A 1978 city within the city, built on the site of a demolished prison, with a 240-metre tower that was once the tallest in Asia. Sunshine City holds an aquarium on a rooftop, a planetarium, a Pokémon Center, a Namja Town indoor theme park, hundreds of shops and an observation lounge on the 60th floor, all linked by endless corridors that make it feel like a game level.
Pick two attractions rather than attempting everything. The aquarium and the observation deck pair well in an afternoon, and the arcades on the lower floors pass a rainy evening. Otome Road runs along the western edge, so otaku shopping is a short walk.
Tips
- The rooftop aquarium's penguin tank is built so the birds appear to fly over the Ikebukuro skyline
- Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo on the second floor of the Alpa mall is the largest in the city and a magnet at weekends
- The 60th-floor observation deck has a grassy lounge and is cheaper than its rivals in Shibuya and Shinjuku