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Our visit to the coolest Book Off used Japanese book store that we’ve ever seen

Shannon Nov 3, 2023
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Let’s just say you’ll find far, far more than books.

It seems like just yesterday that Book Off, one of Japan’s most famous used bookstore chains, was begging customers for more used books. Now we’ve found a place that is practically bursting with them, along with a whole marketplace of goods.

Our Japanese-language reporter Seiji Nakazawa’s journey to this Book Off branch in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, brought him to Suzukicho Station on the Keikyu Line, just past the southern boundary of Tokyo. It’s also located fairly close to Haneda Airport.

When Seiji finally arrived at Suzukicho Station and began his trek, he was struck by how open it was. It wasn’t a quaint countryside station, but there was also a whole lot of, well, nothing, except for factories and wide roads.

▼ Though one of those factories, the one for Japan’s largest MSG maker, Ajinomoto, (seen on the left in this photo), has a cool museum that’s open to the public.

The neighborhood reminded him of parts of Tokyo close to the ocean that often had nothing but warehouses, with sidewalk and bicycle lanes were as wide as the driving lanes.

After about a five-minute walk, Seiji saw the sign for Book Off. Or, more accurately…

…the sign for Book Off Super Bazaar, a mega-sized version of Book Off. Seiji found the “super” part to be especially true when he walked in because…

…it…

…was…

…huge!

There was a massive selection of second-hand items. At first It seemed like they had everything but books. Spoiler: there are books. Seiji just had to sift through everything else first.

▼ There’s even furniture!

▼ Instruments were also available, including an electric bass selling for over 450,000 yen (US$2,980).

Who would sell something so valuable to Book Off!? Seiji wondered. The story he made up in his head was the seller’s family made the player give up their dreams of becoming a pro musician. But we digress.

Seiji found an enormous amount of books as well. Apparently, this Book Off is the largest in Kanagawa Prefecture. Many fans of this Book Off love the variety of merchandise available and compliment the organized displays of everything.

They have everything from anime figurines…

…to kid’s toys…

…and they have no shortage of strollers, too.

So if you’re looking for something to do in the Haneda Airport area or you have a lot of different things you want to buy for a reasonable price, consider visiting this Book Off Super Bazaar in Kawasaki! Seiji thinks you won’t regret it.

This isn’t the only Super Bazaar branch of Book Off either. Because they carry larger, bulkier items, Super Bazaar shops tend to be located outside city centers, in more car-accessed neighborhoods, but there are a few Book Off Super Bazaars within the Tokyo city limits, in the Omori, Tachikawa, Machida, and Tama districts, and you can find the sub-brand’s national location list on their website here.

Store information
Book Off Super Bazaar 409 Kawasaki Minatocho Branch / BOOKOFF SUPER BAZAAR409号川崎港町
Address: Kanagawa-ken, Kawasaki-shi, Kawasaki-ku Minatocho 12-1
神奈川県川崎市川崎区港町12-1
Open 1o a.m.-9 p.m.

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[ Read in Japanese ]