Ikebukuro Shimento Pagoda in Tokyo, Japan
Ikebukuro is a bustling neighborhood in northern Tokyo, known as a major shopping hub and nightlife district. Somewhat sketchy at times, the area has been hit by a number of tragic incidents throughout its history, including the knifer rampage of 1999 and the runaway car crash of 2019. Ikebukuro’s violent reputation is not just a recent smear, but much predating any of these incidents. Back in the Kyōhō era (1716–1736), the district was the haunt of a mad, cut-throat...