Ikebukuro and a Sushi Class in Asakusa

Ikebukuro is one of the most common places for visitors to stay in Tokyo. It has plenty of hotels, direct trains from several directions and a huge choice of places to eat. It is also on the opposite side of central Tokyo from Asakusa, so it helps to know how the two fit together before you book a sushi class.

This guide covers the route, the travel time and two simple plans for a day that combines Ikebukuro sights with a class in Asakusa.

The short answer

• Route: JR Yamanote Line from Ikebukuro to Ueno, then the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line to Asakusa.
• Time: about 30 minutes on the trains, plus time for transfers and walking. Allow 45 minutes door to door.
• Best fit: a morning or midday class in Asakusa, then back to Ikebukuro in the afternoon, or the other way round.

Getting from Ikebukuro to Asakusa

Ikebukuro Station is very large. According to JR East's figures for the 2024 fiscal year, about 499,000 people a day boarded JR trains there, second only to Shinjuku. Give yourself a few extra minutes to find the right platform.

The simplest route has one transfer:

1. Take the JR Yamanote Line from Ikebukuro to Ueno, travelling via Komagome and Nippori.
2. At Ueno, change to the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line towards Asakusa.
3. Ride to the end of the line at Asakusa.

Route search services give about 30 minutes for the two train rides. A subway-only route via Otemachi and Nihombashi also exists, but it needs two transfers and takes longer. Fares change, and JR East raised its fares in March 2026, so check the current fare in a route app or simply tap an IC card such as Suica or PASMO.

For the last few minutes, use Exit 7 of the Ginza Line's Asakusa Station; the published walk from there to our studio is about two minutes. Our guide to getting from Asakusa Station to the sushi class covers every line and exit. If you are coming from other parts of the city, see our guide to getting from Shibuya or Shinjuku.

What to see in Ikebukuro

You do not need a full day in Ikebukuro, but a few places are worth a few hours.

Sunshine City. A large complex east of the station. Sunshine City lists its Tenbou-Park observatory, 251 metres up in the Sunshine 60 building, as open from 11:00 to 21:00, with last entry at 20:30. The Sunshine Aquarium is in the same complex; its ticket prices vary by date and its hours change with the season, so check the calendar. The Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo is on the second floor of the Alpa shopping area, open 10:00 to 20:00.

Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan. A school building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1921, now an Important Cultural Property. Toshima City lists it as open from 10:00 to 16:00, last entry 15:30, and closed on Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) and over the New Year. It is about five minutes on foot from the Metropolitan Exit of Ikebukuro Station.

Zoshigaya Kishimojin-do. A quiet temple hall built in 1664 and listed as a national Important Cultural Property, with a ginkgo tree said to be about 700 years old. It is about five minutes on foot from Zoshigaya Station on the Fukutoshin Line, and the Toden Arakawa tram also stops nearby. In late autumn the ginkgo turns yellow.

Department store food halls. Seibu Ikebukuro has food floors on B1 and B2, open from 10:00 to 21:00 (until 20:00 on Sundays and holidays). It is a good place to buy snacks or gifts, though not before a sushi class: you will eat a full meal there.

Plan A: sushi first, Ikebukuro in the afternoon

This works well if you like an early start.

• Morning: train to Asakusa, then a walk around Senso-ji and Nakamise Street, about five minutes on foot from our studio. Our guide to Senso-ji and a sushi class on the same day has a timing plan.
• Late morning or midday: the signature sushi and matcha class. You make nigiri and maki, share a sake toast, eat what you made and whisk your own matcha, in about 90 minutes.
• Afternoon: back to Ikebukuro. Visit Myonichikan before its 15:30 last entry, or Zoshigaya, then Sunshine City.
• Evening: the observatory for the city lights, open until 21:00.

If you prefer an even earlier slot, the morning onigiri class starts at 8:00 and lasts about 60 minutes. From Ikebukuro, leave about an hour before the start so you arrive 10 minutes early.

Plan B: Ikebukuro first, sushi in the afternoon

This suits late risers and anyone visiting Myonichikan, which opens at 10:00.

• Morning: Myonichikan or Zoshigaya, close to your hotel.
• Midday: a light snack only. Because you eat what you make in the class, a big lunch is a mistake; our guide to planning meals around a sushi class explains why.
• Afternoon: train to Asakusa and the sushi class.
• Evening: a riverside walk in Asakusa, or back to Ikebukuro for Sunshine City.

Start times vary by date, so check the booking page for the slots on your day before you plan the rest.

Tips for the day

• Arrive 10 minutes early. That gives you time to store your bag and wash your hands.
• Bring luggage if you need to. The studio has space for suitcases, which helps on a check-out day.
• Mondays: Myonichikan is closed on most Mondays, so use Plan A with Sunshine City that day.
• Rikugien is on the way. Komagome, the station for Rikugien garden, is on the Yamanote Line between Ikebukuro and Ueno. Our guide to Rikugien and a sushi class covers the garden and its autumn light-up.

Book the fixed point first

The class is the only part of this day with a set time and limited places, so book it first and build the rest around it. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start, and instructions are in English. Check dates for the sushi and matcha class and plan your Ikebukuro day from there.