Location: Ikebukuro
Top Things to do in Ikebukuro
The 10 Best Things to do in Ikebukuro, Kanto
Tradition collides with pop culture in Tokyo, where you can reverently wander ancient temples before rocking out at a karaoke bar. Wake up before the sun to catch the lively fish auction at the Tsukiji Market, then refresh with a walk beneath the cherry blossom trees that line the Sumida River. Spend some time in the beautiful East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, then brush up on your Japanese history at the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Don’t forget to eat as much sushi, udon noodles, and wagashi (Japanese sweets) as your belly can handle.
Restaurants in Tokyo
1. Rikugien Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 965 reviews
Reviewed By Sarah53187 - Dunedin, New Zealand
A large, traditional Japanese landscape garden with lots of paths for walking & viewing the garden from different angles. A large pond in the middle is dotted with islands, while paths wind around the island, up and down hills, through trees, over bridges - all creating the illusion of the garden being far bigger than it is. I visited in the mid-afternoon on a sunny day when the large weeping cherry tree was in bloom - it was gorgeous! The garden was surprisingly not very busy. I imagine that if you came early in the morning it would be really quiet.
2. Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 445 reviews
Reviewed By hfot2 - Vermont, United States
Chinzanso was quite nice, though past peak when we visited in early December. It is quite wonderful that the hotel opens up such a lovely place for free for visitors who are not guests of the hotel. We dressed up for our visit, since the hotel has such a posh clientele. (We were dismayed by, and a bit embarrassed for, the really sloppily dressed and loud folks who arrived with a tour group no less!) The garden is a wedding venue. We saw at least 3 weddings and a few wedding photo shoots - a stunningly dressed bride placed perfectly with the pond or red trees as a background. We had to be careful as we walked around the pond taking care that we didn’t end up in one of the wedding photos. The weddings themselves produced among other things distant photo ops of family groups, brides having rose petals thrown at them, and women dressed in elegant kimonos In addition to the pond, there are lots of things to see - momiji, of course, an ancient and sacred tree, stone lanterns and statues, a pagoda and more. Each path brings different landscape views in this lovely stroll garden. There were even signs in Japanese and English describing some of the statues, buildings and trees Definitely worth a visit.
3. Mejiro Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 105 reviews
Reviewed By hfot2 - Vermont, United States
Mejiro Garden was a real treat and a stunning hidden gem for foliage. Color in other gardens we visited in Tokyo was not great this year, but the day we visited Mejiro Garden it was at absolute peak. The garden is small and it takes a bit of work to find, but it is worth the effort. It is a short walk from Mejiro Station. There are signs posted along the street showing you where to go; the first is on the corner of Bakery Antendo. The walk is about 10 minutes through a primarily residential area with a few shops including “Ballerina” selling ballet costumes. The garden is surrounded by a wall - be careful not to walk right past it. No other Westerners were there when we visited. Several Japanese tourists, a small group of local senior citizens, a wedding photo shoot, and a small group of Chinese twenty-somethings were the only people there. The garden surrounds a large pond with a walking path going around 3 sides. The stroll garden has all the standard landscape features including an artificial hill, a small pagoda, a waterfall, a pavilion and wonderful plantings that in autumn were amazingly colorful. There are numerous photos ops from various locations on the path and there were at least 3 other photographers there while we visited. At the far end there is a grassy area which had several food stalls around it - all closed for business when we visited. On the fourth side of the pond there are benches underneath a veranda; the seniors were sitting on the these benches admiring the view. Above the veranda is a building which looked as if it could rented for functions and it also included a children’s play school. The bride and groom rested in the building after having their photos taken in the pavilion above the pond. There was no entry fee for the garden. The lovely ladies at the entrance asked us about our Japan trips, our visit to their garden, and then gave us a small gift.
4. St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 142 reviews
Reviewed By JensTetz - Berlin, Germany
There are so many temples, shrines and pagodas to see in Tokyo – that makes visiting a church sometimes a bit more special (even when you are European). This cathedral is definitely something extraordinary. It's a masterpiece by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. You can take the metro to Gokokuji Station and then walk about 15 minutes. You will find an iconic modern church which is stunning from the in- and outside. You can visit it free of charge but it's officially not allowed to take photos. If you are in the area you can also visit the Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo Garden which is close to St. Mary's.
5. Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 60 reviews
Reviewed By Swarovski - Melbourne, Australia
It is amazing to see a FLW design in Tokyo and his design is so recognizable throughout this well preserved old building. It was originally started as a school for girls and now it is used for lectures and seminars. There are some early photos - a bit like a museum - but the day we visited there was a lecture on. Just a 5 or 10 minute walk from JR Ikebukuro Station.
6. Bunkyo Hydrangea Matsuri
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 28 reviews
Held from early to mid-June, the Bunkyo Hydrangea Matsuri is one of Bunkyo Ward's Big Five Flower Festivals. Over 3,000 hydrangea colorize Hakusan Shrine and neighboring Hakusan Park. People can also climb up the Fuji mound that is normally closed to the public. Also, since Hakusan Shrine is known for the god that stops toothaches, toothbrushes are memorialized during the festival.
7. Sunshine 60
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 397 reviews
Tokyo's tallest building
Reviewed By 371pepperw
This giant shopping plaza is a must for tourists. It houses lots of speciality boutiques, as well as well known brands. The restaurants are of course all amazing and there's a few hidden gems like the Momin cafe, and we also found all you can eat. There's an observation deck, a VR area, aquarium, Namja town, J-world for the anime lovers, and an awesome massive screen showcasing Japanese mini documenteries with a fountain and light show to go with it. If you read through the reviews their all different, that's because there really is something for everybody here.
8. Zoshigaya Missionary Museum
9. Sugamo District
10. Sugamo Jizo-dori Shopping Street
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