English Version
Sunshine 60 in Ikebukuro is surrounded by several ghost stories and urban legends, many of them tied to the land’s grim history.
One rumor says that if you photograph the memorial monument in the adjacent Higashi-Ikebukuro Central Park late at night, a spirit may appear in the picture. Another urban legend claims that somewhere in the underground parking area, a set of “13 steps” once used for executions still remains. According to the story, anyone who climbs those steps will suffer a serious injury within two weeks.
The surrounding area is also linked to other urban legends, including the so-called “Mach Grandma,” said to charge forward at around 80 kilometers per hour, and the “Headless Rider,” a motorcyclist whose head was supposedly severed in an accident.
Before Sunshine 60 was built, the site was home to Sugamo Prison, where war criminals from the Pacific War were held. It was also the place where seven people, including Hideki Tojo, were executed.
Location: 3-1-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Sunshine 60 and the surrounding park are real public places, but visitors should follow posted rules, avoid restricted areas such as private parking facilities, and be respectful around memorial sites.
Japanese Language
夜中に隣接する東池袋中央公園にある慰霊碑を写真に撮ると、霊が写るという噂があります。地下駐車場の何処かに処刑に使われたという13階段が残っていて、登るとと2週間以内に大怪我をするという都市伝説があります。また、周辺では時速80キロで突進してくるマッハおばさん、事故により首が跳ね飛ばされた首無しライダーという都市伝説もあります。サンシャイン60が建つ前は、巣鴨プリズンという太平洋戦争の戦犯を収監した監獄であり、東條英機ら7名の死刑が執行された場所であります。
東京都豊島区東池袋３丁目１?１
