I'm joining another round of #WednesdayWalk initiative by 
Today I went to the movies in Ikebukuro. Usually I watch movies in Shinjuku or in Hibiya so this theatre is kinda new to me. I won't be talking about the theatre or the movie in this post though, but fret not, I will be talking about it in my succeeding posts.
Where/what is Ikebukuro? It's one of the popular and busiest stations in Tokyo. Located in Toshima City, Ikebukuro is home to a lot of department stores where one could shop a lot, while still be entertained (e.g. observation deck, aquarium, etc) around here.
I started my walk before sunset going to the cinema. At 6:30PM, it's a bright summer day. Don't be fooled, it looks like it's cool but actually my sweat would not stop. Summer in Tokyo and its humidity are my weakest links.
Maybe because it's the rush hour, there were a lot of people. Wait, I did mention Ikebukuro is one of the busiest stations in Tokyo. There are 4 railway companies here, which probably explains the crowd.
Ikebukuro is said to be the place where you can also find some anime stuff. Actually, the very first time I came here 3 or 4 years ago, I was doing something anime related. I should be able to see a very big building of Animate, one of Japan's biggest anime merch shop. Unfortunately, they're under repair but store is still open, I can see many shoppers coming out.
On the nearby park, I realized I passed by the Animate Cafe but didn't even bother to check what's there. Ugh!
Around this area is where my destination is.
After the movie, I felt like I need to roam around so I became the Wanderer Wittyzell. 😂
To my surprise, there were not a lot of people in this side at night. I wonder about the west side. Or maybe because it's Wednesday, people are still working or went home early.
There were a lot of game centers and pachinko shops. In my walk, I've seen other movie theaters too.
I've passed by Sunshine City which is kinda famous around here. It's already closed though so will try to explore it on another day.
So far, I've seen 2 cute post boxes. These are usually plain red but in Ikebukuro, they are not the usual ones. I'm not sure why but I think it's for tourism or arts. While I was taking photo of the pink one, a lady was waiting for me to be done so she could put here mail. I'm so sorry for the trouble! ご迷惑をおかけして申し訳ございません。
Where's the crowd?! 人少な！(means few people).
Karaoke shops must not be crowded at this time. Should I stop by for an hour? 😅
Some girls dressed in loli and maid costume were on the road, waiting for customers. Guys, I think they're waiting for you. 😂
Even when this is an urban place, there are still few trees here and there. There are also few sculptures that you can find so gotta catch 'em all!
Near the station, you'll be overwhelmed by big department stores. Some of them like Seibu have shops for mid to high brands.
This isn't my first time to come to Ikebukuro but it feels like it's my first. I've been here before but since it's out of the way going home from work, I don't usually come here and haven't really explored the place. Although this place is close to home, taking the train will take time (because it's circling around 😅).
I'm glad I came here today and got to wander around this area. Next time, I'll explore more. For sure, I can find something worthwhile.
Thanks for reading!
See you around! じゃあ、またね！
All photos are taken using my phone unless stated otherwise.
