City Guide
Community Routes: Secondhand Book Shops - Kyoto
12 March, 2025
What draws us into secondhand bookshops is the sense of discovery. You go in not looking for anything in particular but stumble across titles that you wouldn't find anywhere else. We love that each store has its own unique collection of curated titles. By flipping through the tomes, you gain an insight into the interests of the owner and their unique passions. We wanted to share a guide to a few of our favourite secondhand bookshops in Kyoto.
01
Books & Things.Books & Things
This little store is found down a little side alley. It’s only one tiny room but it’s filled with old design and fashion magazines, architecture, art and garden books… it may be little but it’s a well curated space. The more you look the more you find.
バヒュッテ
The thing that most enticed us about this bookshop was the building. It’s a narrow shed like structure that you climb up steps to the front door and then down again to enter the shop. It’s filled with knickknacks and cool books. Who knows what you’ll end up with. I purchased an ancient Japanese/Siberian art book. There’s also a bar at the back.
02
Doro Shobo.Doro Shobo
A disclaimer – everything is in Japanese so this can be a deterrent for some but worth a visit nonetheless. It’s down a back alley and has a little library and bookshop inside.
03
Donki Kissa Fang.Donkou/Kissa Fang
While we sadly didn’t make it here, we wanted to add it to the list for anyone who is interested. It’s a café and library in the suburbs of Kyoto. They have a beautiful garden and it’s top of the list for our next trip.
Nagoro Books
Only opening in 2024, this store is filled with old and new books. The space is “an attempt to reflect on what is new and what is old, what is visible and what is invisible, what is here and what is not here, and what is living and what is not dead, through the media of books and the store.”
Keibunsha Ichijoji Bookshop
While mainly filled with new books, we really love this space. You can find homewares, magazines, books and random items here. It’s one we have visited many times over the years.