Taking a closer look at Tokyo’s nooks and crannies
Ikebukuro (池袋), Akabane (赤羽) and Itabashi (板橋) are located in the northern section of the city, and are often overshadowed by trendier or larger neighborhoods like Shinjuku or Ueno. In all fairness, Ikebukuro is a neighborhood like Shinjuku but catering to the younger, wilder generation of late-teens to twenty-somethings. Akabane and Itabashi are neighborhoods famous for its shitamachi (downtown) ambiance, but with the convenience of having a large station and several department stores located nearby.