Ikebukuro (Page 5)
Perfect for all those parents looking for just the right gift for their fujoshi daughters.
The revolutionary girl is the latest anime icon to become the face of a cafe in one of Tokyo’s anime fandom hot spots.
Summer may be the rainy season, but hail like this is freaky even for Japan.
Eat like an undead and indulge in a little light cosplay at this limited-time cafe celebrating the upcoming Tokyo Ghoul franchise.
There’s no easier or more appropriate place to cosplay as some of the greatest heroes of the anime and manga world.
Run for your lives! Shizuo Heiwajima’s coming through with a massive, life-sized street sign.
If you’re saving up your yennies for a trip to the the Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo store, here are some of the awesome items available to purchase.
Already checked all the sushi and ramen boxes on your Japanese food pilgrimage list? Then come along with us to the country’s favorite unagi specialist, located in downtown Tokyo.
Do you know what day October 21, 2015 is? It’s the day that Marty and Doc come to the future from 1985! But, sorry Marty, hover boards aren’t quite what they were supposed to be, and we barely made it to five Jaws movies, let alone Jaws 19. One of the only prophecies that may still come true is the Cubs winning the World Series, but even that seems doubtful.
Okay, so Marty might not be overly thrilled with this real version of 2015, but hey, at least he’ll get to go to the limited time “Back to the Future” Cafe if he stops by Hill Valley Ikebukuro in Tokyo.
The first real earthquake I remember experiencing was on March 11, 2011. You might recognize that as the day of the Great Tohoku Earthquake, which brought the devastating tsunami that ravaged the northeastern coast of Japan. I was in Tokyo at the time, so the seismic activity was markedly lower than that experienced by people living in places like Iwate and Fukushima, but it was still a real shock.
Ever since, I’ve wondered just how much worse it must have been closer to the epicenter. Thanks to the Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center, I’ve come close to understanding what it must have felt like. Though far from anything you could describe as “fun,” it was an unquestionably powerful experience — and you can find out what it was like too. Check out our video introducing the center below, and learn a little bit about what to do in case you find yourself in caught in the middle of a powerful earthquake.
Gintama fans are in for a special treat as a cafe in Ikebukuro is re-working its image and re-opening as Yorozuya, the “we do everything” office from the Gintama manga.
While this cafe won’t be able to help you with all your life problems, they will be able to satisfy your need to eat, dine and be merry surrounded by Gintama characters and decor. This special theme cafe will finally make a Yorozuya store a reality and you only have to wait until this August.
Tokyo’s Ikebukuro is an archetypical part of the concrete jungle of Japan’s capital. The neighborhood is even home to Sunshine 60, one of the tallest buildings in a city that’s already packed with massive skyscrapers.
With so much space to work with, Sunshine 60 houses a shopping center, restaurants, planetarium, museum, and even a parlor for playing the Japanese board game go. But what convinced us to visit recently was the complex’s aquarium, which right now is offering a chance to shake hands with its adorable river otters!
Japan should officially be known as the land of themed cafés. From cat cafés to owl cafés, character cafés and maid cafés… there’s even a café where you can pay 980 yen (US$9.57) to get two young men to share a stick of Pocky. Mouth to mouth. And that’s not all that is on their fantasy-inducing menu.
Regardless if you’re a fujoshi (girls who are fans of homoerotic fiction) or not, you should take a peek behind this particular curtain, because honestly, this probably isn’t something you’d get to see on an average day!
Who doesn’t love Kit Kats? They’re tasty, available in many interesting flavors, and they’re even considered a good luck snack in Japan for students preparing for entrance exams because the name Kit Kat sounds somewhat like the phrase “You’ll win for sure! (Kitto Katsu)” in Japanese. Well, the popular chocolate snack now seems to have reached a new level of refinement and consumer appeal, as the world’s very first specialty Kit Kat shop opened this past Friday at the Seibu Department Store in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. A shop that sells Kit Kats exclusively? Now, that sounds like something to be excited about!
But that wasn’t all — to our further delight, we heard that the Kit Kat Chocolatory, as the specialty shop is called, was selling Kit Kats in original flavors created by renowned patissier Yasumasa Takagi. Well, there simply was no way we were going to miss this, so off we went to Ikebukuro to visit the shop, on opening day, no less! What else could we do, right?
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Japan is wild about dessert cafes and pastry shops. From donuts to pretzels to cakes, the nation’s sweet-tooth knows no bounds, and you’ll find baked sugary treats almost anywhere in the city. “So what makes this new store special?” you ask. Well, it’s not your typical sweet shop, but in fact an all-you-can-eat cookie buffet!
This Wednesday, a new location for the popular dessert chain Aunt Stella’s Cookies opened up in Tokyo’s Ikebukuro. And Aunt Stella has cooked up a bunch of tasty specials to celebrate the move!



















Viral 3D ice creams land in Japan… but are they worth the hype?
Japanese company selling bear-proof automatic doors
Studio Ghibli adds new Kiki’s Delivery Service music box to its anime merchandise shop in Japan
KFC’s Colonel Sanders is becoming a samurai in Japan this week
A whole slew of Totoro Christmas cakes are on their way to make the season extra merry【Photos】
Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki says the anime industry’s problem is that it’s full of anime fans
We try the sweets, soups, pastas, and fried chicken of KFC’s all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant
Japanese sports company Mizuno releases stylish furniture which doubles as training equipment
Step back in time with Japanese-themed rooms at rare vintage love hotel in Osaka【Video】
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japan considering raising international traveler departure tax even more than previously reported
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Shibuya’s Don Quijote?
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowd sizes in Nara?
Studio Ghibli stamps lift your spirits with motivational phrases from Totoro
Japanese town suing resident for being a jerk
Is Kyoto less crowded with tourists after China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning?【Photos】
You can now buy a Japanese train station clock in Japan
Japanese police attempting to clamp down on “zombie cigarettes”
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Brand-new Pokémon park opens in Japan with larger-than-life-size Lapras【Photos】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Naturally brown-haired Osaka student sues government for forcing her to dye her hair black
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
Unique inclined elevator in Japan leads to a town that inspired Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki says the anime industry’s problem is that it’s full of anime fans
We try the sweets, soups, pastas, and fried chicken of KFC’s all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant
Japanese sports company Mizuno releases stylish furniture which doubles as training equipment
Step back in time with Japanese-themed rooms at rare vintage love hotel in Osaka【Video】
Is the all-you-can-eat KFC buffet in Tokyo really as good as they say it is?
Baskin-Robbins Japan’s ice cream popularity poll leaves out fan favourite — but why?!
Japan’s top five retro hot springs for a time trip back to the onsen past, as chosen by travelers
All-you-can-eat KFC returns to 247 locations across Japan this April!
Ramen and girls bar: Where you can talk to women who aren’t dressed like hosts or maids
Hayao Miyazaki comments on Chihiro’s final test scene in Spirited Away
Japan’s new Pokémon donut treat marks Ditto’s Mister Donut debut!
Rental grandma service growing in Japan, can help cook or break up with boyfriends
Kyoto company developing autofocus glasses for sufferers of presbyopia and other conditions