[2025 Tokyo Attraction] Travel Guide for Jimbocho Book Town (Updated Jul)

It is said to be the most popular udon among locals in Tokyo. It ranks first on tablelog udon ranking with a score of 3.89 and 5175 comments #丸香うどん Udon Maruka. It was also awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2019. Located near Jimbocho Station, I chose to visit at noon on a weekday, but I still had to queue! It was full of Japanese office workers, with the crowd lining up for two whole blocks. It really lived up to its reputation as a representative of affordable common food. Udon cold noodles are the most basic way to eat Maruko. They are topped with a cold soup stock mainly made of sardines, which has a fresh and mild taste. They are sprinkled with some Kagawa scallions and served with daily special chikuwa tempura, fried shrimp and other fried foods. They are fried hot out of the oven and are of superb quality. I ordered Maruko's limited-time "Natural Wakame Udon", which is made from natural seaweed from the Naruto Strait in Tokushima Prefecture. It has high nutritional value, low calories, and high fiber, and it sounds very healthy. The real highlight is the udon noodles themselves. The noodles are smooth and chewy, with a light noodle aroma. I can only say that they are super chewy! It is not inferior to the birthplace of udon: Sanuki udon in Kagawa Prefecture, Shikoku. However, my teeth were a little sore that day, and it was quite painful to eat. The noodles were too chewy and I couldn't bite them. It hurt every time I took a bite. It took me half an hour to finish a bowl of noodles. The noodles next to me had already been eaten, but I was still eating slowly. I really wanted to cry! #Maruko Udon #UdonMaruko Opening hours: 1100-1600, 1700-1930 Address: Japan 101-0052 Tokyo, Chiyoda City, Kanda Ogawamachi, 3 Chome−１６−1 New Surugadai Building 1F #JapaneseStoreExplore #TokyoFood #Udon

Recommended by a friend from Cantonese, I went to Etsuko Gourmet in Jimbocho! In Tokyo, where Cantonese dim sum is popular, there are surprisingly few Cantonese restaurants. The shaorou and clay pot rice were delicious! After the meal, we also went to a coffee shop! Etsuko Jimbocho Address: Hello Residence 1F, 2-46-5 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Opening hours: 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (last orders at 21:30) #trip2023 #JimbochoGourmet

▽Keijoen This is a yakiniku restaurant in the back alleys of Jimbocho. It's on the second floor of a multi-tenant building, and you can enjoy a variety of things, including delicious yakiniku, beef tongue curry, and cold noodles. The cold noodles, which are only available in the summer, are especially delicious and chewy, so I highly recommend you try them! ▽Recommended If you're having trouble deciding which meat to get, you might want to ask the staff. It's a very homey restaurant, and they were very kind to serve us! #Tokyo #summertrip #gourmet #gourmettrip #summertrip #gourmettrip

▽magnif A second-hand bookstore in Jimbocho, Tokyo. In addition to books, they also sell records and old flyers. Mainly used magazines, and there was a POPEYE from over a decade ago. ▽Recommended sightseeing In Jimbocho, there are many other second-hand bookstores besides this one. I recommend visiting various second-hand bookstores to find a bookstore or book that suits your taste! There are so many second-hand bookstores that you can see them while walking, so you can enjoy yourself even without doing research. #Tokyo #Jimbocho #Second-hand bookstore #Summer trip

#tokyospots Jimbocho is a dream destination for book lovers, home to over 150 second-hand and specialty bookstores. Whether you're after rare Japanese manuscripts, manga, academic works, or vintage foreign titles, you’re bound to discover a hidden gem. The neighborhood also has literary cafés and publishing houses, adding to its scholarly charm. It's quiet, nostalgic, and intellectually rich — perfect for slow exploration and anyone who appreciates print culture and old-school Tokyo atmosphere.

#cityplaybook Jinbocho, located in central Tokyo, is famously known as the city’s “book town”. With hundreds of bookstores — from vintage shops to academic specialists — lining its nostalgic streets, it’s a paradise for readers and culture lovers alike. The area also boasts charming cafes and historic sweet shops, making it perfect for a relaxing afternoon of exploration. 📚 Jinbocho Bookstore District Stroll through streets filled with stacks of old and new books. You never know what treasure you might find. ☕️ Koseto A cozy café tucked away in the neighborhood. Their cream puffs are a must-try — crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside! 🍡 Sasama A long-established wagashi (Japanese sweets) shop that’s stood the test of time. Try their traditional monaka — crispy wafers filled with rich sweet bean paste. Why I recommend this area: ・The perfect mix of old Tokyo charm and literary culture ・You can easily spend a whole day browsing, snacking, and relaxing 📍Chiyoda City, Tokyo #Jinbocho #TokyoWalks #BookTown #WagashiLovers #TokyoCafeHopping #CityPlaybook #SlowTokyo

[Afternoon shopping trip in Kanda for calligraphy tools, paper books that have disappeared from the world, coffee, and curry] We have created a Kanda guide for liberal arts students and those who want to master Japanese culture. ☕️SENDAI-Kaffee Senshu University Kanda Campus Building 10 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: You can have breakfast at the cafe and bakery on the university campus. Start your morning off right with hand-dripped coffee made from rich, crisp coffee beans. 📍Location: 3 Chome−４−1, Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051 📕Nohgaku Shorin Co., Ltd. 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: A specialty store for traditional Japanese performing arts supplies. Practice books and chanting books for each Noh school. Tabi socks, fans, and practice tools for Noh practice ⭐️Online store available 🕰️Business hours: 10:00-17:00 (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri) Closed: Wed, Sat, Sun, Holidays 📍Location: 3 Chome-6 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051 🖌️Gyokusen-dō Gyokusen-dō 🏖️Description: A long-established calligraphy tool store "We stock everything related to calligraphy culture, including brushes, ink, inkstones, and paper. In particular, Gyokusen-dō Meibutsu brushes are known as comfortable brushes supported by the craftsmanship of artisans that has been passed down since the Edo period, and we receive orders not only from within Japan, but also from customers in China, Korea, the United States, and Europe. Not to mention famous calligraphers and painters, our products have been used by literary figures since Bakin Takizawa, politicians, business leaders, and elementary, junior high, high school, and university students throughout the country. We have hundreds of types of famous brushes, and we also accept orders for custom-made brushes.』 ⭐️Online store available 📍Address: 3 Chome-3, Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051 🖌️Sandaken Japanese calligraphy materials 🏖️Description: Sandaken was established in 1973 as the purchasing department of the Japan Calligraphy Education Society, in response to strong requests from people studying through correspondence courses nationwide, under the belief that "calligraphy begins with the right tools and materials" by the late Ishibashi Saisui, former president of the Japan Calligraphy Education Society, a public interest incorporated foundation. Since then, we have been selling the four treasures of the stationery, with a policy of selecting products from the perspective of the writer. We are especially proud to recommend the original products, brushes, paper, ink, etc. made by the manufacturers under the guidance of our teachers. We also have a wide selection of calligraphy-related books, both from our own company and other publishers, including products from famous, long-established companies. We can meet a wide range of needs, from beginners to experts. ' ⭐️Online store available 🕰️Business hours: 10AM–6:30PM 📍Location: 2 Chome-2-3 Nishikanda, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0065 📕Yaguchi Bookstore 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: A second-hand bookstore that mainly handles old Japanese books related to theater. Occasionally, you may find old dramas, TV programs, radio programs, and theater scripts used and written by popular Japanese actresses and famous actors. 📍Location: 2 Chome-5-1 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051 📕Italia Shobo 🏖️Atmosphere/Facilities: "Italia Shobo is the first foreign-language bookstore in Japan, founded in 1958, specializing in books from Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The head office is located in Kanda Jinbocho, a famous book town. There is a branch, ITALIA SHOBO FIRENZE, in Florence, Italy. The president published the first Japanese-Italian dictionary, "Wa-Italian Dictionary" (written by Takahashi Hisashi) in 1982, and won the Yoshikawa Eiji Cultural Award. 』 ⭐️Online store available 📍Address: 2 Chome-23, Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051 🍛Curry Bondy Curry rice with a particular focus on fond de veau, coffee, and lightly sweet baked apple for dessert. 🕰️Business hours: Mon-Fri 11:00-21:30 (L.O. 21:00) Sat-Sun and holidays 10:30-22:00 (L.O. 21:30) 📍Address: Kanda Kobo Center Building, 2nd floor, 2 Chome-3-3 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 101-0051 #My travel itinerary #Domestic travel #Enjoy Japan #Tokyo travel #Asia travel #Travel spirit #Tokyo travel #tokyo

This old book street is located in Jimbocho, right as you exit the subway. The street is not long, but there are about twenty or thirty bookstores. Some of them are located upstairs. If you are interested, you can take your time to visit them. There are all kinds of bookstores. Although most of the books are in Japanese, the bookstores are quite diverse, so there is a lot to see. Some bookstores exhibit and sell Ukiyo-e paintings at very affordable prices. Some bookstores sell old magazines, records, posters, complete sets of comics, etc. Those who have a special liking for Japanese culture should not miss it. There is also a youth hostel with a bookstore theme. The environment is nice, but the price is relatively expensive.

The queue is kept so long at nine o'clock at night in addition to a large number of Western tourists, there are also many locals, especially Japanese sisters. Order the recommended package of Yuanzu shrimp ball ramen, will include a rice for you to mix D soup to make rissoto I've eaten too many traditional flavors of ramen, so it's quite good to try new fancy ones occasionally Business hours 11:00 - 24:00

#Tokyo Attractions Tokyo Jimbocho is a "Mecca" for readers and a paradise for second-hand books! It not only hides countless treasure books, but is also a distribution center for outdoor sports equipment, a street for snow equipment, and a fierce competition battlefield for coffee and curry. If you have enough time, it is strongly recommended to arrange half a day to explore this unique area where culture and life blend in depth. Jimbocho is known as the largest gathering place for second-hand bookstores in Asia. Bookworms are like finding a treasure here! Even if you don't understand Japanese, it doesn't matter. The dazzling array of picture albums, magazines, comics, and retro cultural and creative items here are also worth carefully selecting. The books in each store are closely displayed, and the unique ink fragrance and retro atmosphere of old books make people immersed in a second. For example, many travelers were lucky enough to find the 1977 "Popeye" magazine, which was an unexpected surprise. Going along the direction of Ogawamachi, you will reach the famous snow equipment street, where many brand stores and collection stores such as Victoria are lined up. Whether you are a novice skier or a professional player, you can find your favorite equipment. In addition, Ishii, ABC mart, Xbeio and Mizuno's 8th-floor flagship store gather all kinds of sports goods, with complete categories and everything you need. If you are tired of shopping, you may want to go to the popular old store bondy to taste European curry rice. This old store was founded in 1973 and you need to queue for about 20 minutes around noon. Each meal includes rice, two potatoes, and a curry of your choice. The medium taste is sweet at the beginning, spicy at the end, and the taste is mild and not greasy, but the price is slightly higher, about 2,000 yen per person. 📍Transportation Guide: Take the subway to Jimbocho Station to start a wonderful half-day City walk

The entire district is lined with bookstores some specializing in rare, antique editions, while others offer an extensive collection of manga, art books, and academic texts. It is said that there is a secret in the history of Jimbocho that made it into a bookstore district. During the Edo period, there were many samurai residences in the area, but in the Meiji period, they moved to various places and the residences became vacant. Apparently many schools were built there.

'Bookstore and cafe tour in Kanda Jinbocho. The nostalgic shops line the streets of books, so even just walking around is fun. Recommended for solo strolls. __________ Natsume Shobo - Bohemian's Guild - (1.2) Add: 1-1 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Kinoshita Building 1F and 2F Open: 12:00~18:00 The object at the entrance is eye-catching. A second-hand bookstore that has been in business for over 90 years. The interior is filled with books related to contemporary art. The second floor is a gallery space for special exhibitions and artists. __________ Magnif (3.4)Add: 1-17 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, TokyoOpen: 12:00~18:00 (irregular holidays)The interior is like a used bookstore for magazines.The interior is especially filled with nostalgic fashion magazines, and for me who works in the same industry, it is a bookstore that is like a treasure.__________LADRIO (5.6.7)Add: 1-3 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-kuA retro Showa-era coffee shop located in an alleyway.It is the birthplace of Vienna coffee (or so it says on the menu).The stiff cream makes you enjoy it until the last bite.The Neapolitan that I had with it was also delicious.◎__________PASSAGE by ALL REVIEWS(8.9)Add: 1-15-3 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Sanside Jinbocho Building 1FOpen: 12:00~19:00@passagebyallreviewsA shared bookstore with a store owner for each shelfThe shelves are named after actual streets in France, and the atmosphere is like a passageAnyone who loves books can become a store owner.__________PASSAGE bis! by ALL REVIEWS(10.11.12)Add: 3F Sunside Jimbocho Building, 1-15-3 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-kuOpen: 12:00~19:00@passage_bis A cafe on the 3rd floor of Passage. They have a variety of drinks and sweets from famous shops in the Jimbocho area, which change daily. On this day, I had sweets from Dossui Spica, a Portuguese pastry shop.__________ #Traveling with me #Tokyo sightseeing #Tokyo trip #Kanda

#dreamdestination I heard that there are many bookstores in Japan that sell old books, and I felt that it was true to some extent when I saw the bookstore street in Jinbocho.

Mushroom Jun's Asian travel Japan, Tokyo Jimbocho and the owner of the home to visit the world's largest old book street. Large and small, more than one hundred ancient bookstores, arranged according to literature, thought and religion, etc., whether it is a script or a picture, there is always a love. Most of the bookstores on the old book street have been in business since the 20th century. Because Japanese houses are permanent property rights, even today, when house prices are so high, these bookstores selling ancient books can still Do not worry about the business, do not have to scratch the head for rent. 157 ancient bookstores, both large and small, have very elegant store names. The open-air bookshelf is placed in front of the door for bookworms to book books when the store door is not open. There are many famous schools in Japan nearby, and the students here have become frequent visitors to the bookstore. With the light of the students, you can find many excellent ancient books at a low price. I really want to stay here for a while, and read the Chinese ancient books collected on the old book street.