Evelyn C. Leeper (eleeper@optonline.net) Go to my home pageBookstores in Tsukuba
and Eastern Tokyo Suburbs
Last Change: 3 Jun 2008 ============================================================================ Districts listed in this file: Matsudo Tsukuba Mito Hitachi City Tsudanuma other East Tokyo, Chiba areas Central Tokyo Subject Index, Tokyo area -------------- Stores with Mail/Fax/Online services Bookstores in other cities of Japan Bookstores in other cities of the world ============================================================================ General notes on address, phone conventions, hours, etc. in Japan Looking for bargains? Buying books in Japan Insights of the trade: Publishing books in Japan Other sources and reference material on bookstores in Japan Glossary of Japanese publishing terms Acknowledgements ============================================================================ Matsudo NTT long-distance area code Matsudo: 0473. Horie Ryoubundo (1225 Matsudo, Matsudo-shi, Chiba-ken 271_0092; JR Matsudo East Exit. Accessible from pedestrian deck. 65-5121) "Largest bookstore in city. More technical books than Kinokuniya nearby. Small foreign paperback collection 4F." Open 10-22, -21:30 Sat, Sun, Hol. Kinokuniya Matsudo Isetan (1307-1 Matsudo 271_8550; 6F Isetan Dept. Store. 361-0362, Fax 361-5646; HQ Shinjuku) "Small for a Kinokuniya. No foreign books. (Sept. '03)" Open 10-19:30. ============================================================================ Tsukuba NTT long-distance area code Tsukuba: 029. Stores aligned north to south. Tsukuba University Univ. Hall Book Dept. (3-1-1 Amakubo, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken 305_0005; University Hall (Daigaku Kaikan) Annex 3F. Office in building with M logo across the street. 858-0409; kaikan@maruzen.co.jp) "Run by Maruzen, Tokyo. Not a coop store. Foreign section good for a campus bookstore: magazines, paperbacks, Penguin classics, math, physics, economics, linguistics and some books on Japan. Best foreign collection in the region." Open 9:50-18:30, -17:30 Sat. Closed Sun, Hol. Tsukuba Gakuen Bunko (3-21-3 Amakubo; North of baseball field. Close to Higashi-odori near Denny's. Phone/Fax 856-0322) "Neat place selling used books. Proprietor well informed. Sign outside reads 'Students of Tsukuba *Elementary* School: Put books back where they were or stay out of here.' Small paperback collection and some imported textbooks." Imashiroya (1-1 Amakubo; Inside Amakubo Shopping Center, near Medical Center. 855-6165) "Used books. Tidy place. Academic. A few foreign textbooks." Gakuentoshi Kosho Center (1-1 Amakubo; Amakubo Shopping Center. 851-1825) "Large collection of used books but disorganized compared to Imashiroya. Many computer books in Japanese. Foreign college textbooks here and there. Small paperback collection outside. This mall used to have one or two more used bookstores." Yuuhoudou Main Store (3-8-6 Azuma 305_0031; Northeast of Expo Park. 852-3665) "Regional chain. Serious bookstore (manga section kept small) but no foreign books." Open 10-22 through year. Libro Tsukuba (1-7-1 Azuma; 5F Seibu Dept. Store, near Tsukuba Express Station and Bus Terminal. 863-1242; HQ Ikebukuro) "General bookstore. No foreign books." Open 10-20. Book Land Kasumi Gakuen Store (18-9 Higashi-Arai 305_0033; Some blocks south of Seibu. 852-3430) "Casual store. Some foreign paperbacks." The ALIEN TIMES, a local publication, has some information on books: http://www.alientimes.org/. "Tsukuba Public Library has a foreign section. Books in English, Chinese, Korean, Russian. Only community library around Tokyo with a Russian section." (2-8 Azuma 305_0031; In Expo Center Park. 029-856-4311 Fax 856-6277) "Tsukuba, home of many a research institute, is an academic Brasilia, child of state plans to move institutes out of central Tokyo where land is dear. For some reason, neither the publishing houses nor the academic bookstores of Kanda-Jimbocho followed." ============================================================================ Mito NTT long-distance area code: Mito 029. Kawamata Shoten (2-2-31 Miya-machi, Mito-shi, Ibaraki-ken 310_0015; Three minutes from JR Mito, up slope, wide street. 231-0102, 0120-081872) "Largest bookstore in Mito. 1 shelf foreign books 5F." Open -21, -20 Sun, Hol. ============================================================================ Hitachi City NTT long-distance area codes: Hitachi-shi 0294; Tokai-mura 029. Books Tadokoro (1-17-1 Saiwai-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki-ken 317_0073; In south tower of Ito Yokado, visible from JR Hitachi. 21-7462) "More casual selection compared to Honjin. Appeals to young customers. Few or no science titles. 1 shelf foreign paperbacks." Open 9-20. Sato Shoten Mymall Ginza (1-9-7 Benten-machi, Hitachi-shi 317_0072; Between Ito Yokado and Tadokoro Honjin, on right side of street, second block from JR Hitachi. 21-3168) "Used bookstore. Prefers older titles. Small collection of books about Ibaraki." Open throughout year. Tadokoro Shoten Honjin (1-12-9 Kashima, Hitachi-shi 317_0071; On left side of red brick street beyond road between Ito Yokado towers. About 7 minutes from JR Hitachi. 22-5537) "Largest bookstore in Hitachi City. Conservative collection. Large number of serious history, social study titles and literature. Frequented by foreigners. English paperbacks selling well on 2F. Strong in science and technology, but no special attention devoted to books related to nuclear energy when visited December 1999." Ohno Shoten (819-26 Funaishikawa, Tokai-mura, Naka-gun, Ibaraki-ken 319_1111; About 5 minutes north of JR Tokai Station, on road on west side along tracks. 282-2098) "General bookstore large for a town this size. Many titles on nuclear technology. Books about the dangers of nuclear energy and reports of the JCO accident were piled and selling well when visited in December 1999." ============================================================================ Tsudanuma NTT long-distance area code Narashino: 047. Kumazawa Shoten Tsudanuma (1-1-1 Tsudanuma, Narashino-shi, Chiba-ken 275_0016; 4F&5F Hotel Mets, in building on south side of JR Tsudanuma. 475-8311, Fax 470-1004) "Foreign books on 5F: about 4 shelves." Open 9-23, 10- Sat, Sun, Hol. [05/06] Maruzen Tsudanuma (7-7-1 Yatsu, Narashino-shi 275_0026; Southeast side of JR Tsudanuma. 470-8311, Fax 470-8316; HQ Tokyo) "Large store. Good for Japanese technical books. The foreign section (3F) has Penguin classics, books on Japan, language texts, books for children and magazines. Has most foreign books in the area." Open 10-21. [05/06] ============================================================================ Other areas: Major bookstores in eastern Tokyo, Chiba and Ibaraki have smaller foreign sections compared to those in the western Tokyo suburbs, if at all. A mid-sized Kinokuniya opened in Toyosu Lalaport (2-4-9 Toyosu, Kohtoh-ku, Tokyo 135_0061; Subway Yurakucho Line and Yurikamome) Oct '06. Some foreign books. Open 10-21. Maruzen Kita-Senju has a few foreign books. A large Kinokuniya opened in Nagareyama Ohtakanomori (Junction of Tsukuba Express and Tobu Noda Line) Mar '07. Kinokuniya's Kashiwa branch is now closed. The Asahiya in Aeon Urawa-Misono (3710 Daimon, Midori-ku, Saitama-shi 336_8760; 048-812-2123) has a foreign section. Open 9-23. The Asahiya in Shin-Koshigaya is quite large but has few foreign books. The Maruzen in Maihama Ikspiari has some foreign books. Book Store Dan, Plena Makuhari (JR Keiyo Line Kaihin-Makuhari) has a foreign shelf. In Chiba City, Sanseido (in Sogo), Kiddy Land (in front of JR Chiba East Exit, underground) and Kaizosha (in Parco) have small foreign collections. Narita Airport has three bookstores. See http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/. ============================================================================ Copyright Notice Information contained in this FAQ is compiled from many sources. The compiler accepts no responsibility for the comments contained herein. The comments are provided "as is" with no warranty, express or implied, for the information provided within them. This FAQ is not to be reproduced for commercial use unless the party reproducing the FAQ agrees to the following: 1) They will contact the FAQ maintainer to obtain the latest version for their collection. 2) They will provide the FAQ maintainer with information on what collection the copy of the FAQ is in, and how that collection may be obtained. 3) They will agree, in writing, that the FAQ will be included in the collection without modification, and that acknowledgements of contributors (if any) to the FAQ remain in the FAQ. 4) They will agree, in writing, that the collection including the FAQ will be distributed on either a non-profit basis, or have some percentage of profit donated to a non-profit literacy program. To support this, this FAQ is Compilation Copyright 2008 by Evelyn C. Leeper (the FAQ maintainer).