JIMBOCHO: the heart of Tokyo’s book scene
Jimbocho, a small suburb just north of the Imperial Palace Gardens, is the absolute epicenter of Tokyo when it comes to books. Tucked away in the center of Tokyo, it’s easy to miss but offers a haven for anyone with an eye for second hand books, magazines, films & memorabilia. We take a look at how this area became Tokyo’s book heaven and why you should visit.
Origins
The area was originally named after a 17th century samurai and by the turn of the 19th century it was already emerging as an area that catered to book lovers. It suffered huge damages during a fire in 1913 however and was left virtually ruined. Thankfully, a former teacher called Shigeo Iwanami still recognized the potential of the area and opened a small bookstore called Iwanami Shoten. Iwanami’s business saw huge success, eventually transforming into a large-scale publishing house.
aratama books interior
As Iwanami’s business flourished, other bookstores were encouraged to move into the area and start their own businesses. The proximity of 3 major universities to the neighborhood also spurred on its development as there was never a shortage of scholars & book lovers in the area. It wasn’t long before Jimbocho had not just returned to its former status but far surpassed it.
A tension between public & private
Like the rest of central Tokyo, Jimbocho is staggeringly dense. Contained entirely along a stretch of only 600m, the area still manages to home over 150 book shops. The bulk of these are just one street parallel to Yasukuni-dori, one of the major arterial roads running through the heart of Tokyo and carrying commuters towards Chiba.
At Wonder book store
Paradoxically, Jimbocho manages to feel like an escape from the regular hustle of Tokyo life despite its location. Walking through its alleyways, the constant noise of traffic one street over somehow seems to fade away. Many of the bookshops have converted entire exterior walls into bookshelves, completely transforming the area from chaotic urban center into an intimate space draped in a fabric of old books and movie posters.
Sawaguchi Shoten
This results in a strange tension between public & private in the streets of Jimbocho. Browsing through the canvas of books that have become part of Jimbocho’s architecture - it’s easy to feel as if you’re alone in your room. It creates the sensation of a highly personal experience and yet it is all taking place in one of the densest areas of one of the world’s most populated cities. It’s a surreal experience and an absolute must for anyone visiting Tokyo - take a whole afternoon to get lost in the alleys and soak in this metropolitan oasis.
Shonan Books
Classic poetry & 80’s softcore
Tokyo has always been famous for its subcultures & the intensity with which people devote themselves to them. Jimbocho is no exception to this rule and there’s a tendency in the neighborhood for each small shop to be focused on a particular subject. Hop between stores and you’ll find yourself diving through shelves of traditional chinese poetry, classic movie pamphlets, back catalog Popeye issues, old maps & more.
Aratama Books exterior
The area is also teeming with salarymen as it’s in close proximity to business centers such as Kanda & Nihonbashi. Unsurprisingly, this also means there’s a number of stores entirely dedicated to gravure & adult videos. While that may put off some, these shops are worth a visit to see entire walls filled floor to ceiling with entire books dedicated to specific gravure models all the way back to the 1960s. The clientele can be a bit odd but scanning the cheesy covers of bubble era softcore magazines is a fascinating way to immerse yourself in a kind of strange time capsule of Japanese culture.
classic gravure posters at Aratama Books
With all these specialized stores, it’s easy to pin down one shop relevant to your interests and end up spending way more money than you expected to. But the real fun in Jimbocho is exploring as many shops as you can - as each shop is likely to surprise you with an interesting find and potentially open you up to a whole new interest.
A couple of spots to check out are:
Komiyama Books - for fashion & photography
Aratama Books - for gravure & old adult magazines
Yaguchi Bookshop - an amazing exterior wall of books
At Wonder - an exterior book wall & old film memorabilia
Shosen Grande - more of a modern book shop but they have a huge range
some old magazines piled up outside At Wonder
Troubling signs of a more modern Jimbocho
One of the main charms of Jimbocho is that it has managed to maintain such a Showa era feel. Many of the stores feel like they haven’t changed in decades and its easy to picture how things may have looked back in the days of Iwanami.
There are signs, however, of a more modern side beginning to emerge within the neighborhood. Some of the newer bookstores have taken on more of a typical department store type feel and combining with cafes in a move that seems to take some of the emphasis away from the books.
one of the many backalleys in Jimbocho - the yoshimoto manzai theater is visible on the right
The Yoshimoto Manzai Theater also opened just off the main street in January 2020. The building is incredible and architecturally stunning. The structure has a facade of huge, disjointed metal panels that seem to encase the building in a shell. While its undeniably beautiful to look at, you can’t help but feel that it seems to mesh somewhat clumsy with the overall character of Jimbocho.
the yoshimoto manzai theater in jimbocho
Jimbocho is one of those rare spots that has avoided the trappings of Tokyo’s modernization and stayed true to itself throughout generations. It’s likely achieved this due to its proximity to universities and its loyal patrons. There are hints of something more modern at the fringes of this tiny neighborhood and it brings the risk of turning Jimbocho into a blander and less interesting version of itself. We can only hope that Jimbocho is able to continue on, stalwart in its rejection of urban development, or that if modernization is unavoidable - it’s done in a sensitive manner that preserves the spirit of the area.