Sunshine City: Ikebukuro
Tucked into the end of a busy Ikebukuro thoroughfare is the entrance to Sunshine City, a shopping/ entertainment complex and one of Tokyo's closest re-creations of the American mall experience. Nearly everywhere you turn, stores like Eddie Bauer, Columbia Sportswear and the Body Shop tantalize parents' consumer desires while Toys R' Us, The Disney Store and other purveyors of the cute and cuddly jockey for their kids' attention.

On the tenth-floor roof you'll find the Sunshine International Aquarium. Quality-wise, it's cleaner and the exhibits are slightly more colorful than Shinagawa's, and at 1800 yen, more expensive. But here you'll also find a small zoo with lemurs, penguins, Shetland ponies, and several other species up-close - some of them barrier-free.

Right next-door is the Sunshine Starlight Dome, a planetarium with a rotating schedule that includes an "All Sky CG Program" and at the time of writing, footage of the Aurora Borealis. The Sunshine Theater in the adjacent building has a steady schedule of live shows featuring acts like a live revue of the "Sailor Moon" cartoon and pop stars aiming for the elementary-school set. The sloping floor of the 800-seat theater will ensure even little ones a good view.

If that's not stimulating enough, you could head to Namja Town for a jolt of kinetic energy. This indoor theme park has six "towns," including several based on food, such as Ice Cream Town and Gyoza Stadium, which is built to look like 1950's Japan. Take note that it can get very crowded on weekends and holidays and many of the exhibits may not be appropriate for younger kids, as they can be quite loud or scary (in a Disney's Haunted House-like way). Older kids may love it.

Slightly more relaxing is the Ancient Orient Museum, where artifacts from Egypt, Mesopotamia and other early civilizations are on display. Or you could check out the 60th floor sky deck for an unhindered view of the Kanto Plain.

Most people, however, come to Sunshine City because of the shops and because it's kid-friendly. Elevators, restrooms and diaper-changing facilities are plentiful and well marked, but guys take note: most changing spots are in the women's restrooms, so check carefully before trekking miles through the maze with kiddo.

Most restaurants, bookstores and shops are geared towards young ones and there are more toy shops than I could count. There's also a store for fans of Ghibli animation icon, Hayao Miyazaki. Models, stuffed creatures and action figures from his films are just the beginning.

At the time of writing, Christmas was quickly approaching, meaning Sunshine's white marble halls were completely decked, including a 3-floor-high fake tree next to the indoor courtyard's geyser-like fountain. So if Santa comes to Tokyo and says "Take me to your mall," now you know which direction to point.

by Jason Jenkins





Sunshine City

Higashi-Ikebukuro 3-1-2


Sunshine International Aquarium: World Import Mart Building (Pink on maps), 10th Floor. Y1800.

Sunshine Starlight Dome: World Import Mart Building (Pink on maps), 10th Floor. Y500-1500.

Namco Namja Town: World Import Mart Building (Pink on maps), 2nd Floor. Basic entry fee Y300.

Sunshine Theater: Bunka Kaikan Building (Blue on maps), 4th Floor.

Ancient Orient Museum: Bunka Kaikan Building (Blue on maps), 7th Floor. Adults Y500, College/High School Y400, Junior High and below Y150yen.


Directions from Ikebukuro Station:

Take the Seibu East Exit and follow signs to "Sunshine." Go out exit 34 (elevator) or 35 (stairs, no escalator) and walk straight to the first major intersection and veer left onto a thoroughfare partially blocked to traffic (look for KFC and Hello Kitty on the right). You will pass several movie theaters and an HMV. The entrance to Sunshine City (stairs and escalator, no elevator) is at the end on the right, next to the Tokyu Hands store.

For an elevator, continue straight across a major road's crosswalk and turn right in front of a car dealership. At the first large intersection, veer left and walk towards a tall white building. That's Sunshine City. Elevators are inside. Check before you get in.