Ikebukuro borders the northern prefecture of Saitama. The area only really came into its own in the 1980’s, and 50 years ago it was just rice fields. There are numerous bars, shops (it’s home to department stores Seibu and Tobu, and the fashionable Sunshine Street boutiques) and good spots for cheap eats. Sunshine City has an aquarium and a planetarium and the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space is on the west side. However, other amenities may be slightly lacking: it’s extremely urban and the pockets of green that flourish in other parts of town are clearly missing. The parks that exist are grey concrete plazas with a few blades of grass, and litter and homeless people seem more prevalent than other areas. However, foreign urbanites with a penchant for bright lights and big cities will live comfortably.
Ikebukuro is one of the cheaper places to live on the Yamanote Line. Decent sized apartments can be found in the immediate area for under ¥100,000 and those willing to live a 10 minute walk from the station will pay considerably less. Ikebukuro station is book-ended on the Yamanote line by Mejiro and Ōtsuka and a number of friendly guesthouses cater to foreigners. The Tobu Toju and Seibu Ikebukuro lines have terminuses in Ikebukuro and apartments can be found very cheaply along these lines.