Three Best Bookstores in Kyoto

Introduction

What comes to mind when you hear the word KYOTO? Temples, Kimono, or Japanese traditional sweets? You are absolutely right!

However, there is one more thing that makes your trip to Kyoto more fun. If you have a flexible schedule, you should go bookstores because there are some individual ones in Kyoto.

In this article, as someone who reads over 100 books a year, I will introduce my recommended bookstores. And I would be delighted if this article could add a touch of color to your trip memories.

恵文社一乗寺店　Keibunsha Ichijoji Branch

First, the bookstore I would like to introduce is this one, Keibunsha Ichijoji Branch. The reason why I chose this one at the beginning is the beautiful and traditional exterior. The architecture is very classic and fashionable. This bookstore was selected as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world by The Guardian which is a British magazine in 2010. It is not only beautiful but also has a good variety of products. I like Keibunsha because it sells distinctive books that other big bookstores don’t. You can’t see bestselling books in this store. Instead of that, you can buy books written about architecture, art, subculture, philosophy and so on. It also handles ZINE, and I always enjoy choosing one from them to buy. ZINE is a self-published booklet and is gradually becoming a bit of a boom in Japan. Books written by anonymous writers have a different kind of joy and fun from commercially available books.

In addition to books, general goods such as cooking tools, clothes, and bags are sold in the store. If you are a book lover, you will definitely want an original book cover and book bag from Keibunsya.

The annex is located next to the main store and various events are held monthly. Last month, the bookmark exhibition was held. The bookmarks made by a maker from South Korea were displayed. If visitors wanted some of them, they could buy them.

You’re excited to go now, aren’t you?  It’s easily accessible from Kyoto Station. You can get there by bus or train. It takes about 50 minutes from Kyoto Station to Keibunsya. I recommend you go by train because the Eizan Railway is cool and worth watching. Moreover, there are a lot of ramen shops around the Ichijoji Station which is the closest station to Keibunsya. You must enjoy wonderful ramen whenever you want to go because the area is hotspot for ramen.

Cava Books

Have you ever imagined that you can have fun shopping for books, drinking coffee, and watching movies at the same place? Cava Books makes the magical time possible. According to its homepage. Cava came from Greeting in French “Ça va?” which means “How are you?” in English. 

It is a bookstore which is adjoining the cinema and cafe. The first floor is a bookstore and cafe. The 2nd floor is a cinema called “Demachi-za.” There is an abundance of books regarding films and script due to the features of the store. For moviegoers, it’s just irresistible. The cafe counter in the middle of the store is surrounded by bookshelves. Customers can read books that they buy at the store while drinking coffee. 

The theater on the 2nd floor shows rather niche films. You can buy a movie ticket at a ticket vending machine on the first floor then hand it to the receptionist. I’m sure you’ll discover fantastic films you’ve never known.

大垣書店　Ogaki

Bookseller companies that have headquarters in Kyoto are rare. Ogaki bookstore is one of them. The main store is located at Karasuma which is the city famous for The Gion Festival. The bookstore provides many books that you can learn about Kyoto. I think the method of categorization is intriguing because it is different from a general bookstore. Other bookstores classify books into genres like fiction novel, non-fiction, self-help, business and so on, but Ogaki does books into 考 (thinking), 知 (knowledge), 暮 (life), etc. Various books are mixed and put on shelves. You can enjoy just walking around the store.

Ogaki’s main store also sells goods except for books. What I recommend the most is products for book-lovers made by Wolf-sya. The store makes book covers, bags, and wallets that have some good illustrations of wolves printed on these products. Some of the products are sold at the main store. It could be the best gift from Kyoto.

Afterword

I appreciate your reading this article all the way through. I believe you must be itching to visit some bookstores in Kyoto like above. There are more fascinating bookstores in Kyoto. You will realize that bookstores are one of the sightseeing spots in Kyoto if you visit a great store. If it takes a long time to come to Kyoto, you will have a long return trip. Why don’t you find a travel buddy “Book” at individual bookstores during your stay in Kyoto?

kento-m

I’ve been working at a global pharmaceutical company for about 10 years. Love studying English, reading books, taking pictures and playing tennis!