Jinbocho (神保町) is Tokyo’s book town, with over 150 used bookstores packed into a few square blocks. For manga readers and researchers, it’s a rewarding district to explore.
The Famous Three Streets
Jinbocho’s main book district is organized around three intersecting streets. Each has its own character:
Yasukuni-dori: The main thoroughfare. Larger, general-interest used bookstores, plus art and photography books.
Hakusan-dori: More academic, with law, philosophy, and history specialists.
The cross streets: This is where the manga and subculture shops cluster.
Manga & Otaku Spots
Mandarake Jinbocho: The smallest Mandarake in Tokyo, but highly specialized: focused on vintage manga, art books, and doujin. If you’re looking for out-of-print manga from the 70s–90s, start here.
Sugamo Shoten: A multi-story second-hand manga specialist. Well-organized by author and series. Better pricing than Akiba’s Mandarake for standard used manga.
Book Plaza: Two floors of used manga with an emphasis on complete series sets. Good for filling gaps in your collection.
Kobunso: New and used art books, including the widest selection of anime art books in Tokyo.
Non-Manga Worth Seeing
- Livre Shinseido: Foreign-language books and academic texts
- Sanseido Bookstore: The area’s flagship new-book store, with a Japanese-language learning section
Food
- Curry: Jinbocho has a high density of curry restaurants. The neighborhood is said to have more curry shops than any area in Japan.
- Sabon: Spice curry shop. Expect a 20–30 minute queue at lunch.
Vocab: 神保町 Jinbocho: Tokyo’s book town. The name comes from the Jinbo family, who owned land here during the Edo period.