Come to Sunshine City, a complex designed with being “a city within a city” in mind. From business, to shopping, dining, theatre, and even a hotel, you can spend a whole day right in the heart of Ikebukuro. Whether it’s for business or leisure, it will be an unforgettable experience.
Table of Contents
- What Can You Expect from Sunshine City Ikebukuro?
- Facts and Figures about Sunshine City
- Main Attractions of the Sunshine City
- Takeaway
What Can You Expect from Sunshine City Ikebukuro?
Tokyo's crown jewel, Sunshine City, has been one of the area's most popular destinations for business and leisure travel since it opened its doors in 1978. Offering a plethora of shopping, dining, and entertainment opportunities in a family-friendly environment, Sunshine City has something for everyone. The central tower, Sunshine60, is the one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo and the tallest in Ikebukuro.
The remarkable thing about Sunshine City Complex is that you will find something new every time you visit. These can be anything from limited time anime or movie exhibitions, to promotional campaigns for an opportunity to get limited edition items. It’s known for three things: fun, food, and shopping. From a rooftop aquarium to a theatre hall for concert performances, the fun never stops at Sunshine City.
Writer's Pick
Facts and Figures about Sunshine City
Sunshine City was designed as a "city inside a city", or a structure that has nearly all of the facilities you can conceive of under one roof. It opened its doors in 1978 and featured dining, shopping, cityscape views, and indoor entertainment - an aquarium, a planetarium, a theme park, a concert hall and more. The City has developed and changed since then, but it remains a multipurpose structure in the center of Tokyo City.
Sunshine City is spread in a large area with four defining structures. The first one, the Sunshine 60, constructed in 1978, was the tallest building in all of Asia until 1985. As the name implies, it has 60 floors with an observation deck known as Sky Circus. The second is the beautiful Bunka Kaikan Building, where events of all kinds are conducted throughout the year. The third is a World Import Mart Building which houses an indoor theme park, a food court, and exclusive shops. And lastly, the famous chain resort Prince Hotel is a convenient resting place.
Main Attractions of the Sunshine City
Sunshine City Ikebukuro boasts plenty of indoor fun, from the awe-inspiring Sunshine Aquarium and Konica Minolta Planetarium, to NamjaTown and Pokemon Mega Centre. Let's explore some of the best that this vast complex has to offer:
Sunshine 60: Pearl of Ikebukuro's Sunshine City
The tallest structure in Ikebukuro, Sunshine 60, is a paradise for fun, shopping, and dining. It symbolizes present day Japan with modernity and unsurpassed entertainment facilities. The building's highlight is its Sky Circus viewing deck, which provides a panoramic view of Tokyo.
It is one of the world's highest observation decks in the sky, with a 360° view of Tokyo. Encompassing the top floor of Sunshine 60, it also uses VR technology to provide an interactive experience of Tokyo. Get dizzy with the swing coaster, or fly through Tokyo with the bullet flight. The Observatory is more than just an observatory. It is a place for relaxation, and entertainment.
Entrance Fee: 1,200 yen (Adult)
VR Experience Fee: 500 yen per person per ride
※ Sunshine City Observatory Sky Circus
Sunshine Aquarium: See Marine Life in the Sky
An oasis in the sky, this aquarium offers an unparalleled view of the beauty and wonder of the ocean. From the graceful jellyfish to the playful penguins, you'll see more than 750 types of sea creatures. It is located in the World Import Mart Building. You'll also find seals playing in the Sunshine Aqua Ring, which is an overhead aquarium that's shaped like a donut. The aquarium also houses many uncommon species, including deep-water spider crabs, giant sunfish, otters, and massive sea lions.
Entrance Fee: 2,400 yen (Adult)
※ Sunshine Aquarium
Sunshine City Shopping: Ultimate Shopping and Dining
Sunshine City is home to two shopping areas; Alpa and Alta. Alpa takes up four floors beneath Prince Hotel and Sunshine 60, whereas Alta consists of two floors at the bottom of the World Important Building and directly beneath NamjaTown. Here’s a breakdown of the two:
Alta
Alta is a retail center specialized in women's fashion with plenty of boutiques offering the latest young women’s fashion trends and accessories. The more famous and known Alta is in Shinjuku, but the 2 floors in World Import Mart are worth checking out.
Alpa
Alpa is known for its wide selection of quality, fashionable, and reasonably priced products. There's also a Pokemon Mega Store on the 2nd floor, which has the most outstanding Pokemon merchandise in Japan. Apart from being the mega center of Japanese fashion, the Alpa has several reasonably priced restaurants serving traditional Japanese and international cuisines. There’s also one basement floor in the Bunka Kaikan building that falls under Alpa as well.
※ Sunshine City, “Floor Map”
Namjatown: An Unusual Theme Park
Namjatown is the ultimate destination for anyone looking to get away from it all, with a uniquely themed complex that includes an alley of desserts, a stadium of gyoza, and a plaza with exciting activities for kids of all ages. Namjatown's Amusement Park has something for kids and adults alike. Take your adventurous spirit to the next level by visiting the mysterious world of Dokkingham Plaza, a perfect place to experience your magical power! Mononoke's whereabouts are unknown, but you may use your own magic to battle a wicked dragon!
What makes this area appealing is a food-themed park known as Namja Gyoza Stadium, where you can find a variety of retro-themed shops and various dumplings to savor. Another is Dessert Alley, locally known as Fukubukuro Dessert Yokocho. Dessert Alley is a unique ice-cream parlor that offers over fifty desserts, pastries, and ice-cream varieties. In sum, Namjatown is a paradise for food lovers.
Entrance Fee: 800 yen (Adult)
NOTE
Rides and attractions are charged separately. Purchase of Namja Coins, like arcade tokens, are required. 1 Coin costs 200 yen.
※ Namco Parks, “NamjaTown”
Ancient Orient Museum: Time-Travel to Where It All Began
Time travel to the ancient wonders of Eastern and Central Asia on the 7th floor of the Cultural Center. With more than 10,000 pieces at the Gandhara School of Art, Palmyra, and Persia display, you can see and experience the glorious past. It's a must-visit for anyone interested in archaeology and historical studies.
Entrance Fee: 600 yen (Adult)
※ Ancient Orient Museum
Sunshine City Prince Hotel: A Perfect Place to Rest and Relax
Sunshine City Prince Hotel is directly connected to Sunshine City Complex. With up to 1,146 rooms, you're sure to find the perfect stay for your trip to Tokyo! Whether you want an all-inclusive holiday, a room with an incredible view, or something in between, you'll find the perfect place to rest and relax.
※ Sunshine City Prince Hotel
Konica Minolta Planetarium
Let Konica Planetarium take you on a cosmic adventure with our full-dome theater and immersive projection technology. From the Milky Way to outer space, explore the wonders of the cosmos. It features a "SkyMax" projection system that can project full-color, high-resolution images of the galaxy. The planetarium also offers a variety of showtimes for different audiences.
※ Konica Minolta, “Konica Minolta Planetarium "MANTEN" in Sunshine City” ※ Konica Minolta Planetarium Manten (JP only)
Pokemon Center
Catch them all! Visit Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo to find all of your Pokémon-related needs! This Mega Center is one of the biggest in Japan and has everything from rare Pokémon merchandise, fun activities, and more. Be sure to “catch” your favorite rare, elusive, or just plain cute Pokémon while you're here.
※ Pokemon, “Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO ＆ Pikachu Sweets”
Takeaway
Ikebukuro locals, visitors, and Pokemon Trainers alike come to Sunshine City for a day of fun. You can embark on an adventure in the Ocean Dome aquarium, experience outer space in the planetarium, see a movie in the theatre, eat at one of the restaurants, or even visit the Pokémon center, which sells everything from Pikachu bikinis to seasonal keychains - Halloween Mimikyu!
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