Check out this list of 15 places to go shopping in Ikebukuro!
1. Seibu Ikebukuro
Seibu Ikebukuro is a big shopping mall located right next to the train station. It boasts thousands of stores selling clothes, shoes, cosmetics, accessories, toys, kitchenware, stationery and household goods. Many famous brands such as Adidas, Shiseido, Chanel, Dior, Fancl, Nike and Louis Vuitton have stores here. Shops offering tax free products exist as well. There are also many cafes and restaurants to relax after shopping.
2. Marui
Marui is a big department store of thousands of shops. . Visitors can buy clothes, shoes, souvenirs, cosmetics, jewelry and household goods. The complex offers tax refunds for foreign visitors. Among the recommended stores that you should definitely visit there is Village Vanguard, an exciting bookshop that also sells a variety of interesting and cute souvenirs.
3. Tobu Department Store
The Tobu Department Store is one of Tokyo’s largest such stores. The same as the Seibu store, its many stores sell almost everything one can imagine: women and men’s fashion, kid’s clothes and toys, cosmetics, accessories and much more. The building also includes an art gallery and a hall where all kinds of events are organized. The department’s store many restaurants offer a large variety of dining options.
4. Tokyu Hands
Tokyu Hands is a big store that centers around DIY and hobby products. The store has a great selection of stationery and other goods that are used for crafts. But many other items can be also found, such as cosmetics, toiletries, cleaning products, home décor, mobile phone accessories, travel bags, etc. The building’s top floor houses a pet shop dedicated to cats that sells food, souvenirs and other cat related items.
5. Uniqlo
Uniqlo is a popular clothing chain that focuses on affordable fashion. There are products for everyone, including kids. You can find pants, blouses, dresses, underwear, shoes, bags and rainwear. The best part about Uniqlo is that they also have bigger sizes for their clothing, making it a popular store among foreigners who cannot find clothes that fit at other shops.
6. Sunshine City
Sunshine City is a large shopping and entertainment complex. If features two shopping centers, ALTA and Alpa. Most of the shops are specialized in young adults fashion and accessories, offering many products that match the latest trends. Besides shopping, the complex offers many entertainment possibilities. The building includes an aquarium, an observatory, a theater, a planetarium, a museum as well as many cafes and restaurants.
7. KitKat Chocolatory
Kit Kat wafers are very popular in Japan. So popular that there are shops dedicated only to these sweets. The Kit Kat Chocolatory in Ikebukuro offers a variety of wafers with all kinds of wacky flavors: grilled potato, cherry blossom, soybean, azuki beans, French salt, pumpkin, melon, red bean paste, lemon, salty watermelon, Muscat, apple vinegar and much more. The people were so enthusiastic when the store was opened that all the products were sold out in less than two hours.
8. Book Off
If you are a fan of Japanese entertainment, this is the place for you. Book Off is a store that specializes in second-hand books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and games. You can find cheap fashion magazines, books from all possible fields, city maps and guides, photo albums, movies, dramas, video games and music.
9. Animate
Animate is one of the biggest retailers of video games, anime and manga goods in Japan. The store in Ikebukuro is the oldest branch in Japan, opened in 1983. You can find all kinds of goods from popular anime and manga series: figures, books, badges, pins, small apparel items, posters, pillows, keychains, phone straps, stationery, stuffed plushies, cards, as well as drinks and food.
10. ABC Mart
ABC Mart is a big franchise that specializes in shoes. There are so many types of shoes that you will get dizzy from so much looking around. And the Ikebukuro area has two ABC Mart stores! A heaven for shoe lovers! You can find sneakers, sport shoes, casual shoes, sandals, loafers, pumps, rain shoes, boots, as well as socks, shoelaces, shoe care products and some apparel items.
11. Bic Camera
Bic Camera is one of the biggest electronics retailers in Japan. With three stores in Ikebukuro, you can pretty much find everything you can imagine. The store sells a wide variety of cameras, photo accessories, mobile phones, computers, laptops and household electronics. Some stores also have non electronic items such as toys, watches, jewelry, glasses, liquor, sport items and gifts.
12. Lumine
Lumine is a large shopping complex that mainly caters to young people. You can find many fashion items and accessories. Famous brands include Retro Girl, Cecil McBee, Studious, Beams, ABC Mart, United Arrows and Urban Research. The majority of shops focus of women’s fashion but there are also stores for men. Besides clothjing stores, visitors can also find Arenot, Muji, Kumazawa Books and Natural Kitchen.
13. Don Quijote
Don Quijote is a large store chain that sells everything you can think of: cosmetics, clothes, costumes, souvenirs, electronics, household goods and much more. The store is specialized in crazy items such as butt or breast shaped pillows or cat ears that measure your brainwaves and start moving when you are happy. Definitely an experience which will make you feel Japan!
14. Yamada Denki
Yamada Denki is another big electronics retailer. They are in a fierce competition with Bic Camera and sell similar items like cameras, photo accessories, mobile phones, computers, laptops and household electronics. The brands differ from the ones at Bic Camera, so you might want to visit both stores to have better options for the items you want to buy.
15. Mandarake
Mandarake is the large store that focuses on second hand anime, manga and idol items. You can find products such as manga books, cosplay items, figurines, pillows, stationery, badges, posters, keychains and much more. In addition, there are also male and female idols merchandise that are sold at concerts like penlights, uchiwas (fans with the idols’ faces), CDs, DVDs and other small items.
Have fun shopping! Have a good trip and travel!
