Ikebukuro was the place I stayed during my very first visit to Japan. It’s a quite common district of big Tokyo where you can find anything you need. There are many shops, and stores like OIOI (Marui – Marui), many restaurants, and small places to eat. There is also a big entertaining complex called “Sunshine City."
For me, I considered Ikebukuro my “small Tokyo," or my “home”. In the morning, I went to see some places of interest. In the evening, I came back to Ikebukuro. I dined at different small cafes of Ikebukuro and tried all sorts of Japanese dishes. I must admit that I have come to really liked Japanese food! After dinner, I walked around Ikebukuro and then bought onigiri, or a bun with red beans, and yogurt for breakfast in a small convenience shop called “Family Mart” near my hotel.
On two or three occasions, I went to Sunshine City. It’s a city with a great number of shops, restaurants, hotels, sports club, aquarium, an observation deck on the 60th floor, and many other attractions and events. In Sunshine City, you can find information desks quite often that provides the information in many languages. I enjoyed visiting the aquarium and the observation deck by purchasing a combined ticket. Also, I bought some gifts and souvenirs to take home.
