Find all the transport options for your trip from ueno station to shinagawa prince hotel, tokyo. Of course you can head for the book district of jimbocho, but that helps little unless youve got days to spend on your quest for treasures. For those who want to avoid the walk, take the tokyo metro toei mita. From books and music to theater and visual arts, jimbocho has become one of most fascinating districts in japans vibrant capital city. Going back in time for books at jimbocho all about japan. So you love japanese photography books, or photo books in general, and wonder where you can find some really nice ones in tokyo. Jimbocho is a unique area of tokyo where discoveries are around. If youre a fan of books and travel, and you find yourself in tokyo then look no further. Whether youre a local or traveller, this cultural pocket from the meiji era has everything from the 100 yen manga books to thousand dollar collectible antiques. Jimbocho is renowned as the centre of tokyo s second hand book trade. Jimbocho is also a book town, but there are many famous curry restaurants. Known as tokyo s book town, jimbocho is home to a concentration of over 170 bookshops, publishing houses. Books, books, and more books at the kanda used book festival.
Check out komiyama tokyo for the biggest selection of. Jimbocho jimbocho is known as tokyo s bookshop district. Its about 15 minutes by train from shibuya and has the distinction of. Jimbocho is named after a highranking 17th century samurai, nagaharu jinbo. Supported the launch of space cafe one of the most intelligent and fascinating events in tokyo. Exploring the bookstores of japans booming booktown, jimbocho. Explore jimbocho tokyo the book town of tokyo for book. Due to its proximity to several universities and publishing houses, jimbocho has become the mecca of used bookstores and quaint coffeeshops. Jimbocho, the name of the district and the tokyo metro station, is located in the heart of tokyo, near the north side of the imperial palace grounds. Apa hotel kanda jimbocho ekihigashi, tokyo hotel price. Although there are many new stores and stores, most bookstores in the area specialize in their favorite books and old books.
Whatever the dialect, a fondness for used books, it turns out, is also a kind of universal language. Download this jimbocho book town in tokyo japan picture for editorial use now. Isseido specializes in foreignlanguage books about fine arts and archaeology, and has whole sections devoted to micro topics like mountaineering. Apa hotel kanda jimbocho ekihigashi best price room rates guarantee book online deal and discounts with lowest price on hotel booking. We recommend booking an option with free cancellation in case your travel plans change.
See our complete list of things to do in tokyo s akihabara, kanda and jimbocho districts, including places to eat, nightlife and places to stay. By contrast, jinbocho, sometimes spelled jimbocho, is home to over 170 publishing houses. With around 200 bookstores and an abundance of curry restaurants, jimbocho book town is the place for you. As is quartier latin in paris, there are many publishing companies, book agencies, some mega bookstores and innumerable number of small secondhand bookstores. Tokyo rose biography life, family, childhood, children. Up to 200 bookstores can be found within a walking radius of 15 minutes, which is already a third of all secondhand bookstores located in tokyo. Jimbocho, the book street of tokyo in jimbocho, there are about 160 to 200 bookstores. Book lovers dream of famous libraries like the citadel in game of thrones or hogwarts library in harry potter.
Jimbocho, located in tokyo s central chiyodaku district, is home to close to 200 book shops, all located in an area just a few blocks big. Tokyo s book town, jimbocho, is where youll find them. In tokyo i found some great places to buy english books such as the tower records book section in shibuya. When it comes to all things literary, however, no district is greater than jimbocho, tokyo s book town. As the area is a lively student and academic district with many universities and schools located here, it has become japans largest center of books. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Every book store has its own specialization, and mostly are secondhand bookstores, so in this area, you can easily find english books and even other countries books for a. Ueno station to shinagawa prince hotel, tokyo 3 ways.
Rack after rack of books are set up outside jimbochos bookstores to. Near the old bookstore street, there are sanseido bookstore headquarters that sell new books, and publishers such as shogakukan and shueisha. Dress as a character from your favorite computer game, anime movie, or comic, then hop into your gokart and follow your guide around attractions such as rainbow bridge, tokyo tower, roppongi, and shibuya crossing. I find it really difficult to walk past a book store without going inside. Book store at jimbocho, chiyodaku, tokyo, japan t23mxk from alamys library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. In this video, i walk around in this fascinating part of. Considered as the book town of tokyo, jimbocho is a haven for book lovers. The town also has the literary preservation association and the tokyo book club, as well as numerous universities, publishers, and libraries, making it an ideal place for a reading book in tokyo. A quick guide to tokyos book town daves travel corner. Once a literary haven for intellectuals and scholars, jimbocho still honors its cultured heritage by serving as tokyo s book town. Its easy to lose a few hours if only that rummaging around in tokyo s jinbocho neighbourhood, a bibliophile nirvana thats home to some 180 secondhand books.
Jimbocho, the book town jimbocho area has been called japanese quartier latin because this small area is surrounded by nearly ten universities, colleges and big vocational schools. Check out the events, stores and things to see in this book lovers paradise. After reading, book loving locals usually sell their tomes back to secondhand bookstores so the books will find a new home. Hanzomon line purple, toei metro shinjuku line leaf, or. Back to area maps jimbocho area guide due to its proximity to several universities and publishing houses, jimbocho has become the mecca of used.
Its hard enough trying to sell a japanese book in tokyo these days, let alone a secondhand englishlanguage book. Jinbocho, in tokyo s chiyoda ward, is one of the worlds biggest centers for browsing used books, with around 160 stores selling volumes that range from the musty and dusty to antiquarian. Jimbocho book town is located in tokyo s akihabara, kanda and jimbocho districts. N estled in tokyo s chiyoda ward is an unglamorous and unassuming part of the city called jimbocho sometimes jinbocho.
There is no shortage of great places in tokyo to buy books, but jimbocho book town is exactly as it sounds an oasis for lovers of the written, and printed, word. A fantastic and varied array is available, including japanese and western literature, and specialized books. Its the place to go for cheap used books, unusual books and rare collectors editions. They also carry antique books dating from the middle ages. Luckily, theres an old street in the middle of tokyo that has more than 100 stores dedicated to old books. When it comes to all things literary, however, no district is greater than jimbocho, tokyos book town.
If you dont book a flexible rate, you may not be entitled to a refund. Rome2rio makes travelling from ueno station to shinagawa prince hotel, tokyo easy. The programs were broadcast in the south pacific and north america to demoralize allied forces abroad and their families at home by emphasizing troops wartime difficulties and military losses. Jimbocho, also spelled jinbocho, is japans equivalent of a booktown and it is pure heaven for booklovers. Book shops jimbocho is the largest secondhand book shopping district in japan. Tokyos underappreciated book town jimbocho sometimes alternately spelled with an n as jinbocho and often referred to by its nickname of jimbou. Launched lgbt book group provided a platform for lgbt people in tokyo. Book town in jimbocho was one of my best discoveries. Go back to architecture overview jimbocho theatre architects nikken sekkei address. Jimbocho s book peddlers and publishers have been at the centre of social movements, cultural debates and a devastating fire or two.
Though its best known as a haven for bibliophiles, the surrounding areas are brimming with an eclectic mix of outlets. Turn the page centrally located between several universities, including meiji, nihon and senshu, jimbocho is home to over. For families, couples, or lone intellectuals, jimbocho makes for a rewarding day in the heart of the bustling city, as mario leto explains. This street is a veritable shrine to secondhand books, flanked on either side with stores or stalls housing mesmerizing collections of art, design, and fashion titles. Known as a paradise for bookworms, jimbocho book town has the most killer selection of used books, including fancy titles about design, art, and fashion.
And search more of the webs best library of celebrity. Attracting a steady stream of cat lovers looking to add some furry cuteness to their day, this smallish but wellstocked corner of jimbocho s anegawa bookstore features felinerelated tomes. A book lovers guide to tokyo s jimbocho district share this article. Jimbocho vintage book town area guide when in tokyo. One of the largest secondhand book markets in the world is centered on the intersection of yasukunidori and hakusandori in the kanda district of tokyo. The cluster of universities surrounding jimbocho spiked the demand for books in the area, and tokyo s book town is now home to nearly 200 bookstores. Isseido antique bookstore jimbocho when in tokyo tokyos. Harajuku for its influence in fashion and pop culture or akihabara for its wealth of electronics and anime. For more on japanese travel and japanese literature, visit category.
Within a 15 minute walking radius, you can browse close to 200 bookstores of tokyo s all second hand bookstores. Jimbocho area guide when in tokyo tokyos art, design. Finding bookshops is exceptionally easy because an entire district is dedicated to used books and publishing. Interesting part of tokyo s chiyoda district, the jimbocho area features many great shops related to japanese traditional paper, ancient maps, old books in jimbocho book town, you can even see shops with walls of books outside. If youve been hanging around tokyo or following our lets tour tokyo series long enough, youll have no doubt found theres a pattern with a lot of neighborhoods in the central part of the city in that they sometimes specialize in some form of commerce or government. Kanda jimbocho bookstore area chiyoda 2020 all you. For bookings made on or after april 6, 2020, be sure to consider the risk of the coronavirus covid19 and associated government measures. One small part of tokyo is the epicenter of used books, like a paper vortex where books that no longer spark joy are sent until they find a new owner. Books tokyodo kanda jimbocho chiyoda 2020 all you need.
From mysterious alleyways to an abandoned island in tokyo bay, these are the hidden gems. A tour of tokyos bookstores abebooks shop for books. Kanda jimbocho is japans largest used bookstore street. The last english language bookstores in jimbocho cnn travel. Postcard from jimbocho, tokyos book town fine books. Explore jimbocho tokyos adorable booktown books and bao. Kitazawa books, located on the second floor of book house jimbocho, which specializes in english books. In his introduction to masayo duuss 1979 book, tokyo rose. Evening walk jimbocho, the book town in tokyo 2019. Located on jimbochos main shopping street, isseido is one of tokyos prime.
Booktown is a place of pure heaven for book lovers. Book store at jimbocho, chiyodaku, tokyo, japan stock. Tokyo is a city full of neighborhoods iconic for different things. According to bilingual rose counsell, who also works at kagerou bunko. An expansion of englishlanguage book events in tokyo including the international book festival which we hear on the grapevine is not likely to happen this year. Spending a day in tokyos book district savvy tokyo. In 19, the town that is surrounded by three of tokyo s most prestigious universities was destroyed by fire. Jimbocho district in tokyo is also called book town because its full of familyowned book stores. Most of the books sold in the area are japanese but several shops specialize in foreign books mostly english. The market for english books in tokyo is dwindling, alongside the rest of the publishing industry. Reischauer, the american ambassador to japan from 1961 to 1966 and a scholar at harvard specializing in east asian affairs, wrote, a mere wartime myth, tokyo rose was to become a disgrace to american justice. Jimbocho is a district within tokyo that is dedicated to used books and publishing. Jimbocho is a historical, book centric district in central tokyo.
Jimbocho in the heart of tokyo is a bookworms paradise with over 200 book stores to choose from that serve both japanese and english readers. Jimbocho theatre when in tokyo tokyos art, design and. Take a gokart tour in tokyo where you become part of the action while dressed in your choice of costume. Earlier this year i travelled to tokyo and did some bookstore tourism by visiting several bookshops in jimbocho and beyond. Rose bakery, marunouchi, ginza, shinjuku, kichijoji, haneda terminal 1. Launched perfect liars club tokyo one of the most fun shows in tokyo if we do say so ourselves. Tokyo rose alternative spelling tokio rose was a name given by allied troops in the south pacific during world war ii to all female englishspeaking radio broadcasters of japanese propaganda. Hunting for photo books in tokyo japan camera hunter.
It caters to a variety of artistic interests and is well situated in central tokyo for fast and easy access to other entertainments. While most are japanese books, there are also english second hand books available if youre looking for pricey historical books and oddities, look for the isseido book store on yasukuni dori just to the north of jimbocho station. Hotel villa fontaine tokyo jimbocho provides simple modern accommodation. Erotic, fetishistic and forbidden are key themes at this small photographyfocused gallery, set right in the heart of jinbochos book town.
835 816 205 1428 1041 1497 424 1538 885 270 1224 1415 390 503 233 882 904 1040 543 510 907 95 1339 437 1019 313 698 1202