Tokyo Ikebukuro Shopping and Gourmet Trip: Recommendations for Popular Shops and Restaurants at SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store

Ikebukuro is a favorite spot for many who enjoy shopping and dining, and a key player is the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store, directly connected to Ikebukuro Station.

Large Department Store in Ikebukuro

When you arrive in Ikebukuro, it's hard not to notice the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store, directly connected to the east exit of Ikebukuro Station. The blue SEIBU sign and the signboard for Seibu Ikebukuro Station are iconic sights of the station. Ikebukuro's Seibu department store has a long history, first opening in 1949. It has since grown to a massive scale, including the main building, an annex, and a book building, housing a wide variety of popular domestic and international brands, from fashion and cosmetics to lifestyle goods and restaurant dining. Notably, the long-established Japanese bookstore Sanseido Main Store is also located in the book building of the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store, making it a must-visit pilgrimage site for book lovers in Ikebukuro.

In recent years, in line with the artistic and cultural atmosphere cultivated in Toshima Ward where Ikebukuro is located, the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store has also opened a unique gallery and miscellaneous goods complex space, bringing art closer to everyday life.

(Image provided by SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store)

The vast SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store gathers many well-known domestic and international brands, particularly excelling with about 50 famous cosmetic brands from Japan and abroad. This includes cosmetics sections on the first and second floors, COSME ANNEX, Natural Cosme, and others. COSME ANNEX is a beauty space targeting women in their 20s to 30s, and because it is located at the east exit of Ikebukuro Station, which sees heavy commuter traffic, it offers convenient quick shopping for working women and tourists alike.

(Image provided by SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store)

In addition to the extensive range of beauty and skincare brand counters, the basement food halls of the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store are also famously popular. The Seibu Food Hall, located on the first and second basement floors of the main building, includes souvenir specialties, takeout foods, and some dine-in restaurants. There is now also a delivery service.

A special recommendation is the souvenir selection shop “Shokoku Meika Uhanazuka・Shokoku Meisan Ajikouji,” which opened in September last year (2022). It gathers mouthwatering sweets and traditional foods with long histories from all over Japan, making it very suitable for foreign travelers to choose thoughtful souvenirs.

Kaiten Sushi Katsumidori

(Image provided by Kaiten Sushi Katsumidori Seibu Ikebukuro Store)

No trip to Tokyo is complete without tasting authentic sushi. “Kaiten Sushi Katsumidori” on the 8th floor of the SEIBU main building is the conveyor belt sushi branch of the famous Tokyo sushi restaurant “Midori Sushi.” It is highly popular for its excellent value for money. Unlike traditional conveyor belt sushi, each table is equipped with a touch-screen electronic menu for convenient ordering. As for popular items, the conger eel sushi and sea urchin sushi are quite popular, and the extra-large red shrimp is also a must-order for many.

(Image provided by Kaiten Sushi Katsumidori Seibu Ikebukuro Store)

Kyo Saryo TSURU (Tsuruya Yoshinobu)

(Image provided by SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store)

Located on the first basement floor of the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store, “Kyo Saryo TSURU” is the tea house of the centuries-old Kyoto confectionery shop “Tsuruya Yoshinobu.” Tsuruya Yoshinobu has a history of over 200 years and has long been favored by Japanese imperial family members and tea ceremony masters. To this day, the shop still hangs its noren curtain, making it a great choice for those wanting to taste traditional Japanese sweets. The most famous dessert item at Kyo Saryo TSURU is “Anmitsu,” a sweet soup made primarily with agar jelly, red beans, and brown sugar syrup.

Of course, their matcha desserts, especially the matcha shaved ice, are also favorites among those who love Japanese sweets. Additionally, with the changing seasons, you can enjoy various seasonal Japanese sweets. If you wish to purchase souvenirs or take out, that is also possible.

Art Capsule＋

(Image provided by SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store)

“Art Capsule＋,” which opened on the second floor of the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store in September of this year, is a complex space combining an art gallery with miscellaneous goods sales. The planning team at Art Capsule＋ consists mainly of young people in their 20s, who, based on their own artistic preferences and unique perspectives, collaborate with artists of the same generation and organize a series of curated exhibitions. This genuinely interprets the viewpoints of the new generation and captures the artistic tastes of younger people.

(Image provided by SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store)

In line with the new-style, new-generation art exhibition plans, Art Capsule＋ also carefully selects and sells a variety of trendy, art-related fashion and lifestyle goods, allowing visitors to appreciate the creativity of the new generation while also purchasing their favorite art-related items.

Tax-Free Shopping at Ikebukuro

The SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store is so unique and rich that just reading about it might give you an excited feeling of “I want to go.” Whether it's shopping, dining, or visiting the gallery to cultivate your mind, it's all good. Additionally, the rooftop garden “Food and Greenery Sky Garden” on the 9th floor is an outdoor terrace garden inspired by Impressionist painter Monet's garden in Giverny, France, and his work “Water Lilies.” It also features a food court, making it a unique space combining nature, art, and dining that is worth a visit.

(Image provided by SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store)

If you shop at certain counters of the SEIBU Ikebukuro Main Store and spend more than 5,000 yen (excluding consumption tax), you can enjoy tax-free benefits. Please bring your passport, purchased items, receipt, and the credit card used for payment to the tax-free counter on the 1st floor of the main building during business hours on the day of purchase to complete the procedure.