Toshima Ward is rife with zombies and familiar spirits. In the wee hours near the stationopolis of Ikebukuro, pale-faced university students, partied-out salarymen and a host of others wander the streets until the first trains arrive. These are Toshima's innocuous shades; there are others more spine tingling.
Take the specters associated with the ironically dubbed Sunshine City. East of Ikebukuro Station, the complex includes Sunshine 60, Tokyo's tallest skyscraper when erected in 1978 and still ranked in the top three. Sunshine 60 was built on the former site of Sugamo Prison, where political and religious dissenters sometimes perished, and seven accused World War II Class-A criminals including wartime Prime Minister Hideki Tojo were executed.
Today, ear-popping elevators take you to the top of Sunshine 60 (no prize for guessing how many floors up) in about 35 seconds. From observation decks, you can see nearly everything except the tiny park below that encloses Sugamo Prison's only commemorative marker, a stone carved with the words "Praying for eternal peace."