Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO

Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO in Ikebukuro is open again: it reopened on 24 August 2026 after a temporary closure and is open 10:00–20:00 every day on the 2nd floor of Sunshine City's alpa mall, about 3 minutes on foot from Higashi-Ikebukuro Station. Every fact on this page was checked on 24 September 2026 against the official Pokémon Center, Pokémon GO Lab., Pikachu Sweets, Sunshine City and Japan Tourism Agency websites (sources at the end).

At a glance

Is it really open? What the official notice says

Yes. In a notice published on 18 August 2026, Pokémon Center said that MEGA TOKYO, which had been temporarily closed, would reopen on Monday 24 August 2026. The notice does not give a reason for the closure. For the first week, 24–31 August, entry was limited with timed tickets handed out from 9:00 in front of the store entrance (one per person, collected in person), and the same notice said filming and press coverage in and around the store were strictly not allowed.

That reopening week is over. On 24 September 2026 the official shop page lists regular hours of 10:00–20:00, Monday to Sunday, and the store is running a September event calendar and a Pokémon TCG lottery sale (both below). The official FAQ says any Pokémon Center may still hand out numbered tickets or limit entry when it is crowded, and points to each store's News page for the day's situation.

Getting there

The quickest way is underground from Higashi-Ikebukuro Station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line. According to Sunshine City, leave by the west ticket gate, head toward exits 6 and 7, and follow the signs for the Sunshine City Underground Passage. It takes about 3 minutes, and the passage is open 7:00–23:00.

From Ikebukuro Station (JR, Tokyo Metro, Seibu and Tobu lines), the closest exit is East Exit 35. Walk along Sunshine 60 Street; the Sunshine City underground-passage entrance is on the right, beside the “Sunshine Vision” screen (open 7:00–23:30). According to Sunshine City, the escalators at that entrance are out of service for renewal work until around the end of December 2026 (planned), and some escalators behind alpa's fountain plaza are also stopped, so follow the detour signs posted on site. Allow about 8 minutes. Sunshine City notes that its walking times are to the complex entrance and that the building itself is large, so leave extra time to reach alpa 2F.

From elsewhere in Tokyo, Sunshine City's access page gives these train times to Ikebukuro Station: 5 minutes from Shinjuku on the JR Saikyo Line (9 minutes on the Yamanote Line), 11 minutes from Shibuya on the Saikyo Line or the Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line express, and 16 minutes from Tokyo Station on the Marunouchi Line. The Airport Limousine Bus stops inside Sunshine City (Bunka Kaikan 1F), and Sunshine City puts the ride at 60–70 minutes from Haneda Airport and 90–120 minutes from Narita Airport.

What's there

• The shop. Sunshine City's shop directory describes Pokémon Center as Pokémon's official shop, with game software, card games and a wide range of original merchandise, plus services and campaigns for fans.
• Pokémon Card Station. The official shop page lists it as a spot to enjoy together with the store, and Sunshine City lists it under the same shop entry, describing a permanent battle space and a “Pokémon Card concierge” who answers questions about the card game. In September 2026 it was the venue for the store's TCG classroom for children.
• Pokémon GO Lab. The official Pokémon GO space inside Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO. The official Pokémon GO site says it recreates an in-game Gym (by the media-art studio Rhizomatiks), has life-size Professor Willow and team leaders you can take photos with, and holds regular events such as Pokémon trades and group raid battles. It is open 10:00–20:00 and follows alpa's hours.
• Union Room. The store's event calendar names the Union Room as the venue for Pokémon greetings, with tickets handed out in front of it.
• Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe is a separate takeout shop on the same alpa 2F, open 10:00–20:00 daily. No reservation is needed, there are tables but no chairs, and menus are available in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese and Korean. For the sit-down Pokémon Cafe, which needs a reservation, see our Pokémon Cafe TOKYO listing.

What's on: the rest of September 2026

These dates come from the store's September event calendar and its Pokémon GO Lab. September notice, both checked on 24 September 2026. Events can be postponed, changed or cancelled without notice, and the October calendar had not been posted when we checked.

For the card events, also bring a device that can log in to the Pokémon TCG Trainers Website. For weekend tournaments at other Tokyo stores, see Pokémon TCG tournaments in Tokyo and where to play TCG in Tokyo.

New card sets: lottery only

The newest Pokémon TCG set is currently sold here only by advance lottery, not over the counter.

• 24–30 September 2026: the MEGA expansion pack “30th CELEBRATION” (up to 10 packs per person) is sold only to lottery winners, in 30-minute slots between 11:00 and 19:00. Applications ran through a LINE mini app from 16 September 10:00 to 20 September 23:59, and only winners were notified, from 22 September 12:00. The notice says there is no general sale during the lottery period and that future general sales are undecided. The “30th CELEBRATION FUTURISTIC BOX” and the Espeon and Umbreon premium deck set are not planned for in-store sale.
• The same set's release-week round (16–20 September) was also lottery-only, together with a list of sleeves, deck cases and playmats limited to one of each per person.
• To buy, you need a smartphone that can show the purchase-ticket screen in the LINE mini app; screenshots and printouts are not accepted. One application per person, and only one win across stores and dates.

Shopping rules worth knowing

From the Pokémon Center FAQ, which covers all Pokémon Center shops:

• Payment: credit cards, code (QR) payments and transit IC cards. Accepted brands vary by shop and building, so ask at the store if you rely on a specific card or app.
• No holds: stores do not keep items aside. The FAQ suggests coming early or using Pokémon Center Online.
• Returns: within 14 days, for unopened and unused items, at the shop where you bought them, with the receipt. Some items cannot be returned for change-of-mind reasons.
• Limits: some items have per-person quantity limits, announced in the store or on the News page. Stock levels and restock dates are not disclosed.

Tax-free: not confirmed

We could not confirm that MEGA TOKYO offers tax-free shopping. The Pokémon Center pages we read do not mention it, and Sunshine City's official shop directory shows a dash in the store's tax-free field, while shops there that handle tax-free are marked as eligible. Ask staff before you pay, and carry your passport just in case.

If you shop tax-free elsewhere, Japan changes the system for purchases from 1 November 2026. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, you will pay the tax-inclusive price and the consumption tax is refunded after customs confirms at departure, within 90 days of purchase, that you are taking the goods out of Japan; the threshold is ¥5,000 (excluding tax) per store per day. Details are in our Japan tax-free shopping guide.

Plan ahead: alpa closing day

Sunshine City has announced that alpa and Sunshine City ALTA will close for a scheduled inspection on Wednesday 24 February 2027, with some shops staying open. The notice does not say which shops, so check the Pokémon Center page before visiting on that day.

Other Pokémon stops in Tokyo

• Pokémon Center TOKYO DX in Nihonbashi, with Pokémon Cafe TOKYO on the same floor.
• Pokémon Center SHIBUYA, easy to pair with a day in Shibuya.
• Every Tokyo store and the café in one plan: Pokémon in Tokyo.
• Make a day of Ikebukuro: Ikebukuro and Otome Road guide.

FAQ

Is Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo open now? Yes. Its official notice says it reopened on Monday 24 August 2026 after a temporary closure, and the official shop page lists 10:00–20:00 every day (checked 24 September 2026).

What are Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo's opening hours? 10:00–20:00, Monday to Sunday. The official page notes that hours can change. Pokémon GO Lab. follows the alpa mall's hours, and alpa closes for inspection on 24 February 2027 (some shops stay open).

How do I get to Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo? It is on alpa 2F of Sunshine City in Ikebukuro. It is about 3 minutes on foot from Higashi-Ikebukuro Station (Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line) through the underground passage near exits 6 and 7, about 8 minutes from Ikebukuro Station (closest exit: East Exit 35), and about 4 minutes from the Higashi-Ikebukuro 4-chome tram stop.

Can I buy the new Pokémon cards there without a lottery? Not the newest set. “30th CELEBRATION” is sold only to lottery winners from 24 to 30 September 2026 (applications closed on 20 September), with no general sale in that period, and the store says future general sales are undecided.

Is Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo tax-free? Not confirmed. The Pokémon Center pages do not mention tax-free, and Sunshine City's shop directory does not mark the store as tax-free. Ask staff before paying and carry your passport.

Are Pokémon GO Lab. and the Pokémon Card Station open? Yes. Both are listed on the official shop page. In September 2026 the Card Station hosted TCG classes, and Pokémon GO Lab. (open 10:00–20:00) ran trade, battle and raid events.

Sources (checked 24 September 2026)

• Pokémon Center Official Website, Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO shop page (hours, address, access, phone, related spots): English and Japanese
• Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO, reopening notice for 24–31 August 2026 visitors (published 18 Aug 2026): official notice
• Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO, “30th CELEBRATION” lottery for 24–30 September: official notice; release-week lottery for 16–20 September: official notice
• Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO, September 2026 event calendar: official events page; Pokémon GO Lab. September events: official notice
• Pokémon Center Official Website, FAQ (entry limits, payment, holds, returns): English and Japanese
• Pokémon GO official site, about Pokémon GO Lab.: pokemongo.jp
• Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe, official website (hours, no reservation, menus, FAQ): English and Japanese; Pokémon Center shop page: shop.pokemon.co.jp
• Sunshine City, Pokémon Center MEGA TOKYO shop directory entry (floor, hours, tax-free field, description): English and Japanese
• Sunshine City, access: English and Japanese, by train
• Sunshine City, alpa and ALTA closing days in February 2027: notice
• Sunshine City, escalator renewal work (out of service), updated 7 June 2026, retrieved 24 September 2026: notice, Japanese
• Japan Tourism Agency, refund-system page: mlit.go.jp

Update log: 24 September 2026. Status corrected: the store reopened on 24 August 2026 according to the official notice (this page previously said it was temporarily closed until around September 2026). Hours, access, events, lottery sales and FAQ added from the official sources above.