Book Stores

From HyogoAJET

The following bookstores stock foreign books, but the smaller branches may not have a very wide selection. As you would expect, the best selections will be found at major chains, such as Junkudo and Kinokuniya, especially branches in Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto. Still, some of the other bookstores have pretty good selections, especially those that specialize in foreign books.

Keep in mind that foreign books are generally quite expensive in Japan and sometimes it is cheaper to order books online even after factoring in the shipping costs.

Contents 1 Junkudo (淳久堂 or ジュンク堂) 1.1 Akashi 1.2 Ashiya 1.3 Himeji 1.4 Maiko 1.5 Nishinomiya 1.6 Osaka (Main Branch) 1.7 Sannomiya (Center-gai) 1.8 Sannomiya (JR Sannomiya) 1.9 Sumiyoshi 2 Kinokuniya (紀伊国屋) 3 Other Book Stores 3.1 Foreign Books, Tokyo Random Walk - Kobe Branch 3.2 Foreign Buyers Club - Rokko Island 3.3 Maruzen - Kyoto 4 Online Bookstores 4.1 Amazon 4.2 Junkudo and Kinokuniya 4.3 Powell's Book

Junkudo (淳久堂 or ジュンク堂)

The Sannomiya Center-gai branch of Junkudo is probably the largest bookstore in the prefecture.

Akashi

Phone: 078-913-8201
Fax: 078-913-8211
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

5&6 Floor Daiei Akashi (East Building)
1-5-12 Oakashi-cho
Akashi-shi, Hyogo-ken 〒673-0891

〒673-0891
兵庫県明石市大明石町1-5-12
ダイエー明石店東館5-6Ｆ
Just south of JR Akashi and Sanyo Akashi stations, on the 5th and 6th floors of the East Daiei Building (ダイエー明石店東館)

Ashiya

Phone: 0797-31-7440
Fax: 0797-31-7430
10:00 am - 8:00 pm

9-1-304 Ohara-cho, Ashiya-shi
Hyogo-ken, 〒659-0092

〒659-0092 兵庫県芦屋市大原町9-1-304 ラポルテ東館3Ｆ

Just north of JR Ashiya Station in the third floor of the ラポルテ東館 building.

Himeji

Good selection of fiction, non-fiction and ELS teaching resources.

Phone: 0792-21-8280
Fax: 0792-21-8281
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

3 Fl. Festa (Station Building)
210 Higashi Ekimae-cho, Himeji-shi
Hyogo-ken, 〒670-0926

〒670-0926 兵庫県姫路市東駅前町210
駅ビルフェスタ 3F

On the 3rd floor of the Festa Department Store in JR Himeji Station.

Maiko

Phone: 078-787-1250
Fax: 078-787-1251
10:00 am - 8:00 pm

3 Fl. Tio Maiko Building
10-1-301 Higashi Maiko-cho, Tarumi-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken, 〒655-0047

〒655-0047 兵庫県神戸市垂水区東舞子町10-1-301
Tio(ティオ)舞子３Ｆ

Northeast of JR Maiko Station, on the 3rd floor of the Tio Maiko Building (Tio 舞子).

Nishinomiya

Phone: 0798-68-6300
Fax: 0798-68-6301
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

4 Fl. Nishi-kan, Akuta Nishinomiya
1-1 Kitaguchi-cho, Nishinomiya-shi
Hyogo-ken, 〒663-8035

〒663-8035 兵庫県西宮市北口町１－１
アクタ西宮 西館４Ｆ

Just north of Hankyu Nishinomiya Kitaguchi Station on the 4th floor of the “アクタ西宮 西館” building.

Osaka (Main Branch)

Phone: 06-4799-1090
Fax: 06-4799-1091
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

Floors 1-3, Dojima Abanza
1-6-20 Dojima, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu, 〒530-0003

〒530-0003 大阪府大阪市北区堂島1-6-20
堂島アバンザ１・3F

A few blocks south down Yotsubashi-suji (四ツ橋筋) from JR Osaka Station. If you are coming by subway, take exit C72 (堂島地下センター街).

Sannomiya (Center-gai)

Phone: 078-392-1001
Fax: 078-392-1024
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

1-8-18 Sannomiya-cho, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken, 〒650-0021

〒650-0021 兵庫県神戸市中央区三宮町1-6-18

Located in Center-gai (センター街), just to the east of Ikuta Road. English books are on the 3rd floor, near the far east (right) side of the building.

Sannomiya (JR Sannomiya)

Phone: 078-252-0777
Fax: 078-252-0616

6-1-15 Kumoi-dori, Chuo-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken, 〒650-0096

〒650-0096 兵庫県神戸市中央区雲井通6-1-15
サンシティビル (ダイエー)７・８階

Located just east of JR Sannomiya on the 7th and 8th floors of the Daiei Building (a.k.a. Sun City Building サンシティビル). English books are on the 7th floor, near the register.

Sumiyoshi

Phone: 078-854-5551
Fax: 078-854-5505
10:00 am - 8:00 pm

4 Fl. Sumiyoshi Terminal Building
1-2-1 Sumiyoshi Honmachi, Higashi Nada-ku
Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken, 〒658-0051

〒658-0051 兵庫県神戸市東灘区住吉本町1-2-1
シーア４Ｆ (住吉ターミナルビル)

Right next to JR Sumiyoshi Station.

Kinokuniya (紀伊国屋)

A list of Kinokuniya's branches can be found here. The one in Osaka station (Umeda) has good multilingual book selection and is quite large.

Other Book Stores

Foreign Books, Tokyo Random Walk - Kobe Branch

(洋書、東京ランダムウォーク神戸店)

One of the best selections of foreign books in Kobe. Lots of fiction, non-fiction, magazines, etc. Excellent selection of books on martial arts, Japanese arts, etc. In Center-gai, near JR Motomachi Station.

Phone: 078-332-9200
Fax: 078-332-9200
E-mail: webinfo@bookshop.co.jp
10:00 am - 8:00 pm, Daily

3-9-8 Sannomiya-cho
Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, 〒650-0021

〒650-0021
神戸市中央区三宮町3-9-8 33-Bldg. 2F

Foreign Buyers Club - Rokko Island

The FBC has over 2,000 English books and videos, along with teaching tools etc. They can also order books for you.

Phone: 078-857-9001
Fax: 078-857-9005
E-mail: mail@fbcusa.com
URL: www.fbcusa.com
9:30am - 5:30pm, Monday - Thursday
9:30am - 7:30pm, Friday & Saturday
CLOSED: Sunday

Maruzen - Kyoto

丸善 京都河原町店
The Kyoto Kawaramachi Branch of Maruzen has the largest selection of foreign books in Kansai.

Phone: 075-241-2161
Fax: 075-241-0653
E-mail: sd-kyoto@maruzen.co.jp
10:00 am - 9:00 pm

〒604-8033 京都府京都市中京区奈良屋町296
296 Naraya-cho, Naka Gyo-ku
Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu, 〒604-8033

Online Bookstores

Amazon

"The world's biggest bookstore." An online catalog of over 2 million titles will make sure you get any book ever written at discounted prices. Rare books may take longer to arrive in Japan and it is sometimes easier and faster to have them sent to an intermediary (i.e. family member) back home and then posted here. There is also a Japanese and British Amazon as well.

US Site: www.amazon.com
Japanese Site: www.amazon.co.jp
British Site: www.amazon.co.uk

Note that Amazon.co.jp often ships books for free.

Junkudo and Kinokuniya

In addition to their chains of bookstores, Junkudo and Kinokuniya also have online bookstores. Unfortunately, their sites are in Japanese only.
Junkudo's URL www.junkudo.co.jp
Kinokuniya's URL: http://bookweb.kinokuniya.co.jp

Powell's Book

A US bookstore chain that began in Portland, Oregon selling used books. They now have an excellent website with their entire catalog of used books at great prices. Best of all, as of this writing they will ship anywhere in the world for free if you place an order of more than $50 US.
URL: www.powells.com

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