I definitely didn’t get the TOURISTY vibe in Ikebukuro when I stayed there a few months ago. I definitely prefer it too as I’d rather stay there or in Ueno over the overhyped places in Tokyo. I can’t wait to go back to Japan for a third time in four years.
Tons of Comic-Con in tokyo especially toys show and Tamashi nation Events I hope someday you will bring us to that event... superalloy and chogokin....so hype
Hi John. My daughter's friends are currently there in Japan. I think they may be in Ikebukuro now but not 100% sure. I'm trying very hard to find the perfect timing to book my trip to Japan but it'll be for next year. Just purchased more yen in preparation for my visit. I'll be sure to pack some tasty Hawaiian treats for you and your family. Always appreciate you taking us on a walking tour around Japan. Mahalo John!
Oh wow!! They picked a good spot! Did you see them 😂 the exchange rate is crazy now! Smart to catch it at 150. I don’t think it’ll get weaker than this (I hope for Japan’s sake!) Brandy sent a years supply of Hawaiian goodies ❤️ bless her! I eye it every time I go to the fridge! Hahaha It’ll be fun to see you on this side Michael! (Or in Hawaii if we beat you!)
@@onlyinjapanGO I know. I've been buying yen a few at a time as it is crazy. Haha...so Brandy sent you lots of goodies huh? If you have enough snacks then I'll be sure to bring you non-food items from Hawaii. I want to bring matching outfits for you, Kanae and Leo. In Hawaii when we do family portraits typically everyone in the family all wear the same Aloha print to express the Ohana (family) unity. I think the three of you would look awesome! Yes...if you do return to Hawaii before I head to Japan we'll definitely plan a meet up along with Brandy.
I'm trying to organize an itinerary for my parents. They're in their 60s, fairly active and don't mind a lot of walking, but I worry about crowds. This may be a nice place for them to experience Tokyo's citylife but not be overwhelmed.
It’s pretty crowded on weekends, more locals than tourists. Yokohama might be better? Walking along the seaside, a very long new walking path, is very nice! Great hotels, food. Asakusa is where I always tell people to stay, it’s cultural and is n it so crowded after 4pm when tour buses leave. Morning before 10am and after 5pm you have it to yourself, feels local again. Just a voice Shibuya, Shinjuku, Shinagawa (not great for walking) and it’s fine :)
Last year I was in Tokyo for 10 weeks. First in Ikebukuro and then in Ryogoku. My heart belongs in Ikebukuro. It’s my kind of place. Hope to live there someday.
I missed you by a few days. I was there all last week. It was a good convenient spot for me on this last trip. The Tokyu Stay on the west side was perfect for me.
Hey John, I love your videos! I just have to mention..at 15:51, these people dressing this way are not all "maids", it can also be a cool and cute/classical/ gothic street fashion. Very popular in harajuku and disneyland. Weird looking to some, true, but it's also a fun way to express themselves with their coords and accessories, pretty pricey to put together too. I know because I practice in this fashion too. 😊🎀 Best not to judge too harshly, plus capture footage of them without consent. Can be upsetting to some. Peace. ✌️
15:52 Those were people wearing lolita fashion 💖 (not maids). The pink outfit's headwear is what the western lolita community calls a "maxi-pad headdress" 😂 while the black outfit seems to use a regular headbow, so not the modern-usual maid headpieces). Most maids also wear shorter skirt than them, although there are a few in Tokyo (like Wonder Parlour Cafe in Ikebukuro) that have their maids wear longer skirts (although on the other end of the length-spectrum, as their skirts are longer than the people in the video). The fashion originated on Takeshita St in Harajuku, although nowadays most lolita fashion wearers avoid there as its overrun with tourists who treat them as a sideshow and take photos of them/make fun of their fashion. LaForet nearby still has a lot of famous lolita brands though (like Angelic Pretty, Alice and the Pirates, Moi meme Moitie, etc)
Ikebukuro is where I go most because it’s close to my Tokorozawa station :) One of these days I’ll run into you filming. I moved back to Japan, how do I change my address to Japan from Hawaii?
Speaking of burgers, where is a good burger in Tokyo? been here since last May and now getting a little hungry for one, Been enjoying so much Japanese food until now! We were thinking of checking out Ariake Burger King?
Thanks for that recommend! I will go when I feel adventurous. wish I didn’t live so far south! 😂 I am near kachidoki! Funny how we get stuck in our zones! Must be an over 50 thing… 😂
maybe that place where the young girl came out should be reported, ( could be she looks young for her age but it may not be) i bet those maids were going there lol
It’s not called Tokyo City. It’s actually like a state. I don’t think it’s the same but I could be wrong. It’s 1 of Japan’s 47 prefectures and the leader is the governor, not the mayor. The 23 wards have mayors. Gov. Koike is her title. Tokyo is *special for sure.
@@onlyinjapanGOthe Greater London Metropolitan Area is made up of 33 local government districts, which each have their own local government and leader. One of these is "The city of London" which more or less follows the borders of the original Roman town, and has a population of just over 8,600. Above the local government districts you have the Greater London Authority, a devolved government similar to the ones in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, but with less powers than those. It consists of an elected assembly and the directly elected Mayor of London, who is the leader. I would argue therefore, that it is quite similar to Tokyo.
9:39 Wow, I love to logo for マツモトキヨシ! So striking. But it took me like fifteen seconds to realize what the final letter was: a katakana シ. I'm not used to reading Japanese in weird looking fonts 😆 ...Thanks for the awesome video, John! I love your neighborhood tours so much. And it was good to be back in Ikebukuro.
It was nice you showing more of Tokyo it’s very nice and modern I liked seeing the donut shop,gigo,pizza restaurant and the love hotel ❤have a great time there John can’t wait for another livestream
😉😆 We have stayed in Shinjuku several times with a child haha. Soon we will come again and again in Shinjuku 😊 Maybe we can explore together ☀️ We like the park and playground in the area. The "maids" are lolita. Lolita is a fashion style. There are some Lolita fashion stores in Ikebukuro. I dressed like that about 10 yrs ago 😊
I can vouch for Ryogoku. It was close to Akihabara (which I went to 3+ times) and the area was nice and very clean. You can walk to Sensoji Temple from Ryogoku and there is a cool riverwalk that ppl job in. When I go back i'll probably be staying there again. Also, not too far from anything else you might want to get to. Skytree is in viewing range from the area and you can even walk to it.
Akihabara is in depression because of rising rent and dependency on tourists. On the other hand, Ikebukuro have been booming among locals. I believe the quality of restaurants, game-centers and anime shops in Ikebukuro are even better than Akihabara. They have a aquarium and planetarium that worth visiting too.
Ah dammit John. If I didn't have a doctor's appointment in the early afternoon, I would've come out from my place that's a 5 min walk from Ikebukuro Station to come say hi to you. One of these days, I'll streamsnipe you. lol
Titanium is very strong. It's what they use for deep sea submersibles. The Triton sub that imploded was made from carbon fiber and is the only submersible that has ever imploded.
Ikebukuro is oddly still very underrated, it’s incredibly entertaining, tons to do, and not that crowded compared to shinjuku and shibuya. Also I love how you STILL messed up the fact that the Seibu side is the EAST exit, not the West exit. I remember you made that mistake the last time you went to Ikebukuro lol
When I first got interested in Japan many, many years ago, Ikebukuro was one of the first areas that I heard about. I don’t think people talk about it as much as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku or Akihabara but I think it was well worth visiting. There was a lot to see/do and the crowds weren’t as crazy as the other hot spots. It’s probably one of the top places that I would consider staying on my next trip.
Seibu = Higashi gate, Tobu = Nishi Gate. its confusing, seibu the kanji is nishi yet the gate is East, Tobu is higashi in kanji yet the exit is West. Thats how i pretty much remember the exits by. It makes more sense if it was the other way around but thats how Ikebukuro is. Always a fun place to be.
It's always fascinating to me the way Japanese make these advertisements, in combination with the usage of the billboards. Thank you for the walk, John!
