Tokyo Unseen › Ikebukuro & Mejiro

Neighborhood · No. 05

Ikebukuro & Mejiro

池袋・目白

Ikebukuro is Tokyo's biggest ramen battleground and chaotic late-night district; Mejiro to the south is its quiet university-town counterweight.

Ramen battlefield, anime/manga subculture, late-night Sunshine City

Ikebukuro is Tokyo's biggest ramen battleground (Mutekiya, Mendokoro Wada, Ramen Jiro Mejiro Dai 2 — all within walking distance), the home of Otome Road for anime/manga subculture, and the most chaotically lit late-night entertainment district outside Shinjuku. Mejiro to the south is its quiet university-town counterweight.

By Asakusa Boy. 15 years living in Tokyo's shitamachi. Spots tagged ✓ Visited have been verified in person — each comes with a short note. ✦ On the radar are the ones he's flagged as worth checking out, but hasn't been to yet.

  1. ✦ On the radar

    Ikebukuro & Mejiro · restaurant

    Yakiniku Yattyan Ikebukuro Nishiguchi

    焼肉やっちゃん 池袋西口店

    Yattyan Ikebukuro is the new western-Tokyo branch of a yakiniku reputation house — the kind that doesn't freeze meat and serves portions that make any grilling technique look good. 200g per cut (twice the usual yakiniku portion), tongue and skirt are house specialties. Reservations required. ¥5,000-7,000 per person, 5 minutes from Ikebukuro west exit.

    Address
    2-61-3 Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo (VORT Ikebukuro Lux 10F)
    Hours
    Mon-Sat 17:00-23:30
    Price
    $$$
    English
    Limited
    Reservations
    Required
    📞 Call Search on Tabelog ↗ @yattyan_ikebukuro on IG
    Read the editor's full guide →

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