I always loved Kinokuniya in Japan, and used to frequent their old multi-story location on Kawaramachi in Kyoto on a regular basis. The one here is not quite that big, but they have a huge selection of various items, from incense, to bento boxes, to art supplies - - including hundreds of pens to choose from, all with testers that allow you to see how they draw on strips of paper the line the shelves too - - books (of course), magazines, manga, stuffed animals, model toys, posters and more. Its a great place for gifts, obviously, but also to get specialty items, supplies for yourself or just look around. At one point a staff member asked me if I needed any help, and I figured why not, so I asked about the karuta game. She very kindly explained how to play, and since I said it was a gift, she looked to see what other karuta games they might have so I could pick the best one for my gift. The other customers all seemed to be wearing masks and the checkout has a barrier, etc., so it felt perfectly safe to browse for a while. Its easy to lose track of time, and the grand total if youre not careful, because youll be tempted to buy so many things!

Lucky to live nearby Kinokuniya since there are a few branches in the US. Their main focus is to sell Japanese magazine, books or any print material and I love it that it stays with the newer book releases. You can best enjoy the newer books if you already have a solid foundation of the language, however, don’t let that discourage you Kinokuniya offers other things that are not limited to Japanese speakers like cute plushies, stationary, action figures, decorations, etc.This store is popular on the weekends so might find it a bit crowded or waiting on the line for a while ^^; if you like to visit bookstores with less noise I highly recommend you to not come on the weekend.

Kinokuniya is a Japanese bookstore filled with Manga and anime books and figurines mainly but it also has an assorted collection of other books ranging from travel to cookbooks to contemporary literature. There is also a large collection of Japanese stationary. Various pens, pencils, erasers, office supplies, cards, notebooks and such knickknacks.For a cultural experience its interesting however what cut it for me were the prices. I typically like to buy small things like pens and pencils and erasers to remember the place but this place was astronomically high in prices. If the items were worth that amount Id agree but for a mere pen or pencil to be so expensive. The aisles are very narrow leaving customers to navigate the social distancing which was hard. It seemed like an extension of the Mitsuwa Marketplace. The entrance from inside the market is closed off. You have to enter from the external rear entrance through a slat of plastic curtains (I actually found this part fun.) I was much more interested to discover the Marketplace but next time.

Very cute stationary store. This one is on the pricier side. But you get what you pay for, items are top notch quality. I always stop by when I drop by Mitsuwa. They have a big section of manga. Aisles of pens and markers. Stamping items and washi. I always get my stationary for my penpal letters from here as well. I’m a big fan of this store!

Love this place - took my niece because I knew she would too. So many cool stationary items.

The best place to experience Japanese culture (books, fancy stationry and goods etc) in this area.

Great store, has many things including studying material for japanese and Korean, and lots of manga in English and Japanese and many other cool stuff.

I’m very happy and I finally I got Kamen rider agito kit and thank you so much for holding agito for me I’m very greatful that I got I wish pay you tip if had cash and they are nice service😊😊😊😃😃😃

Huge selection of manga, and everything anime. They also have a ton of other Japanese imported items. You can even grab a bite to eat!

Cute store with many cool items, but extremely overpriced. Most of the things they have there I could get the same exact product on other websites for much cheaper. The cashiers are always rude and annoyed for some reason every time I go there.

Maaaaaaaan~ i cannot stop going to this beautiful little treasure! Their stuff is so damn cute & adorable & pricey lol. I wish i could stay and check out every single thing theyve got but it gets hella crowded. Anime fans paradise honestly✨

Great place, large selection of art books, manga, and other goods. Customer service was great even got an item that didnt make it into the bag at checkout mail to my home very quickly. Greatly appreciated! Would recommend visiting.

I always enjoy coming to this store. The environment is always friendly and they offer a variety of books. They also offer materials and equipment for drawing amd art. I would recommend giving this place a visit.

One of my favorite places to go. Adorable stationary, comics, books, and other fun stuff. It can be pretty pricy but I still love this store.

This is the best Japanese book store in Chicago and everything else in between.They have 1000s of Books/Magazines/Anime(Manga)/Art Supplies/ Model kits, etc! I love the staff, all have been kind and very helpful since my Japanese isnt that great. I make a visit twice a month to see the new goodies from Japan. This is one of those hidden gems!

To the cashier who helped me preorder, he was very helpful. The manga sections are very organized and if you cant find something they well order it for you online. The staff is very sweet to me everytime I come and I hope the cashier w the wolf cut that likes enstars has a very good day

So much stuff to see. love going there looking at books

No complaints. Staff is friendly, always ready to help, and offer to order items if theyre not in stock. Selection is also varied, both in English and Japanese. Very cute items as well! One of my favorite places

LOVE this place. All things Japanese stationary and a bazillion pens and refills.

Nice Japanese Bookstore with some figurines on the shelves, they were doing inventory on them as of the writing of this review so selection was limited i did see a Girlsfrontline UMP45 Figurine there. If anyones a fan of the Gacha game, get it while its there.

A beautiful place indeed. The greeter (person who welcomes you in the entrance) was really kind and helpful. I found the manga I wanted and was really happy. They all have plastic wrapping which is amazing because it guarantees it’ll be in good care. The cashier was rude and seemed to just want to leave and go home. Like someone who just had enough. I’m really bad at socializing and his attitude made me just want to run away as quickly as possible. Everything is so close together and it was really difficult to keep social distancing with everyone inside. (So not the best for corona-virus safety) I opened the manga when I got home and the first one was in amazing condition but the other one had like scratches on it.

Fun store to visit. Lots of Manga in English. However, stuff was overpriced.

Best book store! And also great place for sushi!

Great store! I always make sure to drop by when Im in the area to check on their Gundam model kit selection and manga.

Make sure to go during the weekday as it gets crazy packed on the weekends. Fantastic manga selection and anime pins/keychains/etc. straight from Japan that I havent been able to find anywhere else. Worth the prices.

Mostly filled with anime and other Asian trinkets there are a few books that are about things such as Haiku poetry or trends like sloths,.--- what is referred to as coffee table books. However in my opinion they are overpriced, BUT... I am a retiree, not a young person who enjoys anime.

Prices are a bit pricy but the goods are great! They dont accept cash and only cards though.

Staff is always friend and helpful. Love this store ♥️

Really good selection of manga and other Japanese related literature, staff is really professional and polite when approached with questions.

Amazing selection and I love that most of the books are plastic wrapped. I hate trying to find a book someone hasn’t creased or destroyed the spine of. Fair pricing and great quality. It was very much worth the drive.

Amazing store with a great selection, however the staff, was rude. The man sitting at the door clearly did not want to be there, and was extremely off putting. The person at checkout offered everyone but myself a chance to become a member and save 10%... not sure why that was but I actually was going to join, but was never given the chance. While the store itself is pretty amazing, the staff could use a course customer service because it was pretty awful.

I absolutely fell in love with this store! They have a great collection of manga in English, Japanese manga, cute goodies, and stationary! Id highly recommend and would certainly visit again!

The employees are extremely nice and friendly here. Everything is organized and the store is very clean. They are doing an amazing job keeping the store running through the pandemic. Thank you!

Got some gundam from here

Amazing place to visit for weeks and needs

Authentic Japanese items you will be able to find here. They sell tons of Manga, childrens books, kawaii and traditional stationery, action figures, etc. Its a bit pricey but definitely worth it.

It was an ok experience, came all the way from Wisconsin for this. Way too many people in there though and the guy at the front door hesitated to let us in until he gave my service dog the side eye and saw “Service Dog Do Not Pet” and let us in. He gave me the nastiest look though. Guy at the counter also gave us the nastiest look. Basically just grabbed my items, no greeting nor farewells and that’s all.Heard there was a chance to become a member and get 10% off only after I heard someone leaving the store. Such a shame I wasn’t offered that.Will buy my stuff online from now on.

You could spend a whole day in here. Staff is friendly and helpful, food was delicious.

Japanese books, manga, light novels, figures, and magazines. I found some good language learning books.

Its a cute store, lots of options but it is pricey. Some items can be found online cheaper and some are better to buy in the store because its hard to find online.Please double check receipt before leaving or they might overcharge. I didnt check mine until I came home and was charged an extra $7. I take accountability because I wasnt paying attention, but warning for others!

Small and very cramped if its busy, but great store for your Japanese nerd itch.

I come here about once a month. Its always very clean and the staff is very pleasant. One of my favorite places to visit!

They have so many Manga!! Im totally going there again. Staff is really nice too :)

Love the store and such a great location too!!

Many hard to find items, but prices seem high.

This place I love :)

Great place. Bad customer service from the guys mostly.

Really nice, well organized book store. Lots of Mangas. Staff was very nice. Will be back!

This is BY FAR one of the best manga stores in Illinois. It is heaven for any manga collectors, and all of the books are sold at reasonable prices. One thing that I love about this place is that every single book is wrapped in plastic, so 0 worries about getting your book all ruined and read and flipped through. Workers are kind and reliable. One thing that’s kind of annoying is that almost always there is a huge line to get into the store, but that’s COVID’s fault, not theirs. Would highly recommend for any manga reader.

Very good.

Busy but they have a good selection of writing instruments

They sell things here that I cant even get online! Great store.

The atmosphere of this place is wonderful, and they have a lot of neat import items that are difficult to find in person.

Always reliable in getting my manga needs. Since 2020 you need to wait in line and it can be long during peak hours. (~20min)

This place is so wonderful and had exactly what we were looking for. I cant wait to go back!

Did not accept cash at either register, extremely disappointed.

This is located inside Mitsuwa. If you can read Japanese or want to learn it, this is the place to go for all kinds of magazines and books. They also have a good selection of pens and English books about Japan. Their knickknack area doesnt have as much as other stores, but thats probably because its primarily a book store.

I love this place because of its excellent selection of Japanese books, stationery, and other little knock knacks. The staff is always incredibly friendly and helpful. Theyll even go out of their way to demonstrate how to use some of the more obscure looking stationery. I just wish that I lived closer so that I could visit more often!

One of the best places ever! They have so many different items of anime/manga and a bunch of other things. I Definitely recommend it!

Neat shop with a wide variety of Japanese media products. Lots of cute gifts and fantastic stationary and pens.

Love this store!

Really nice Japanese bookstore for manga and other books. Surprised to find the Japanese text book which I used to use. Staff is super friendly and they know what manga you are looking for:) they can also help you to do special order for some specific magazines. Surprised to find some books which I didn’t expect to see, say, furuya rei’s tea time. I know this book is super hot in Japan due to the effect of film Zero the Enforcer, and I was really surprised that this book store has some copies, although not much.

Amazing food and fantastic service!

Best place I have ever gotten japanese products from. I drove 2 hours to get to it and it was well worth the tolls! Place is clean and well-stocked. I was able to find everything I wanted and more! All their products (stationary, books, gifts, etc.) were in perfect condition. Be careful of going there during peak times though, since it can get quite cramped in the store. Overall, great place, great staff! They made a lifetime customer!

Clean organized bookstore with many options!

They have a very wide selection of Manga in both English and Japanese! It also has smaller items to get like Posca Pens, Pins! Very nice atmosphere and would recommend going here.

My kids like going to this store because they have a wide variety of Japanese noodles to choose from. We also enjoy their baked goods at the bakery.

It’s a great store, has lots of variety; all types of manga, magazines, anime discs, art supplies, interesting decorations, plushies, and much more. I loved the experience I had there, the staff were kind and patient, it’s really organized too. I will say though, it’s a little expensive (or at least for me it is) so just keep in mind you’ll need to bring something over $25 if you’re going to buy more than one thing :)

Everything I could possibly want in a Japanese marketplace - so happy this exists now; Ive been travelling to Illinois for years to go to Korean markets to buy things that I cannot buy in Minnesota (or can buy for cheaper). Adding this place to my repertoire whenever we visit now (annually usually). Spent way too much time in the food court and the book store; all the important Japanese goods are wonderful (in particular, all the art supplies are fantastic) - highly recommend for an authentic experience!

Great selection of Japanese comics and books. Also growing gunpla section

This place is truly amazing. The food court is varied and has good prices. The store has a lot of products and is very clean. And the bookstore is just mindboggling. 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆ A+ 10/10

Amazing Japanese bookstore, nothing else like it here in the burbs! Tons of manga (both in original Japanese & translated into English), a wide selection of other books from YA novels to cookbooks, as well as anime merch & lots of Studio Ghibli stuff! There are also books to help learn Japanese, a kids book section, and about a third of the store is art, calligraphy & stationary supplies that are just gorgeous. Theres also usually a small section for gifts that rotates through many things throughout the year, do check back often to see what new goodies they have. The staff are friendly & helpful and can order you most manga you dont see on the shelf. It can get busy but there is always room to move around & explore. Just a great place if youre into reading, especially reading manga!

Lots of manga and other neat trinkets and even figures

A very authentic experience of Japan.

The store itself is very nice with books, movies and other gift items that you can get. Ive been here multiple times and have found the staff to be less than helpful and a little on the unfriendly side. Maybe I was there on bad days. I still recommend going as its a neat little shop.

A very lovely store... i spend an entire hour inside just being amazed with all the cute (often hard-to-find) items. A must-visit for a stationery lover. The only downside is that the items are expensive because most, if not all, are imported from Japan. Nonetheless, its one of my favorite stores!

Absolutely phenomenal store! We live 2 hours away and still try to swing in at least once a month or so. Great selection of Japanese books, manga, and educational supplies. Plus lots of other things to look at.

Best place to buy manga

Very organized, great selection of figures, manga, and drawing/writing material. Felt like I was in Asian, walking around the grocery section. Buy some tasty baked goods!

Big selection of manga and books. Great customer service, and friendly.

They were very helpful.

Just as you enter the Mitsuwa Marketplace, the Kinokuniya Bookstore is full of interesting books on subject matter you dont often see elsewhere. There are plenty of other little trinkets and accessories for sale on the shelves. So even if you are not in the market for a book, but need a little gift, browsing in here is worthwhile.

My daughter absolutely loves this place. It has a large collection of anime novels and other pop culture items as well. Its inside a Japanese market that sells Mochi treats as well - try them! They are good!

👍good food .

Epic fun place. i follow them on Instagram too lmao

Cute bookstore and stationary shop inside Mitsuwa. It is on the more expensive side because the many of the items are imported. I always make a stop inside just to look around. The bookstore has the atmosphere of a bookstore you would come across in Asia such as the sealed books and magazines. I love buying the stationary, school and office supplies.

Its not a real bookstore like the Seattle and New York locations- its really an overpriced gift shop. If youre looking for overpriced manga and anime toys its fine. Look elsewhere for actual books.It also smelled like B.O.

Awesome food

Amazing place .

I love this place!! The atmosphere was great, was greeted as I walked in, and friendly service.

Excellent book and pen selection

Loved visiting here. Wish one would open up in Minnesota. Great staff and great merch.

Really cool and unique store with large selection of products but a lot of the prices were really high.

Great Service and of course Great Books! Thank You

Located in Mitsuwa Marketplace, this is a great store with everything from stationary to gifts to manga (both English and Japanese, even back-issues of Jump!) to Gunpla and other models (Bandai and Kotobukiya) and even some mini statues. Well worth the drive!

One of my most favorite shopping destinations in the entire Chicago region. Incredible shop worth traveling miles to, and excellent place to buy unique, fun, and nicely made gifts, Japanese and other Asian cookbooks, (in English language), gorgeous hand sewn journals, cutesy Kawaii toys, plushies, models, keychains; women’s awesome small zip pouches, art and stationary supplies, crafts including origami papers, furoshiki cloths, impressive fountain pens, school supplies, as well as a great book store of manga titles, Japanese language books (there is a separate section for dual language English books), high end fashion magazines, children’s books, etc. I always spend a couple hours in the store, and it’s my go to place to buy items I never find in any other Asian stores within a hundred mile radius in any direction of Chicago. Is it kinda expensive? Some items YES! Japanese items are always more expensive (as opposed to other Asian products) due to the importing. But the high quality is obvious in the products.Renew your shopping exhaustion in the attached food court where several restaurants serve tasty Japanese meals from udon ramen soups to tempura to others. The food court only takes cash...not credit cards. There is also the Mitszua Marketplace for all Japanese and other Asian grocery shopping.

I have a hard time not spending a zillion dollars here. Everything is adorable! Very cute gifts, collectibles, stationery, and bags. Items arent cheap, but its worthwhile to stop in for a visit... just not too often!

Very Authentic Oriental Store, Restaurants and merchandise that came from Japan. Highly recommended

The place was overwhelming since they had so many options for stationary! I wasnt a huge fan of the pricing for some of the items but Im very happy with my purchase so far. Id still go for fancy pencil land due to their location and pricing; overall it is a nice store.

Been going to this location for my Japanese book needs since 2002! Would recommend to anyone!