Exploring Jimbocho: Tokyo's Book Town

As a book lover, I became ridiculously excited when I heard that Tokyo had a Book Town, so of course I had to check it out on my recent trip to Japan. And it did not disappoint!

The quaint streets lined with bookshelves and the shops littered with stacks of books filled me with happiness as I wandered around. It almost feels as though you've been transported back in time, which is a nice contrast to the other parts of Tokyo that are more futuristic and high-tech.

It's definitely a must-visit spot if you are a fellow book lover, writer or art admirer. There are an abundance of old bookshops selling rare finds, cute spots to grab food and a drink, and there is even a book hotel! The books were mostly in Japanese, but several shops stocked foreign language books and there were plenty of art prints for sale also.

After a whole day of wandering around, I whittled down my favourite spots for you to check out if you happen to find yourself there!

Kanda Suzuran Street

How to get there:

I took the metro line to Jimbocho Station which is within a few minutes walking distance of the main streets.

Notable streets:

Most of the places I checked out were on the main street Yasukuni-dori Avenue. There were also some nice places on Kanda Suzuran Street, which is a little quieter and prettier than the main street.

Recommended shops:

• For outdoor displays: Yaguchi Bookstore and @Wonder had rows of outdoor shelves that were very picturesque and the prettiest spots on Yasukuni-dori Avenue to feel whisked back in time to a pre-digital era.

  
  

• For non-Japanese books: Sawaguchi Shoten, Isseido Booksellers, Kitazawa Bookstore, Ogawa Tosho, and Tamura Book Store had a good selection of foreign language books where I managed to snap up some interesting finds.

  
  

• For art and stationary: Komiyama Book Store is a shop with a wide selection of art books and an art gallery upstairs, and Bohemian's Guild is a good place to find vintage art books and prints. Bumpodo is an eclectic stationary shop selling everything from greeting cards and art supplies to souvenirs and jewellery.

Tamura Book Store

Jimbocho Book Hotel

Kitazawa Bookstore

Yaguchi Book Store

@ Wonder

Sawaguchi-shoten

Where to eat and drink:

• For lunch: Gallery Cafe inside Bumpodo is a nice spot to grab some light food and a

  coffee or a sweet treat.

• For dinner: Ladrio has a quaint, vintage atmosphere and sold a small selection of hot food and side dishes.

  
  

• For a sweet treat: Jimbocho Book Centre is a very cute spot to sit reading a book whilst sipping on a matcha and helping yourself to a dessert. One of the highlights of my day in Jimbocho was reading this months SS Book Club pick at this café whilst the shelves of books surrounding the seating area and soft music playing provided the perfect atmosphere.

  
  

• For hot drinks from a vending machine: Sawaguchi Shoten has a charming upstairs area where you can buy a hot drink from the vending machine and sit looking out at the world going by on Yasukuni-dori Avenue. If you spend more than 3000¥‎ the staff will give you a ticket which you can exchange for a coin that gives you a free hot drink from the machines.

Coffee and cheesecake at Jimbocho Book Centre

Vending machine coffee and my book buys at Sawaguchi Shoten

And of course I cannot leave you without telling you about my finds (pictured above)!

• Five Women Who Loved Love, written by Saikaku Ihara and translated by William Theodore de Bary: a collection of five novellas about romance, illicit adventures, and five daring women that was first published in 1686.

  
  

• The Heiké Story, written by Eiji Yoshikawa, illustrated by Kenkichi Sugimoto

  and translated by Fuki Wooyenaka Uramatsu: set in twelfth century Kyoto, this novel tells the fictional story of the rise from poverty to power of Kiyomori of the Heiké clan during a time of war, crime and civil unrest.

  
  

• The First Lady Chatterley by D.H. Lawrence: the complete first draft of the famous novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover, telling a story of passion that supersedes the limitations of class in a society that is ruled by it.

  
  

I haven't managed to read any of these books yet, but I am very excited to do so! Be sure to look out for my reviews on the blog which will be coming soon!

Have you been to Jimbocho? Did you love it as much as I did? Have you read any of the books above? If so let us know in the comments. As always we'd love to hear your thoughts, recommendations and feedback!