Animate Co., Ltd. will open "Animate Gratte Animate Street Store" on July 17, 2026. This will be the first standalone Gratte store in Animate's history. (C)Kazuhiko Shimamoto・MOVIC Illustration: Tatsuta Shiu The newly opening "Animate Gratte Animate-dori Store" will be located on the local street in Higashi-Ikebukuro 1-chome, commonly known as "Animate-dori," as its name suggests. It will be very easily accessible , just a 1-minute walk from Animate Ikebukuro Main Store and a 5-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station . Inside the store, you can order "Gratte" (patented), a graphic latte with character designs printed on the cream topping, as well as icing cookies featuring the same illustrations. Graphic ice cream,…
After a six-and-a-half-year hiatus, the sixth Rokurinsha restaurant will open in Ikebukuro on June 15, 2026.
~After breaking its silence since opening its Ueno store in 2019, it is finally making its long-awaited entry into the "holy land of tsukemen"~ Matsufuji Foods Co., Ltd. will open its sixth Rokurinsha restaurant in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, on June 15, 2026. This will be the first new restaurant opening in approximately six and a half years, since the Rokurinsha Ueno store opened in November 2019. Rokurinsha, which continues to create a sensation in the world of tsukemen (dipping noodles), will finally make history in Ikebukuro. ■ About Rokurinsha A pioneer in the world of tsukemen (dipping noodles), this restaurant established the style of combining rich soup with extra-thick noodles. It…
The urban culture festival “TOSHIMA STREET FES 2026” has been announced. Toshima Ward, companies, and organizations are collaborating to promote street culture throughout the Ikebukuro area.
We've announced the content for the West Exit area, a "dance x ultimate showdown" where dance, DJing, MCing, and sports intersect! From November 1st (Sun) to 3rd (Tue/Holiday), 2026, the urban culture festival "TOSHIMA STREET FES 2026 (TSFes)" will be held in the Ikebukuro area of Toshima Ward, Tokyo. Now in its fourth year, TSFes is a multifaceted festival that spans diverse street cultures, including music, dance, art, urban sports, and food. Centered around the Global Ring at Ikebukuro West Exit Park, the festival will unfold across five venues in the area, including Naka-Ikebukuro Park and Animate Theater, transforming the entire city into a stage for culture. TSFes is a…
A pop-up store for “Tabekko Doubutsu LAND,” which has surpassed 320,000 cumulative visitors, will be held for a limited time inside JR Ikebukuro Station from May 26th!
Popular items such as stickers and random goods that have been a hit since their release are now available. "Tabekko Doubutsu LAND," an interactive indoor event where you can enjoy the world of Ginbis Co., Ltd.'s long-selling biscuit "Tabekko Doubutsu," will be appearing as a pop-up store, "Tabekko Doubutsu LAND POP UP STORE," for a limited time from May 26th (Tue) to June 8th (Mon) at JR Ikebukuro Station South Passage, in front of the Ikebukuro South Ticket Gate, at location 206. ©Ginbis The "Tabekko Doubutsu LAND POP UP STORE" will sell a variety of items that have been popular at the Tabekko Doubutsu LAND merchandise shop. You can purchase…
“Hangry Joe’s Tokyo” is opening its long-awaited second location in the Ikebukuro area on May 26th!
Aiming to become the No. 1 halal chicken burger chain in Asia, originating from Japan, the company plans to expand to 100 stores in Japan and 1,000 stores across Asia by 2040. Hungry Joe's Hot Chicken Japan Co., Ltd., which operates "Hangry Joe's Tokyo," an evolution of Nashville-style hot chicken into a unique Tokyo version, will open its long-awaited second store in Ikebukuro, an international city where people from all over the world intersect, on May 26, 2026. Along with this opening, the brand logo and colors will be refreshed. As an "ALL DAY DINER" where everyone can gather around the same table, transcending nationality, religion, and culture, Ikebukuro will…
[Experience Report] Beginners Welcome! “YASUMI LAB TOKYO,” where you can create your own stuffed animal, opens in Ikebukuro.
Going out with your favorite stuffed animal, taking pictures, and sharing memories—"Nui-katsu" has now gone beyond a fleeting trend and become established as a culture in itself. Recently, people have moved beyond simply appreciating ready-made products and are increasingly creating their own "one-of-a-kind original stuffed animals," with craft stores displaying related books and special sections becoming more common. However, even if you want to make one yourself, many people hesitate, thinking, "I don't know where to start," or "I'm clumsy to begin with…" For those people, we recommend visiting "YASUMI LAB TOKYO," which opened in Ikebukuro in May 2026. This shop holds daily hands-on workshops where you can create your…
“Robata Sakazuki,” a fish shop pub with a 100-year history, will open in Ikebukuro on May 24th.
~An adult's hideaway where you can savor the most delicious fish of the night and vegetables picked this morning~ Mostfun Co., Ltd., which aims to have the world's highest employee satisfaction in Japan, will open a new type of restaurant, "Robata Sakazuki," on Sunday, May 24, 2026, in a location just a 4-minute walk from the east exit of Ikebukuro Station. This restaurant is an authentic robatayaki (charcoal grill) izakaya that serves fresh fish carefully selected by the discerning eye of Musashi-Sakai Osakana-ya, which is a descendant of Uohatsu, a long-established fish shop in Kichijoji that has been in business for about 100 years, and grilled over a charcoal fire.…
“PUNIKKO by TOKOTOYZ,” a squishy toy experience store with a toy patisserie concept, will have its grand opening at Ikebukuro Parco at the end of May 2026!
A new kind of squishy toy specialty shop has opened, based on the concept of a sweets shop, where you can see, touch, and experience squishy toys. This experiential hobby shop, which will become a hub for squishy toy culture, is finally open. Lifestyle Company Co., Ltd. will be grand opening "PUNIKKO by TOKOTOYZ," a specialty squishy toy store under its hobby brand "TOKOTOYZ," on the 7th floor of Ikebukuro Parco Main Building at the end of May 2026. "PUNIKKO by TOKOTOYZ" is a new kind of hobby shop that offers a photogenic space reminiscent of a cake shop, where you can choose your own squishy toys that look like…
The biggest ever! 46 kinds of Tobu-exclusive chocolate mint gourmet items will be available in “Chocolate Mint Hunt!” starting Thursday, May 21st.
Tobu Department Store's Ikebukuro Main Store food floor will be holding a "Chocolate Mint Hunt!" for 14 days, from Thursday, May 21st to Wednesday, June 3rd. This event, first held in 2024, aims to attract new customers, particularly younger generations, and to offer refreshing gourmet food in cool colors perfect for the early summer heat. For its third year, this event will feature the largest selection ever, with over 100 types of chocolate mint gourmet items. Of particular note are the 46 types of Tobu-exclusive items, approximately 1.8 times more than last year. From sweets such as cakes and dorayaki to savory dishes like carpaccio and croquettes, we offer chocolate…
A craftsman and a master—a creator who left a significant mark on the history of Japanese animation: Special Exhibition “The Work of Tsutomu Shibayama”
Date: May 16, 2026 (Sat) – July 5, 2026 (Sun) ©Tsutomu Shibayama ©Style Co., Ltd. 2026 Anime Tokyo Station, a Japanese animation exhibition center operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Japan Animation Association, operates under the motto "Making anime more interesting, and anime far into the future," and is a facility that promotes the appeal of Japanese anime to the world. As of May 10, 2026, it has been visited by 287,732 people from both Japan and abroad. From Saturday, May 16, 2026, a special exhibition, "The Work of Tsutomu Shibayama," will be held on the first basement floor. Tsutomu Shibayama passed away on March 6th. He was…