Today on "Dive in Tokyo," we explore Ikebukuro.

It's a major transportation hub

with eight train lines running through the station.

It's also home to some of the city's leading art and culture facilities,

which host events all year round.

In recent years,

it's developed a reputation as a destination

for fans of manga, anime, and cosplay.

Big fans of anime, mangas.

"Evangelion," yes. Huge fan.

Join us as we go in search of Ikebukuro's artistic and cultural roots.

And learn about how local artists in the early 20th century

gave birth to a creative tradition that continues to this day.

I often find myself imagining

what it was like back then.

It's time to take to the streets of Ikebukuro and uncover its artistic soul.

"Dive in Tokyo"
Ikebukuro - A Town with an Artistic Soul

Ikebukuro is located in central Tokyo, to the north of Shinjuku.

We begin in the area around the station.

Hi, everyone! I'm Andrea Muser.

I come from Rome, Italy, but I'm living in Japan.

And I am very excited today

because I'm visiting a place in Tokyo called Ikebukuro.

It's a very famous district in Tokyo.

But I'm living in the opposite side of the city.

So I don't know much about this area.

Andrea is a fashion entrepreneur who imports shoes from Italy.

He used to work as a translator,

introducing Italian audiences to Japanese manga and anime.

So our adventure begins from there.

This is a famous symbol of Ikebukuro.

So, let's go together.

Our first stop is Sunshine 60, a mixed-use high-rise.

This 60-floor Ikebukuro landmark

was the tallest building in Asia

at the time of its completion in 1978.

We head to the top floor.

You can have a look over Tokyo, all around.

It's an observation deck offering a 360 panoramic view of the city.

There's Tokyo Skytree in the distance.

Oh wow, you have a beautiful look of Mt. Fuji over there.

It's so rare to have a look of Mt. Fuji from Tokyo this clear.

It turns out this building played a key role in the development of the neighborhood.

Hello.

Nice to meet you. I'm Andrea.

Akiyama Shinichi has been studying the local history for many years.

If you look out from here

you can see a sign that says "Seibu."

That's the Ikebukuro Station area.

The station opened 120 years ago.

Up until the 20th century, this area was all rural farmland.

Then in 1903, Ikebukuro Station opened in its current location.

Soon, a series of railways were built,

stretching out from Ikebukuro toward the city's western suburbs.

And large department stores opened their doors on both sides of the station.

The station-front area became a busy commercial hub.

Then, in 1978,

a major shopping complex opened roughly 700 meters from the station.

The arrival of Sunshine 60

transformed the flow of traffic in Ikebukuro.

The commercial development included a shopping mall, restaurants, and a hotel.

It also had a planetarium,

an aquarium, and other cultural facilities.

People came from far and wide to see what it was about.

This was one of Japan's first

large-scale commercial complexes.

It's a bit of a walk from the station.

Maybe 15 minutes or so.

But it generated a flow of people

from Ikebukuro Station.

And that led to the development

of the area around here.

So Ikebukuro is getting bigger and bigger, even now.

Ikebukuro is expanding.

Yes, exactly.

Next, we head to a nearby area that was recently redeveloped.

There is a square here.

I see a cinema, a theater over there.

This is Hareza Ikebukuro,

a commercial complex that opened three years ago.

There's a central square

surrounded by buildings that house a multiplex,

several multi-purpose halls, and more.

It's become a popular destination for international visitors.

So what's drawing them to this area?

"Slam Dunk."

"Evangelion," yes. Huge fan.

So, why are you in Ikebukuro now?

I think we just came to visit to see the anime store.

Many come to check out local stores specializing in manga and anime.

Recently, more and more sellers are setting up shop in this redeveloped area.

One of the most popular spots is this anime superstore.

With nine floors above ground and two below,

it's one of the biggest of its kind in Japan.

It has two floors dedicated to manga.

A floor filled with character merchandise.

An area stocked with art supplies.

Even glowsticks for waving about at concerts.

The store carries anything and everything related to anime,

manga, and video games.

Wow, you guys have everything!

Koyama Yukio has been working in

anime and manga retail for 30 years.

He's watched Ikebukuro evolve as a hub of anime.

So, you are famous all around the world.

Japan produces lots of anime.

Our company has been specializing

in Japanese anime products for years.

I believe that's why we've built

a reputation as a leading retailer.

In Ikebukuro, there's some sort of cosplay event going on practically every month.

Participants dress up as their favorite characters

from manga, anime, and video games,

and enjoy walking around town and taking part in photoshoots.

Here in Ikebukuro cosplayers like to take to the streets.

So you'll often bump into cosplayers around town.

Oh that's interesting.

So, it's not just inside the shop, also around this area.

You can wear costume and live inside the manga,

a real manga I mean.

It's like a dream come true for fans.

Indeed!

One station over, there's a historic place

which speaks to Ikebukuro's manga and anime pedigree.

Andrea is eager to check it out.

So, yes, yes. This is it.

You can see the sign, "Tokiwaso."

This is the place I want to go.

This structure is a replica of a famous apartment building

that was constructed near here in 1952.

The original Tokiwaso was home to young manga artists

during the '50s and '60s,

many of whom went on to become legends of the industry.

Among them are the creators of such international hits

as "Astro Boy," "Doraemon," and "Cyborg 009."

Tokiwaso was where they laid the foundations of modern manga culture.

In 2020, it was reborn as a museum,

meticulously reproducing many of the details of the original building.

So, let's go upstairs.

Creaky noises.

So they recreated also the noise of the original steps.

Everything's perfect.

This is the corridor.

It's quite wide.

The second floor recreates the original living quarters,

including some of the manga artists' rooms.

Visitors can step back in time

and glimpse what it was like to live here back in its heyday.

The developers were able to faithfully reproduce Tokiwaso's ambiance

by referencing photographs and interviewing old residents.

Oh, this is the kitchen.

The kitchen was a shared area.

It's like they're still living here.

You can feel their presence.

They've created a lived-in space, complete with signs of wear and tear.

Can you imagine?

The manga writers just opening the windows,

and watching outside.

Thinking about the story that we know so well.

To learn more, we head to the neighborhood information center.

(Tokiwasodori Rest Station)

- Hello!
- Welcome!

This is Oyama Akemi.

She and the other staff regale visitors with stories about the neighborhood.

Oyama herself has lived here since she was little.

- You knew some of them personally?
- Yes.

- I'd visit Tokiwaso all the time.
- Wow.

Between the age of three and six,

I hung out there a lot.

They were like my big brothers.

I didn't see them as manga artists.

They had manuscripts lying around,

but I couldn't read yet.

So I just looked at them.

Oyama says her home is also a part of manga history.

This is it.

It's lovely.

This building is 65 years old.

Wow!

This is Shiunso, an apartment building built by Oyama's parents.

The exterior has remained virtually unchanged all these years.

Oyama says that about 60 years ago,

a certain manga artist was renting one of the rooms.

Please, go ahead.

- May I?
- Be my guest.

Like stepping back in time!

- Who used this room?
- Akatsuka Fujio.

Whoa!

Akatsuka Fujio was one of the artists who lived over at Tokiwaso.

He's remembered as a creator of comedy manga series

such as "Tensai Bakabon."

During his time at Tokiwaso,

he started to get more and more work,

and he began renting this room as a workspace.

Twelve years ago,

Oyama and other local residents decided to team up with the municipality

to launch an incubator program.

They provide support to aspiring manga artists,

offering housing at Shiunso for half price.

I want young artists to know

Akatsuka-san was here.

How he worked in this building, in this town.

I want them to really feel that

they too can become manga artists.

That's why I decided to rent out rooms.

Oyama takes us to meet one of her tenants.

This is Takakura Yoshiomi.

Since graduating from college,

he's been working to become a professional manga artist.

It's spacious.

And I like the old-fashioned feel.

It's quite comfortable.

It is roomy.

Through the program, he found a part time job at a Tokiwaso-affiliated facility.

He also works as an assistant to a manga artist,

in addition to working on his own material.

Are you meeting other "mangaka" in this house or...

We go to the movies for research,

and hold study groups.

We also do things like publish our own zines.

Very cool!

To date, nine budding artists have taken part in the program.

Participants push each other to grow creatively,

even teaming up to self-publish their work.

Takakura has been living here for three years now.

- I do get cross with you on occasion.
- True, sometimes.

What did you do?

I was being too noisy.

That's so funny!

It looks like mother and son.

Special atmosphere. So nice, so nice, I love it!

The people who live in this building are like family.

That's wonderful.

Ikebukuro's artistic roots actually stretch back even further

than the manga legends of the mid-20th century.

We head to a nearby residential area to learn more.

Hello.

- Hi, I'm Kobayashi.
- I'm Andrea.

Kobayashi Mioko has spent many years researching the history of arts in this area.

This place is very special and different from the others.

So, what's this place for?

There were many ateliers around here.

Houses for rent with studio space.

This area was called Atelier Village.

This area flourished in the 1930s and 40s.

After the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923,

young artists came here looking for affordable housing,

and over time, it came to be affectionately known as "Atelier Village."

(Footage from program aired in 1979)

At its peak, there were as many as 100 studios here

housing a large community of artists.

They produced countless works of art.

That includes many paintings depicting the streets of Ikebukuro,

which the artists knew intimately.

Atelier Village was even nicknamed Ikebukuro Montparnasse

in homage to the neighborhood

at the center of the Parisian art scene in the early 20th century.

Artists would drop in on each other,

and go out drinking or to cafes.

My understanding is that it was a tight-knit community.

Apparently, they'd have lively debates about art.

Today, few traces of Atelier Village remain.

Not much is left from that era.

So the place we're headed now is an important link to the past.

It's over there.

Down here? Is this it?

How interesting!

Yes.

This single-story wooden house was built in 1936.

Andrea, what do you think that is?

- Some kind of door?
- Exactly.

It's designed for large paintings.

I see.

This was a unique feature of the houses in Atelier Village.

The people who lived here were producing large works.

Hello.

Hello!

Shimamura Yuriko moved in here two-and-a-half years ago.

She's an artist who works mainly in oil painting,

as well as set design for live performances.

Please watch your head.

This is a compact space.

- Not at all! May I?
- Be my guest.

Wow!

So this is what the inside is like!

This house has been home to generations of painters.

There are tools and furniture left behind by past occupants.

Adjacent to the studio space

is a small room just over seven square meters.

This was the typical layout of ateliers in this neighborhood.

Look at the high ceiling!

Yes, it's quite high.

Built into the ceiling is a large window

that lets in plenty of natural light.

The ateliers here all had north-facing windows.

Why are all these houses facing north?

There is a special reason why?

If you're painting in direct sunlight,

colors can look different depending on time of day.

With north-facing windows, you get constant indirect light.

That's amazing. So this space is very well thought out.

Yes.

Shimamura is currently working on new paintings for her upcoming solo show.

Working here, can you feel the presence of the people

that used to live here, in this house?

I do often find myself imagining what it was like back then.

Many of the oil painters I admire were part of Atelier Village.

I think about how they must've felt as young art students.

And I feel the spiritual legacy of this area.

I feel it strongly.

Kobayashi says there's another atelier nearby that she'd like to show us.

- This area feels quite different.
- You're right.

- Here we are.
- What a wonderful place!

Anyone home?

Welcome!

- Hello.
- Hi! Thank you for coming.

Ota Maki was born and raised here.

This building was once part of a larger residence.

But the house has since been torn down,

and only the atelier remains.

Wow, look at this!

Wow, a lot of statues here.

Totally different from the atelier I saw before.

This is a sculptor's atelier. That's why it's so different.

The ceiling here is roughly 5.4 meters high.

It's designed to provide plenty of room

for the sculptor to shape large, three-dimensional works.

And, of course, north-facing windows.

This studio was built in 1933

by Ota's grandfather, Watanabe Hiroyuki.

Watanabe passed it down to his son Takane,

who was also a sculptor.

Today, the space is a testament to their legacy.

- So they'd create models in clay?
- Yes.

Amazing.

There's actually a clay cellar over there.

Wow. Look at that!

They'd scoop some up and knead it on this wooden board.

Could this clay still be used if you added some water?

I believe so.

When Ota inherited the studio six years ago,

the building was starting to fall apart.

Lacking the funds to restore it,

she tried to figure out a way to maintain the space.

I remember playing here as a kid.

I saw how devoted my grandfather and father were to their work.

So I didn't want to tear it down.

Ota decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for renovations.

She succeeded in collecting nearly twice her goal,

and she was able to get the studio fixed up.

It really speaks to the times.

The idea that you can preserve important heritage like this

through the modern method of crowdfunding.

How wonderful.

Thank you.

Ota is currently busy preparing to open the studio to the public.

She hopes to introduce her family's works

and hold workshops and other events.

I'm so glad I got to learn about Ikebukuro Montparnasse today.

How do you see this great tradition being passed on?

We owe that legacy to the ateliers.

What's important now is to build on the past, on those memories.

Those are our most important assets here in Ikebukuro Montparnasse.

- This was fun!
- I had a great time.

Thank you so much.

So, I'm very glad I had this chance to explore this beautiful place in Tokyo.

So I was thinking it was just related to manga and anime,

but you know, there is a very deep culture here.

A deep history.

And there are a lot of beautiful places you should visit.

Please come here and then have fun around Ikebukuro.