Ikebukuro Station

Ikebukuro Station 池袋駅
The east side of Ikebukuro Station and the Seibu Department Store building in April 2023
General information
Location	Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo Japan
Coordinates	35°43′49″N 139°42′41″E / 35.73028°N 139.71139°E / 35.73028; 139.71139
Operated by	JR East Seibu Railway Tobu Railway Tokyo Metro
Connections	Bus terminal
History
Opened	1 April 1903; 121 years ago (1903-04-01)
Location Ikebukuro Station Location within Special wards of Tokyo Show map of Special wards of Tokyo Ikebukuro Station Ikebukuro Station (Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula) Show map of Tokyo Bay and Bōsō Peninsula Ikebukuro Station Ikebukuro Station (Tokyo) Show map of Tokyo Ikebukuro Station Ikebukuro Station (Japan) Show map of Japan

Ikebukuro Station (Japanese: 池袋駅, romanized: Ikebukuro-eki) is a major railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan, shared by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro, and the two private railway operators Seibu Railway and Tobu Railway. With 2.71 million daily passengers on average in 2007, it is the second-busiest railway station in the world (after Shinjuku Station), and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu, and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from Saitama Prefecture and other residential areas northwest of the city center. It is the Tokyo terminal of the Seibu Ikebukuro Line and the Tobu Tojo Line.

Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Ikebukuro to Agano) - limited through service to Seibu Chichibu Line; branches to Seibu Toshima Line, Seibu Yūrakuchō Line, and Seibu Sayama Line

TJ Tōbu Tōjō Line (Ikebukuro to Yorii)

On weekdays, S-Train (Seibu) services skip this station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line. However, on weekends or holidays, S-Train (Seibu) services stop here on the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line platforms for alighting passengers only.

In Ikebukuro Station, there are two main entrances; the East Exit and the West Exit. There are a number of other secondary entrances such as the JR North Exit, the Metropolitan Exit, the various Seibu exits, and multiple subway exits.

The JR lines run north/south through the center. The Tobu platforms are to the northwest and the Seibu platforms are to the southeast. Both Tobu and Seibu operate department stores adjacent to their terminal stations. (Despite their names, "Seibu" (西武) starts with the kanji for "west" (西), but its platforms are on the eastern side of the station, while "Tōbu" (東武) starts with the character for "east" (東), but its platforms are on the western side of the station.)

The Marunouchi Line and Yurakucho Line run east/west two stories underground, while the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line is four stories underground, to the west of the main station complex. The latter line runs south toward Shinjuku and Shibuya along Meiji-dori, and offers through services to Motomachi-Chūkagai Station in Yokohama via the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Minatomirai Line.

Tokyo Metro's underground mall "Echika" is also located inside the station.^[1]

IKBJY13JA12JS21 Ikebukuro Station 池袋駅
JR East station
The Yamanote Line platforms in June 2015
General information
Location	1-28-2 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Japan
Operated by	JR East
Line(s)	JY Yamanote Line JA Saikyo Line JS Shonan-Shinjuku Line
Platforms	4 island platforms
Tracks	8
Construction
Structure type	Ground level
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	IKB
History
Opened	1 April 1903
Passengers
FY2015	556,780 daily
Services Preceding station JR East Following station Mejiro JY14 Next counter-clockwise Yamanote Line Ōtsuka JY12 Next clockwise Shinjuku SJKJS20 Terminus Nikkō and Kinugawa Urawa URWJS23 towards Tōbu Nikkō or Kinugawa-Onsen Shinjuku SJKJS20 towards Odawara or Zushi Shōnan–Shinjuku Line Special Rapid Rapid Local Akabane ABNJS22 towards Takasaki, Maebashi or Utsunomiya Shinjuku SJKJA11 towards Ōsaki Saikyō Line Commuter Rapid Rapid Local Itabashi JA13 towards Ōmiya

1	JA Saikyo Line	for Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ōsaki (via R Rinkai Line) for Shin-Kiba (via Sotetsu Line) for Hazawa yokohama-kokudai and Ebina
2	JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line	for Shinjuku, Yokohama, Ofuna (via JT Tokaido Line) for Odawara (via JO Yokosuka Line) for Zushi
	■ Limited express Narita Express	for Narita Airport
	■ Super View Odoriko	for Atami, Izukyū-Shimoda
3	JS Shōnan-Shinjuku Line	for Ōmiya (via JU Utsunomiya Line) for Utsunomiya (via JU Takasaki Line) for Takasaki
4	JA Saikyo Line	for Akabane, Ōmiya, and Kawagoe
5/6	JY Yamanote Line	for Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Shinagawa
7/8	JY Yamanote Line	for Tabata, Ueno, and Tokyo

Chest-high platform edge doors were introduced on the Yamanote Line platforms on 2 March 2013.^[2]

• 
  The Metropolitan Exit on the second-floor level
• 
  The Metropolitan concourse in March 2016
• 
  The Central No. 2 Gate ticket barriers in June 2016
• 
  Platform 1/2 (with Saikyo Line on the right) in August 2014

TJ01 Ikebukuro Station 池袋駅
Tobu station
The view from the buffer stops at the south end of the platforms in July 2021
General information
Location	1-21-1 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Japan
Operated by	Tobu Railway
Line(s)	TJ Tobu Tojo Line
Tracks	3
Construction
Structure type	Ground level
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	TJ-01
History
Opened	1 May 1914
Passengers
FY2015	477,834 daily
Services Preceding station Tobu Railway Following station Fujimino TJ18 towards Ogawamachi TJ Liner Terminus Asakadai TJ13 towards Ogawamachi Kawagoe Wakōshi TJ11 towards Ogawamachi Tojo Line Rapid Express Narimasu TJ10 towards Ogawamachi Tojo Line Express Semi Express Kita-Ikebukuro TJ02 towards Ogawamachi Tojo Line Local

The Tobu station has three terminating tracks served by platforms 1 to 5, arranged as shown in the diagram on the right.

Platforms 3 and 5 are normally used for disembarking passengers, although platform 5 is also used for passengers boarding the evening TJ Liner services, which require payment of a supplementary fare. From 14 June 2015, the departure melodies used when trains are about to depart from the station are to be changed to classical themes, with "Allegro" from "Divertimento in D major, K. 136" by Mozart used for platforms 1/2, "Menuetto" from "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" by Mozart used for platforms 3/4, and "Allegro ma non troppo" from the "Pastoral Symphony" by Beethoven used for TJ Liner services departing from platform 5.^[3]

• 
  Platform 1 and 2 in July 2021
• 
  Platform 3 and 4 in July 2021
• 
  Platform 5 in July 2021

Chest-high platform edge doors are scheduled to be added by the end of fiscal 2020. Platform doors protecting platform 1 are in use since 21 April 2018.^[4] It is planned to have platform doors protecting platforms 2 and 3 in operation from 2 March 2019.^[5][6]

There are three sets of ticket barriers giving access to the platforms: the "South Gate" at ground level (signposted in red), and the "Central Gate" (signposted in blue) and "North Gate" (signposted in green) on the first basement level.

• 
  The ground-level south entrance and ticket barriers in July 2021
• 
  The north gate ticket barriers in April 2014
• 
  The stairs leading from the central gate to platform 5 for TJ Liner passengers in April 2014

SI01 Ikebukuro Station 池袋駅
Seibu station
The Seibu Ikebukuro Line platform in September 2007
General information
Location	1-28-1 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Japan
Operated by	Seibu Railway
Line(s)	Seibu Ikebukuro Line
Tracks	4
Construction
Structure type	Ground level
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	SI-01
History
Opened	1915
Passengers
FY2015	483,407 daily
Services Preceding station Seibu Following station Tokorozawa SI17 towards Seibu-Chichibu Chichibu Terminus Tokorozawa SI17 towards Hannō Musashi Shakujii-kōen One-way operation Ikebukuro Line Rapid Express Shakujii-kōen SI10 towards Hannō Ikebukuro Line Express Shakujii-kōen One-way operation Ikebukuro Line Commuter Express Nerima SI06 towards Hannō Ikebukuro Line Rapid Nerima One-way operation Ikebukuro Line Commuter Semi Express Nerima SI06 towards Hannō Ikebukuro Line Semi Express Shiinamachi SI02 towards Agano Ikebukuro Line Local

1-7

Seibu Ikebukuro Line

for Nerima, Tokorozawa, and Hannō

Platforms 1, 4, and 6 are normally used for disembarking passengers only.

• 
  The basement entrance and ticket barriers in 2016
• 
  The Seibu Ikebukuro Line platforms in July 2014
• 
  Seibu track and platform layout

M25 Y09 F09 Ikebukuro Station 池袋駅
Tokyo Metro station
The Marunouchi Line platform in April 2015
General information
Location	3-28-1 Minamiikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Marunouchi Line) 1-12-1 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Yurakucho Line) 3-28-14 Nishiikebukuro, Toshima-ku (Fukutoshin Line) Japan
Operated by	Tokyo Metro
Line(s)	M Marunouchi Line Y Yūrakuchō Line F Fukutoshin Line
Platforms	3 island platforms
Tracks	6
Construction
Structure type	Underground
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Station code	M25, Y09, F09
History
Opened	20 January 1954; 70 years ago (1954-01-20)
Passengers
FY2015	548,839 daily
Services Preceding station Tokyo Metro Following station Shin-otsuka M24 towards Ogikubo or Hōnanchō Marunouchi Line Terminus Kanamecho Y08 towards Wakoshi Yūrakuchō Line Local Higashi-ikebukuro Y10 towards Shin-kiba Shakujii-kōen SI10 towards Seibu-Chichibu S-Train (weekends and national holidays) Shinjuku-sanchome F13 towards Motomachi-Chūkagai Kotake-mukaihara F06 towards Hannō or Ogawamachi F Liner Kotake-mukaihara F06 towards Wakoshi Fukutoshin Line Express Commuter Express Shinjuku-sanchome F13 towards Shibuya Kanamecho F08 towards Wakoshi Fukutoshin Line Local Zoshigaya F10 towards Shibuya

This station consists of three separate island platforms for the Marunouchi Line, Yurakucho Line, and Fukutoshin Line.

1-2	M Marunouchi Line	for Otemachi, Tokyo, Ginza, Shinjuku, Ogikubo, and Honancho
3	Y Yūrakuchō Line	for Iidabashi, Nagatacho, Yurakucho, and Shin-kiba
4	Y Yūrakuchō Line	for Kotake-mukaihara and Wakoshi TJ Tobu Tojo Line for Shinrinkōen Seibu Ikebukuro Line for Hannō
5	F Fukutoshin Line	for Shinjuku-sanchome, Meiji-jingumae 'Harajuku', and Shibuya TY Tōyoko Line for Yokohama Minatomirai Line for Motomachi-Chukagai Sōtetsu Izumino Line for Shōnandai via SH Shin-yokohama Line
6	F Fukutoshin Line	for Kotake-mukaihara and Wakoshi TJ Tobu Tojo Line for Shinrinkōen Seibu Ikebukuro Line for Hannō

The Tokyo Metro platforms are equipped with chest-height platform edge doors.^[7]

• 
  The Yurakucho Line platforms in June 2016
• 
  The Fukutoshin Line platforms in June 2008

The station was opened on 1 April 1903 by the Japanese Government Railways (JGR). The Tōjō Railway Line (present-day Tobu Tojo Line) station opened on 1 May 1914 with the opening of the 33.5 km (20.8 mi) line to Tanomosawa (田面沢駅) in Saitama Prefecture (located between the present stations of Kawagoeshi and Kasumigaseki).^[8] As the Tokyo terminus of the line was originally planned to be at Shimo-Itabashi, Ikebukuro Station is to this day marked by km post "-1.9" (the distance from Shimo-Itabashi Station where the "0 km" post for the line is located).^[8]

Tobu opened a department store adjoining its station on 29 May 1962.^[8] Around the same time, the Tobu station platforms were expanded with three tracks.^[8]

In March 1992, automatic ticket barriers were installed at the north exit of the Tobu Station, and in June of the same year, the Tobu Department Store was expanded with the addition of the Metropolitan Plaza annex located on the south side.^[8]

The station facilities of the Marunouchi and Yurakucho Lines were inherited by Tokyo Metro after the privatization of the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (TRTA) in 2004.^[9]

In June 2008, the Tobu station ticket barriers were color-coded into three "zones": North, Central, and South.^[8]

Chest-height platform edge doors were installed on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line platforms in January 2011.^[7]

Station numbering was introduced to the JR platforms in 2016 with Ikebukuro being assigned station numbers JY13 for the Yamanote Line, JA12 for the Saikyo Line, and JS21 for the Shonan-Shinjuku Line.^[10][11]

On 1 March 2024, the departure melody on both Yamanote Line platforms was changed to the theme song of Bic Camera.^[12] The company has its head office and a major store building in the area.

The figures below are the official number of passengers entering and exiting each day released by each train operator.

Annual passenger figures for the station between fiscal 1903 and 1965 are as shown below. Note that the figures only consider boarding passengers and a blank indicates that no data is available.

The daily passenger figures for the JR East, Seibu, Tobu, and Tokyo Metro station after fiscal 2000 are as shown below. Note that the JR East figures only consider boarding passengers whereas the Seibu, Tobu, and Tokyo Metro figures consider both entering and exiting passengers.

Found in online news in the middle of 2024, Ikebukuro is one of the 50 busiest train stations in the world with an average number of 2.5 million people using the station everyday.^[41][42]

The surrounding Ikebukuro district is a major commercial center. The Seibu department store, Sunshine City, Parco, and Bic Camera are located to the east of the station, while the Tobu department store and Metropolitan Plaza are located to the west.

• Rikkyo University
• Tokyo College of Music
• Teikyo Heisei University (Ikebukuro Campus)
• Tokyo International University (Ikebukuro Campus)
• Tokyo University of Social Welfare (Ikebukuro Campus)
• Shukutoku University (Ikebukuro Satellite Campus)
• Tokyo College of Transport Studies
• Toshimagaoka-joshigakuen Junior and Senior High School

• Seibu Department Store
• Parco Department Store
• Tobu Department Store
• Bic Camera
• Yamada Denki
• Sunshine City

• Hotel Metropolitan
• Centurion hotel Ikebukuro

• Toshima Tax Office
• Toshima Civic Centre
• Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre
• Ikebukuro Library
• Ikebukuro Fire Station

• Higashi-Ikebukuro Station, on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line

• List of East Japan Railway Company stations
• List of railway stations in Japan
• Transportation in Greater Tokyo

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ikebukuro Station.

• JR Ikebukuro Station map
• Ikebukuro Station information (Seibu) (in Japanese)
• Ikebukuro Station information (Tobu) (in English)
• Ikebukuro Station information (Tokyo Metro) (in Japanese)