The world's two largest department stores, one built by the Seibu Railway Company and the other by Tobu, dramatically cut the district in half. For maximum visual impact, visitors should leave JR Ikebukero Station via the East Exit and then cross over the road to stand opposite. As part of an interactive exhibition inside the district’s Fire Station, visitors can test their ability to survive an earthquake.
Sunshine City has shops, a planetarium, aquarium, small oriental museum, theatre and the Namja Town children’s theme park. A good place to be hungry, Namja Town includes the Gyoza Stadium, Ice Cream City, and The Dessert Empire of Tokyo. The planetarium and the aquarium are on the tenth floor of the World Import Mart Building.
Sunshine City's tallest building is 240 meters high, and boasts excellent views from an observation gallery on its sixtieth floor. The lift ride up is free, and considered to be the fastest in the world; and with its illuminated dolphins and unicorns, it’s also one of the most surreal. Spread over six floors, the futuristic Toyota Amlux Auto Salon next to Sunshine City is one of the largest car showrooms in the world.
Handling more than a million passengers per day, Ikebukuro Station is surpassed only by Shinjuku Station as Japan's busiest railway station. Moving over to the west side of Ikebukero Station, and directly opposite the exit, visitors will find Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, with its concert hall, exhibition rooms and theatres.
