We must admit that most of the destinations in Japan we wanted to visit were heavily influenced by my anime taste. This time, we’re heading to Ikebukuro, the setting of Durarara!!.
Since I’m expecting a night in Ikebukuro similar to how it’s portrayed in Durarara!!, I plan to visit some otaku spots, arcades, and simply enjoy the bustling city streets. However, we won’t have much time, as we need to catch the last train before midnight.
So, we’re starting our venture from 📍 Ikebukuro Station at 5 PM, making a quick stop at Seibu for a bite to eat. Then, we’ll head to Sunshine City Mall before spending the rest of the night at Round 1, wrapping up our adventure just in time to catch the train back to our hotel.
Let’s begin our best night in Ikebukuro!
Enjoy a Sunset view and food in SEIBU Roof Garden
Image Source: Dennis A. Amith
The main area of Ikebukuro is divided into east and west sides, centered around the station. The west side is known for its izakaya and street food, making it a popular spot for a night drink. However, for this visit, we’re spending our time on the east side of Ikebukuro.
From the 📍 Ikebukuro Station East Exit, we walked to 📍 SEIBU, a shopping mall known for its many high-end shops. Our destination is the 9th floor—SEIBU Roof Garden. While most people end their day here after shopping, this is where we’re starting our night in Ikebukuro. The rooftop garden features beautiful floral installations and a small shrine by the pond, offering a peaceful escape from the bustling streets below.
Image Source: Times of TIU
Since our night will involve a lot of walking, we can’t start on an empty stomach. The rooftop has various food stalls to choose from; we recommend trying Kakuraya Udon with a canned beer. If that feels too heavy, there are lighter snacks available, with one of the visitors’ favorites being pizza nachos. You can also get some drinks from the vending machine.
Otaku Paradise in Sunshine City: Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo & Pikachu Sweets
Image Source: Find Geek Spots
Ikebukuro is the place to go after Akihabara if you’re an otaku. The main 📍 Animate store is located here, but since you can find the same store in other parts of Tokyo—like Akihabara and Shinjuku—we’re skipping it this time.
Instead, our main destination is a must-visit: Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo in 📍 Sunshine City Mall. But it’s not just Pokémon—this mall is home to flagship stores for many popular anime and character brands, including Sanrio, Sesame Street (which even has a pizzeria), Sylvanian Families, ONE PIECE, and more.
Image Source: Tanseisha
While we’ll explore the mall a bit, we’ll be spending most of our time in Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo. The store features a Pokémon GO Lab, where you can take pictures with life-sized Pokémon installations, as well as a merchandise section packed with everything from keychains to plushies. Unfortunately, as foreign tourists, we can’t purchase Pokémon cards from the TCG shop.
⚠️ Pro Tip: As tempting as it is, Pikachu Sweets Café isn’t really worth it beyond the cuteness. Sadly, this tends to be the case with most character-themed desserts and drinks. Instead, we’ll save our budget for more exciting food discoveries on the streets of Ikebukuro!
Dessert & Dinner in Ikebukuro
Image Source: Tabelog
At first, we thought that experiencing conveyor belt sushi at 📍 Kura Sushi and having midnight ramen at the famous 📍 Mutekiya were must-dos in Ikebukuro. However, both places often have long lines, sometimes requiring hours of waiting just to get a seat—followed by another wait for your order.
If you have the time and don’t need to catch the last train, they’re definitely worth trying.
Image Source: Sakuraco
Following our disappointment with the cute-themed desserts in Sunshine City, we discovered that Ikebukuro’s streets offer far better options. If you have a sweet tooth, 📍 PARCO shopping mall has a great selection of pastries and high-quality sweets. You can also check out 📍 Sweet Paradise, a dessert buffet for those who want to indulge.
Before leaving Sunshine City, consider grabbing jumbo takoyaki from 📍 Bakudanyaki Honpo, located just outside the mall. Then, before heading to the arcade, we can enjoy a proper meat dinner at 📍 Negishi, a great spot on the same street—just make sure to get there before it closes at 10 PM.
Game Night in Round 1
Image Source: Tokyo Hotels
Our best night in Ikebukuro would end at 📍 Round 1, a popular entertainment hub offering bowling, karaoke, arcades, crane games, and gachapon. Round 1 is well-known for its frequent collaborations with popular anime, games, and virtual idol agencies.
For bowling and karaoke packages, it’s best to make a reservation in advance. But even without one, you can still enjoy the crane games on the first floor, rhythm games on the second floor, and various exciting arcade machines on the upper floors. We highly recommend taking some photos in the purikura (photo booth) machines for a fun and unique keepsake of your night.
Round 1 is known as a 24-hour spot, but some have claimed that it closes around 1 AM. Just as an additional note, there’s also a 📍 SEGA arcade nearby if you’re a SEGA fan looking for more gaming options.
Image Source: byFood
A night in Ikebukuro is a blend of excitement, nostalgia, and discovery, especially for anime and gaming enthusiasts. From exploring themed stores in Sunshine City to indulging in street food and battling it out in arcades, every corner of the district offers something unique. While time may be limited before the last train, the energy of Ikebukuro makes every moment count.