On September 19th, a new commercial facility themed around "food and lifestyle," WACCA IKEBUKURO (hereafter "WACCA") (1-8-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo), will open in the Ikebukuro East Exit area. The facility, consisting of eight above-ground floors and four below, boasts approximately 7,400 square meters of retail space. It will be operated by Eishin, whose offices are located in Bunkyo Ward's Sekiguchi district. According to Eishin's president, Eiichiro Hata (with a bamboo crown and a flag), Wacca aims to be a facility that fosters connections between people and creates new value within these connections. To reflect this vision, the building's exterior design features a leaf motif, evoking the image of "growing together with everyone connected here." The entire facility is also packed with eco-friendly features, such as the installation of gas heat pumps. The facility will house 27 tenants. In Ikebukuro, home to Seibu Department Store, Tobu Department Store, Lumine, Parco, and Sunshine City, "there's a lot of competition in the fashion industry, so we deliberately chose a merchandising focused on food and lifestyle," according to the facility manager. In addition to restaurants like "TUCANO'S," serving exquisite Brazilian churrasco, and "DINING Kai," serving a wide variety of cuisine, primarily featuring carefully selected fresh fish delivered directly from Tsukiji, the mall also offers interior design shops and nail, stretching, and body care specialty stores. Cat lovers should check out "neco Sekai," featuring rare breeds of kittens and cat-themed goods. At "Bean & Pop," a locally run third-wave coffee shop, you can enjoy carefully brewed, fragrant specialty coffee along with uniquely crafted popcorn. Additionally, there are intriguing initiatives throughout the mall aimed at revitalizing the Ikebukuro area. On the third floor, where the craft specialty store "Yuzawaya" takes up the entire floor, a corner has been set up featuring fabrics that could be used for handmade costumes, in order to liven up "Ikebukuro, the town of cosplay." Sample costumes will be on display, and photos of young people smiling in their favorite outfits will be shown. The photos were taken, of course, in Ikebukuro. Also, in a free area that can also be used for resting, a rack has been set up for free papers created by local Rikkyo University students. The idea is for visitors to take a copy home with them, spreading the appeal of Ikebukuro far and wide. On the fifth floor, there is a permanent kitchen stadium space called "Lupe," where various food-themed events will be held. In addition to cooking classes and markets, the plan is to hold screenings that share food information. A variety of events are scheduled to take place on the same floor throughout September, including the "Kids Vegetable Sommelier Cafe" on the 21st, where you can enjoy the hospitality of a young vegetable sommelier; the "Start a Delicious Life with Vegetables" course on the 22nd, taught by a senior vegetable sommelier and a junior athlete food master; and the "Smoothie Science Cafe" on the 23rd, where an anti-aging specialist will teach you effective smoothie techniques. Many of these events are free to attend, so if you're looking for a unique holiday experience, feel free to join in. Additionally, a wedding venue operated by Escrit will open on the 6th to 8th floors. It features a chapel with a 7-meter ceiling and a 12-meter aisle, as well as two reception halls that can accommodate up to 140 guests. The building's open-ceiling design allows you to enjoy the lively atmosphere of the pop-up shop on the center stage on the first floor from the upper floors. On the first day of the opening, the 19th, and the following day, the 20th, a shop selling agricultural products from Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, will be open. We recommend asking staff visiting from the area about it.

If you arrive by car, please use the parking lots on the first through fourth basement floors. Eishin has been operating parking lots for over half a century since 1956, so they have a strong commitment to both design and usability. The interior is decorated with soft, evocative photographs based on the theme of "sun and nature," and natural environmental sounds are used as background music. Representative Hata himself declared it to be "the happiest parking lot in the world," making it so comfortable. Each floor is color-coded, making it easy to remember where you parked.

A variety of events with intriguing titles are also planned for October and November, including "Everyone's Today's Cooking Restaurant," "The 2014 World Condiment Championship," and "Take Your Own Iwate Food." With the arrival of Wakka, we look forward to seeing the bonds between the people who gather in Ikebukuro further strengthened and the entire city become more lively.