Though Ikebukuro once boasted the world's largest department store, tallest building and longest escalator, these former glories have since been outshone elsewhere. But Ikebukuro's Sunshine City (サンシャインシティ) is still perfect for rainy weather, since you could spend 40 days roaming the humongous mall, visiting the aquarium – the highest in the world – and sampling enough ice cream and gyōza to last you a biblical deluge. The neighbourhood shouldn't rate high on a busy schedule unless you're looking for manga and girl-geek culture, in which case you'll want to walk down Otome Road (乙女ロード), the female version of the overwhelmingly male-centric otaku zone in Akihabara.
