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Creasy Spines

“Every crease is a story.”

Japan

Bookshops in Tokyo

The Atlas lists 356 independent bookshops in Tokyo, 69 of them selling secondhand books — including 14 antiquarian booksellers. 2 have a café recorded in the listing; confirm its hours before visiting. The densest cluster offers 6 possible stops over an estimated 2.0 km; actual walking routes may be longer.

Unfolding the map…

Infinity Books Japan

Secondhand

An Asakusa shop of secondhand and out-of-print English books.

Secondhand

Isseido Booksellers

Antiquarian · since 1903 · Open now

An antiquarian bookseller in Jimbocho since 1903, having come through both the 1923 earthquake and the wartime air raids. Two floors hold academic books, rare Japanese literature and a notably good shelf of antiquarian Western titles.

Japanese literatureWestern booksRare books

Kitazawa Bookstore

Antiquarian · since 1902

A Jimbocho shop dating back to 1902 whose whole second floor is given over to used and rare English-language books, especially literature and the humanities, in long aisles of floor-to-ceiling shelves.

English-languageHumanities

Komiyama Shoten

Antiquarian

A multi-storey Jimbocho shop for photobooks, art and design, run across three generations. Fashion magazines fill the ground floor, photography and contemporary art the floors above, and the top levels hold the rare material collectors come for.

PhotobooksArt & designFashionRare books

Ohya Shobo

Antiquarian · since 1882

Trading in Jimbocho since 1882, Ohya Shobo is the place for Edo-period illustrated books, ukiyo-e woodblock prints and old Japanese maps. Drawers and folders reward a slow look, and the staff are used to guiding curious visitors.

Ukiyo-eAntique mapsEdo-period booksRare books

Yaguchi Shoten

Secondhand · since 1918

Founded in 1918, Yaguchi Shoten is Jimbocho's specialist in film and theatre: scripts, programmes, criticism and performing-arts history. Its open-air shelves running along the side of the building are one of the district's best-known sights.

FilmTheatreScreenplays

Vintage

New & secondhand

New & secondhand

Bookshop questions: Tokyo

How many bookshops are listed in Tokyo?

The Atlas currently lists 356 active bookshops in Tokyo. This is the number in our directory, not a claim that every shop in the area has been recorded.

Can I find secondhand bookshops in Tokyo?

69 listed shops are categorised as selling secondhand books. Stock changes frequently; ask a shop directly if you need a particular book.

Are the opening hours and accessibility details checked?

The Atlas displays available source information. A listing without opening hours or access details is incomplete, not necessarily closed or inaccessible. Check each shop's website and confirm anything essential before travelling.

Can I plan a bookshop walk in Tokyo?

Use the map and the crawl planner to choose stops close together. Displayed route distances are estimates, not turn-by-turn walking directions. Check crossings, hills, opening times and the actual walking route before setting off.

Plan a bookshop crawl
Can I add a shop or correct a listing?

Yes. Send the shop's name, location and a reliable website or other source. Suggestions and corrections are reviewed before changing the Atlas.

Suggest a shop

Shop data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database Licence, with descriptions of featured shops by Creasy Spines. Opening hours change — check before a long journey. Suggest an edit