A Healthy Collection of Foreign Books and More
Ginza Tsutaya Books
"Book Cafe," the concept of a bookstore incorporating a coffee shop, has become a norm in Japan. The newest one is Ginza Tsutaya Books in Ginza Six, a department store that opened in April 2017 in the heart of Ginza. The department store houses more than 200 trendy luxury brand stores. Its most spacious prime spot is occupied by Ginza Tsutaya Books.
With the concept "Live Closer to Art," this store specializes in art books. The 2,300-square-meter space shelves some 60,000 art books and is named "The World's Best Art Bookstore." The labyrinth is designed to take you step by step into various areas of interest. There is an intriguing Big Books section, which features the art books of artists. One Big Book can weigh more than 40 kilograms, and the best seller costs about ¥300,000. On display are also pictorial records of past and present exhibitions.
There are a couple of event areas where enthusiasts can gather for anticipated events. One is an elongated space called "Book Event Space" where smaller events are held, and the other is called the "Event Space," which is bordered by bookshelves six meters high with a turret motif.
Surrounding the Event Space, you can find books on tourism, Edo period art, sumo, and Japanese food culture, as well as an extensive collection of old and new manga. There is also a section dedicated to Noh, including its art, history, and original goods. A Noh theater can be found in the basement.
Katana (Japanese swords), which are works of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, are also on display, and have become symbols of this store. On my visit, one katana priced at five million yen was labeled sold. Serious buyers are shown the katana in a private room.
The coffee shop adjacent to the store is Starbucks Coffee. You will find valuable vintage books on the bookshelves that are only for in-store reading. At the back there is a STARBUCKS RESERVE® BAR, which is the only store in Japan where you can choose a book from the bookstore to read while enjoying the exclusive Nitro Cold Brew Coffee.
You won't find a particular foreign language section, but there are lots of English language books in each section. A few English-speaking concierges can help you find what you are looking for. Speaking about using the section, Pinlu Cheng, a PR representative at Tsutaya who hails from Taiwan, explained that the section helps her understand more about Japan. "I can learn a lot about Japanese culture, especially the Edo period, which I was able to dig deeper into [in this section]," she said. "You can get all sorts of information on your smartphone, but it's nice to read a book and relax with your favorite cup of coffee."
Ginza Tsutaya Books
https://store.tsite.jp/ginza/english/index.html
Maruzen Marunouchi
Maruzen is a popular choice for foreign language books. Its main store, Maruzen Marunouchi has a foreign language book section that is one of the biggest in Japan. The section occupies half of the fourth floor of Oazo Marunouchi and holds about 120,000 foreign language books. The store is a decade old but the foreign language book section was renovated in 2014 for a more luxurious look.
At Maruzen, customers enjoy buying books they find at the store. The store keepers focus their efforts on POP displays and presentations that change according to the season. Umbrellas, and rain-related books are on display during rainy season while Halloween books and merchandise are on sale from September. Soon after, Christmas books are on display.
My recommendation for tourists is the "Books on Japan" section. Daiki Hakoyama, manager of the foreign language books section, claims that Maruzen was the first bookstore to coin the now popular name. You can find carefully selected books about Japan, from those that provide introductory information to those that delve deeply into topics such as craftsmanship.
At weekends, the children's book section can be filled with children, and monthly English reading circles are held. (See the Maruzen Kids Club Facebook page for schedules) There are not only textbooks, but also small picture books, puzzles, games, and learning kits as well as an extensive stockpile of novels, which is another one of the store's selling points.
Because of the location, many businesspeople use the store. The selection of business books is massive. Books on the economy are great sellers due to the international bankers in the neighborhood. There is also a great selection of technical books on topics such as science and mathematics. "Somehow they're one of the best sellers," Hakoyama notes. You'll find a great stack of intriguing books from which to learn technical material.
According to Hakoyama, the company understands that it is not the cheapest bookstore and is aware of online shopping sites but is not competing with them. "We hold as many books as other bookstores that boast a huge foreign language book section, but I believe our quality is the best in Japan," he said.
Storekeepers in the foreign language books section can guide you in English and you can use bilingual touch-panel computers at a few places to find what you need.
Maruzen Marunouchi
http://www.maruzenjunkudo.co.jp/maruzen/top.html
Other Bookstores with an Array of Foreign Books
Books Kinokuniya Tokyo (Takashimaya Times Square South Building 6F)
This bookstore has an immense section of English books occupying the sixth floor of the building. Within it, you'll find world best sellers and an extensive line up of children's picture books.
https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/c/store/Books-Kinokuniya-Tokyo/
Yaesu Book Center Tokyo
Tourists cherish the "Books on Japan" section and bring them back as souvenirs. You can also find best-selling foreign language learning materials and a few books in German and French.
*This article was posted on the Life in Tokyo website operated by the Tokyo International Communication Committee on October 10, 2017.(Last updated on March 13, 2026)