Ikebukuro & Shibuya
Besides Shinjuku Gyoen, I visited Shibuya and Ikebukuro, which were two places in Tokyo that I wanted to visit the most for the first time. The sightseeing spots for the day were: the Sunshine city mall (lots of cute things!) and the Shibuya crossing (super crowded!).
When you get out of the Ikebukuro metro station, you will see something like this. In the very back, you can see a building with a dome shaped roof. That is where you need to be.
Basically, it is very straightforward as you just need to walk straight ahead until you see this entrance. You need to take the escalators down and follow the directions towards the Sunshine city mall.
I went there during the summer and there was a Hello Kitty & Friends summer festival event going on. In the middle of the mall was a large water fountain and lots of fun activities for children to participate in.
I mainly visited the Sunshine City mall for the gyoza stadium and cute shops such as Daiso and 3coins. Right outside of the Sunshine City mall, there is also other things to do, such as shopping at a large Matsumoto Kiyoshi store (beauty products) and playing at the game arcades. Opposite of the Sunshine city mall, there is also a large center with many sticker photo booths and doll grabbing machines. Although I saw cute Rilakkuma and Pikachu dolls, I didn't give it a try as I don't think I should even bother with zero experience with these kind of machines. It would be cheaper to buy a doll directly in the shop (why do I hear my parent's voice when I read this line?).
Afterwards, I paid a short visit to Shibuya. I heard a lot of the famous Shibuya crossing and I really wanted to experience this in person. During the summer, these colorful summer festival decorations were almost everywhere I looked. It almost gave me the same feeling as with Christmas decorations. It makes you feel happy and in a celebrating mood (and you want to buy a lot of things).
For an introvert like me, walking on the Shibuya crossing was as overwhelming as a roller coaster ride for a normal person. You can experience a bit of it yourself, by watching this video underneath.
How to reach Sunshine city mall in Ikebukuro
When you get out of the Ikebukuro metro station, you will see something like this. In the very back, you can see a building with a dome shaped roof. That is where you need to be.
Basically, it is very straightforward as you just need to walk straight ahead until you see this entrance. You need to take the escalators down and follow the directions towards the Sunshine city mall.
I went there during the summer and there was a Hello Kitty & Friends summer festival event going on. In the middle of the mall was a large water fountain and lots of fun activities for children to participate in.
Underneath, you can find a short video clip of the water fountain.
I mainly visited the Sunshine City mall for the gyoza stadium and cute shops such as Daiso and 3coins. Right outside of the Sunshine City mall, there is also other things to do, such as shopping at a large Matsumoto Kiyoshi store (beauty products) and playing at the game arcades. Opposite of the Sunshine city mall, there is also a large center with many sticker photo booths and doll grabbing machines. Although I saw cute Rilakkuma and Pikachu dolls, I didn't give it a try as I don't think I should even bother with zero experience with these kind of machines. It would be cheaper to buy a doll directly in the shop (why do I hear my parent's voice when I read this line?).
Shibuya crossing
Afterwards, I paid a short visit to Shibuya. I heard a lot of the famous Shibuya crossing and I really wanted to experience this in person. During the summer, these colorful summer festival decorations were almost everywhere I looked. It almost gave me the same feeling as with Christmas decorations. It makes you feel happy and in a celebrating mood (and you want to buy a lot of things).
For an introvert like me, walking on the Shibuya crossing was as overwhelming as a roller coaster ride for a normal person. You can experience a bit of it yourself, by watching this video underneath.
