Staying in Ikebukuro
Introduction | Drug Store | Supplies | Packing Cart | Food
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Introduction
If you’re staying in Ikebukuro (or anywhere really) for the first time, you’ll want to become familiar with all the great shops and services at your fingertips. This is essential to saving you time and money.
Drug Store
One of the first places you may want to venture to is the drug store for health and beauty aids, and any other miscellany you didn’t bring over with you (intentionally or not). The nearest major drug store is Matsumoto KiYoshi, on the main drag of Sunshine 60 Dori. It’s almost like a department store, but not quite. The focus is on health and beauty aids – numerous floors of them.
Ladies, make sure you check out the make-up floor – oh so pretty.
Boys, there’s more hair product variety for you here than anywhere else in the world – go for it!
Supplies
Next, you’ll want to hit up Tokyu Hands, a department store of many many floors that has everything, including Nekobukuro (in case you miss your cat back home, you can go rent one for a time).
Tokyu Hands is dangerous. Very dangerous. You will want to buy everything. Your agenda for the first day, on the way back from Matsumoto KiYoshi is to acquire supplies. So wander on up to the stationery floor (where I guarantee you’ll come back to time and time again), and pick up some packing tape, scissors and pens. You will need these things for shipping your goods back home. You may also wish to pick up some postcards that you may wish to send to friends and family or just because they’re pretty.
Packing Cart
If you plan on seriously shopping, you’ll need a packing cart to take your very heavy boxes to the Post Office. I found a great one at Seiyu, the nearby grocery store. It was cheap and perfect. Like all the supplies you may buy above, you’ll be abandoning all these items just before you leave Tokyo. So don’t spend too much on these items – but they are necessary.
I found the wheeled packing cart upstairs in the small hardware section. If you can’t find one at Seiyu, I bet you’ll find one at Tokyu Hands. While you’re at Seiyu, you might as well pick up some snacks on the main floor before you head back to the hotel and get more organized.
Food
It’s important to eat while in Tokyo. You’ll be very active and hours in bookshops will go by so fast. So take time to eat.
I found Ikebukuro one of the cheapest regions to eat in Tokyo. The moment you hit an expat region or tourist area, the prices go up. Avoid any Western restaurants (unless you want the novelty of one Japanesized seafood burger) as they’re overpriced and really – you didn’t come here to eat Westernized fast food, did you?
Quick snacks like onigiri can be had at corner stores (i.e. Family Mart) as well as Seiyu. Seiyu has a great selection and they usually have some out in the morning. Take them back to the hotel refrigerator or carry them around with you for a while until you’re hungry.
My own preference was to hit Seiyu every morning and buy: a yoghurt, juice and something that took my fancy. At the same time I’d grab my lunch which comprised of anything from a sandwich to salad, onigiri etc. Honestly – the cost was nominal. Go grocery shopping – you will save money this way.
Sometimes for lunch I’d go to a sushi bar and load up before heading out. Other times, depending on where I was, I would eat at some other local venue. And that’s the trick – eat where the locals eat. Avoid tourist and Westernized places – unless you wish that sort of thing, of course.
Dinner was either another trip to Seiyu where they have inexpensive hot dishes and ready to eat meals prepared. Or, I splurged and usually spent no more than about ¥700 on a fabulous meal at a restaurant.
If it’s the end of the day and you’ve just come off the subway at Ikebukuro station, wander over to the basement of the Seibu Department Store for a range of just reduced prices on all manner of ready to eat foods.
There are vending machines for drinks all over the place. This is very handy, and they’re so good! Side note: drink their iced tea any chance you get — Oolong was my favourite… so delicious!
There is a liquor store in Ikebukuro and I don’t remember the exact location. But as you leave the subway station to head back to the hotel, swing left and it’s along the main road across from Seibu.
It IS possible to eat and eat well in Tokyo for $20 a day.
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