Cafes in Jimbocho

Jimbocho is famous for being the haven of new and secondhand books in Tokyo. If you are a bookworm and can read kanji without twitching, then Jimbocho is a place for you. However, if you are a mere traveler who has limited time in Tokyo, then this area might not be on top of your priority list. However, bookshops are not the only interesting thing in Jimbocho. It is also the home of several interesting cafes that are scattered around the area that would make the visit more worth it. Here are some of the cafes that you might want to check out when you visit the area.

Sabouru. This cafe is situated right outside Exit A7 of Jimbocho Station. It is difficult to miss before it would catch your attention right away with its detailed architecture outside. This place was used as a filming location for the movie Shitsurakuen (Lost Paradise), which was released in 1997 and was based on Junichi Watanabe's novel with the same title. Order their classic milk shake for Y500 and enjoy it as you chill and people watch as it is said that writers and actors usually frequent the place. If you are up for a bigger meal, you can transfer to Sabouru 2, which is right next the cafe, that serves Neapolital Spaghetti for Y650.

A Cafe called Sabuouru outside Jimbocho Station

Paper Back Cafe. If you want to sit and read while enjoying a cup of coffee, this cafe is highly advised. This cafe is in the same building as Toyodo Bookshop so you can shop for books then drink coffee after. The English books are situated in the second floor of the building, although the selection is not outstanding. They only have a few art and photography books. It is still worth checking out. The cafe also has a few seats on the counter facing the street, which is a nice place to people watch.

Paper Back Cafe is in the same building with Toyodo Bookshop

Big Boy. Jimbocho is also home to a few jazz cafes, Big Boy being one of those. You can find Big Boy a few shops away Sabouru, in a small alley right next to Exit A7 of Jimbocho Station. As you near the cafe, you can already here the melodious jazz playing inside as if inviting you to come in. You can get a cup of coffee for Y650 while listening to relaxing jazz. They were playing instrumental jazz when I came in. The wall behind the counter are lined with hundreds (or maybe thousands) of old vinyl records. The atmosphere is calm and relaxing. The old man, I suppose he's the owner of the cafe, if friendly and jolly. He can speak a little English and he's always enthusiastic when serving customers. See my full review of the place here: Jazz Bar in Jimbocho: Big Boy

Entrace to the jazz cafe Big Boy

Finding English Books in Jimbocho

Jimbocho is popularly known as the book town of Tokyo - home to a number of book stores selling new and used books as well as several publishing houses that are decades old. This area is found at the crossind of Yasukuni Dori and Hakusan Dori. The name Jimbocho was taken after a samurai named, Nagaharu Jinbo, who lived in the 17th century.

In 1913, there was a large fire that swept through the area, destroying most of the old establishments in the area. It was after the fire that university professor, Shigeo Iwanami, decided to open a book shop in the area, which started the sprouting of other shops around. This book shop eventually evolved to what is presently known as the Iwanami Shoten Publishing House.

Books on sale on the street.

Among the many book shops in Jimbocho, there are very few bookstores that sell foreign language books, specifically, English books. There are other shops that sells books in other languages like French and German. Some of these bookstores are the following:

Tokyodo Bookstore. Conveniently located in the same building with a coffee shop, this books is perfect for people who want to buy books, read and drink coffee. The selection of English books in this store is very few. It only allots  one shelf to art books and illustrated books in the second floor of the building.

Paper Back Cafe and Tokyodo Bookstore

Bondi Books. Sources online refer to this bookstore as bondi books however, different kanji characters are written on its label. This place is a specialty store for book collectors because it offers vintage books that amount to as high Y237,000 for a collection of John Milton's books. There are also a couple of books by Edgar Allan Poe worth Y108,000 and Katherine Mansfield worht Y86,000.

Kitazawa. This bookshop is on the second floor of this building. While the first floor is a cozy children's book shop with red couches and large stuff toys, the second floor is but a row of old shelves filled with old books. The selection of books ranges from classics like William Wordsworth and DH Lawrence to highly academic books on Literary Criticism and philosophical thoughts.

 

Other stores that might stir some interest is this bookstore that offers a set of old mangas for a very affordable price. Some old series are only worth Y3,000 for 6 mangas.

 

This next shop is very interesting because it sells very old magazines. The selection is also very good because it ranges from Japanese rock magazines featuring X Japan to foreign acts like Beatles and David Bowie.

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If you have time to kill, Jimbocho is an interesting place to visit. You can just go around and be amazed at the variety of books that these bookstores offer. However, if you have limited time in Tokyo or you have no plans of buying Japanese books, then this is place should not be a priority on your list. What I find more interesting in the area is the great selection of cafes that you can visit. If you're not a bookworm or into bookshopping, then cafe hopping might be a better option for you.

See these posts:
Cafes in Jimbocho
Jazz Bar in Jimbocho: Big Boy