A man pushing a stroller while pointing an umbrella at the end of a long tunnel that goes under the railroad tracks

For those of me who grew up in Tokyo near Kanagawa, Ikebukuro is unfamiliar. The streets of Ikebukuro, with its many department stores and intricate underground passageways, are literally like a maze for those unfamiliar with the city, and even if you are told to meet at Ikefukurou (a major meeting spot with a statue), you will not know how to get there until you get there.

At such times, everyone relies on the information displayed on the wall or pillars. It is a convenient tool that tells you to go straight, turn left, or turn right to your destination. However, I believe that the information provided at stations and underground malls not only in Ikebukuro but also in Tokyo (and possibly all over Japan) is very weak.

Many times, you are relying on the information that tells you to go this way, but when you come to a fork in the road, the information suddenly disappears. However, when you continue on your way, the information appears again as if nothing had happened, which is absurd. I have had many such experiences, and each time it seems that the location of the information is not very appropriate, but no matter how long it takes, there is no sign of improvement.

I am not sure if it is a place I am used to visiting regularly, but I felt this was especially true in Ikebukuro, an unfamiliar place to me on this particular day. I am a resident of Tokyo, so people visiting on vacation must feel it even more so. Japanese people in general have an image of being meticulous, but it is a bit strange that they are so lax when it comes to station information.

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