I had been several times around Jimbocho, near Tokyo Station, but up until recently I hadn’t had the time to enjoy the famous streets where you can find plenty of second hand books. Last month, I could finally go there and snoop around the bookstores. I wasn’t expecting to find so many stores! There are dozens of stores full of books from decades and even centuries ago, manuscripts, scrolls, old magazines, ukiyo-e art, drafts of novels by famous authors (I saw drafts of Haruki Murakami novels!), developed photographs of famous photographers, etc. I ended up buying a couple of old maps from Tokyo (handwritten maps from 90 years ago), a Daido Moriyama photograph book and another one by Nobuyoshi Araki.
These are some of the photos that I took during my visit, using my new iPhone 4.
6 replies on “Jimbocho, the neighbourhood of the old books”
Looks like paradise to me. I have a fascination with old books. It’s odd that you posted this just now. Yesterday I ‘discovered’ Strand bookstore here in NYC. It was established in 1927 and sells new, used, and rare books. I didn’t go up to the rare book floor. I’m going to go back with my camera and poke around. I could live in a bookstore like that.
That looks so cool, I’m absolutely going there. Where did you find old Murakami drafts? I would actually be extremely interested in buying that. Though my japanese is probably not good enough for me to be able to find it on my own yet.
Probably were Yomiko Readman lives? http://www.randomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/readordie1.jpg
Very interesting! I’d be interested in visiting if it wasn’t for my rhinitis… xD
Very very interesting.
@Renato Murakami Haha, best screenshot đŸ™‚
Yes, I love the smell of old books!
Woohoo, ancient comics. I collect old British comics (1892 – around 1960’s), seeing foreign ones would be interesting too XD