Kinokuniya Bookstores

8/14/2016

Kinokuniya is a wonderful store, particularly if you are looking for Japanese imports. (Stationary, plushies, character goods, magazines and, of course, books)

Kinokuniya also has a lovely stock of domestic books, particularly regarding fashion and New York. Their fashion books in particular were incredibly tempting!

The staff was very friendly and the overall layout is easy to navigate. The store is rather large, with three levels. On the 2nd floor is a café, which looked fun.

I'll definitely come back to Kinokuniya the next time I'm in NYC.

8/14/2016

• 2 check-ins

This amazing joint right across the street from Bryant Park is such a great place to visit.  I have gone to this place two times and every time I go I find myself staying for close to two hours.  There's just so much things to look at.  

I especially enjoy going to Kinokuniya to read and browse their books and gawk at the fun merch at the bottom floor.  They sell these cool pens, supplies, stationeries, and other neat stuff!  The topmost floor has a restaurant and they have all the manga and flicks.

The last time I went they had a Totoro display on the main floor.  The main floor also has a children's section and a local NY section.

The facilities are also on the main floor and for some reason there is always a line to use it.  It is adjacent to the elevator.  

I only bought one item here, and it was one of those small wind up musical boxes.

8/1/2016

Kinokuniya is in kind of an odd place, considering it's next to bank of America and all these other major corporate offices.

Despite this, the actual place is pretty cool. There are three floors: a basement level, with a lot of gifts and other items that you can as souvenirs, a ground floor where you can buy regular, English books, and an upstairs level, where there is a cafe, and manga. There is manga in Japanese and English, though there is obviously much more English stuff than there is Japanese.

This place is great, because there are just so many things you can do here. The cafe is a little bit lackluster from some of the actual Japanese cafes in Tokyo and whatnot- you can't order food, but they have a few premade foods that you can buy from the fridge, such as onigiris and breads. The cafe also serves coffee and tea so that's good. The seating area is a little crowded and jam packed so there's basically zero privacy. I wouldn't recommend it if you wanted to have a chat with someone, but it's okay for just sitting down.

The book section on the ground floor is pretty unremarkable from the standpoint of being a bookstore in NYC, and the selection isn't very wide. Most people come here for the manga on the upstairs floor. The problem with this place though is that they plastic wrap all their books, so you can't actually read any of them until you buy the book. It's kind of a shitty move, but I understand why they do it. I have to say that this is the best collection of manga and manga related products that I've seen in America, so their collection is pretty decent. You can also buy posters and dvds, things like that. I think they also have some apparel as well, though I didn't take a lot of time to look.

Overall, an interesting place if you're already into Japanese popular culture. If not, it's just an average bookstore with a mediocre cafe upstairs.

6/25/2016

• 2 check-ins

This place is awesome. I actually come her to buy lunch. They have neatly made sandwiches. They have everything!!!  All the anime books you could ever ask for, figurines, pens, stationary, toys, boardgames, wallets, magnets, plushes...everything!  

You can just get comsumed in everything. I can be in there for hours. It can get a little overwhelming because there's just tons to see. It's also pricey, but all worth it. If you haven't been here, take a visit. You'll enjoy it. It's across the street from Bryant Park. Buy a manga, a comic...a book, and have a good read at Bryant park.

I do recommend

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  Toys, shirts, art

  Toys, shirts, art
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  Figurines

  Figurines
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  Manga

  Manga
• See all photos from Cat D. for Kinokuniya Bookstores

6/8/2016

• 2 check-ins

Ohhhhh, I LOVE this place! Wish I knew Japanese better or took the Japanese class more seriously 10yrs ago! This place is just a heaven (but pricy)... They sell a wide range of Japanese products from books, comics, English books, to all sorts of Japanese cartoon toys, to all kinds of office tools. I bought a bunch of trendy funny toys this time.

Japanese comics fans, if you can read in Japanese: They have a whole floor of comics related stuff on the second floor! Very exciting huh?!

There is also a nice small bakery on second floor. You can also buy bento box or sushi platter here (I think).

Very nice staff. All in all, you win my heart. Will come back!

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  Alpaca

  Alpaca
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• See all photos from Cristina X. for Kinokuniya Bookstores

4/9/2016

• 10 check-ins

In Manhattan If you are north of Chinatown, finding any Asian books or gift shop is close to impossible with this city's  urban labyrinth of buildings and people. Lucky for me that I am near this little gen of a Asian variety store across the street from Bryant Park .

I'm a window shopper at heart and one of my favorite eye candies is to see cute Chinese and Japanese gift items, dolls, craft, tea pots, I personal have a extensive collection of dragons and foo dogs. At least with Kinokuniya I can satisfy some of those cravings for Japanese oriented heritage items even if it's mainstay is books.  The store is pretty big but dense and has a few areas where yo can sit and read.  The store spans three floors including the basement level. Kinokuniya is not just a book store and is really comprised from smaller stores inside vs departments.

The first floor has mostly books and magazines like fiction, non-fiction, cookbooks, and art books, many of them you can find in English so you don't have to know Japanese to come here. Not everything is stored  on shelves, they are display stands and coffee tables with items for sell including some of the more collector books, And they also have events, book reading, signing, music and other small get together with listings for upcoming events at the entrance

On the second floor there is a and small cafe, Zaiya, with cold and hot food and drinks but they are closer to snackes size portions. So this is not a spot to get a big lunch and be waited on. The second floor also also a massive manga and anime section mostly imported from Japan of books, and has models and and collector figurines.

The basement is my favorite part of the store and were you most likely find me at browsing around. This floor has crafting supplies, cute stuff and plastic knick knacks, figurines, plushies, paper,  crafts, decorating items, music boxes, anime, manga, blind boxes, art books, stationery, pens, pencils, Asian notebooks, washi and chiyogami, origami paper. and gift cards. There is just to much to list and yes more books.

This is were I got the tiny lucky cats, and pandas that I give to favorite buddies. There is even another side store in the basement called Wasa, with upscale wallets, shirts, tea pots, bags, etc.

The price range range at Kinokuniya are from a less than a dollar to $80 or more for items. You can also find a bargain or two but this place is not a discount store.

I make it a point to come here every few weeks since they don't do a lot of changes on the items, usefully they wait for something to be sold out before bringing in something new to replace it. If you are ever near midtown Bryant Park, I say you should check Kinokuniya out, even if you don't buy something now a time will come when that perfect gift idea will bring you here.

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  A few Lucky Cats

  A few Lucky Cats
• See all photos from Tom G. for Kinokuniya Bookstores

6/16/2016

• 2 check-ins

Japanese bookstore with lots to see.

We were in the area and decided to drop by and walk around. They have a wide variety of Japanese books, posters, stationary, CDs, and DVDs. There is also a children's section with books and toys. There are 3 floors at Kinokuniya. They also have a Cafe Zaiya upstairs which offers bentos, onigiri, pastries, etc.

Nice place to check out if you're in the area.

6/20/2016

• 2 check-ins

I enjoy hanging out in bookstores especially ones that are culturally different like Kinokuniya . They had a section for Totoro the last time I visited and it was popular amongst their visitors. I especially enjoy their Cafe Zaiya upstairs , they have a good mix of snacks like their onigiri , assortment of buns/ bread/ and their pre-made microwaveable meals ( my favorite is the chicken katsu over rice.

I spend most of my time browsing their comic sections and they also have a decent anime / manga department on the second floor. They have a nice display of Kotobukiya statues and a humongous Funko pop collection as well.

Their pricing is higher than other available options but it's worth a visit for relaxing , snacking, and browsing if you have time to waste .

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  Funko pop

  Funko pop
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  Totoro !

  Totoro !

3/16/2016

• 2 check-ins

This is the kind of places where you want to buy EVERYTHING!!!!!
you can find everything Japanese related: from the most useless cute things ( hello kitty figurines) to books and even food upstairs. In this 3 floors stores you enter in Japan culture! Manga, figurines, notebooks, pens, Japanese prints, celebration cards, DVDs, jap fast foods. Some are written in Jap. some are in English. I always have to control myself when I go there because I could spend my pay check. It is the whole food of Japanese culture! It reminds me the Pearls River store in Soho with lots of Chinese and Asian items! will try to not come back because it is not good for my wallet but I know that I will!

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  Sake, izakaya and hokusai

  Sake, izakaya and hokusai
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  Yasss

  Yasss

2/27/2016

• 1 check-in

I wish I understand Japanese so that I can appreciate the fiction and cooking recipes here...very relaxed cute book store with first floor focusing on fiction and downstairs focusing on J-pop culture.

My mom would love this place!! Really need her to translate everything for me...

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  I wish I understand Japanese...

  I wish I understand Japanese...

7/30/2016

My daughter loves this store. You will find a lot of things from Japan that are very interesting and unique. But be prepared coz the prices are over the roof!
Location is great coz right outside is Bryant Park. Always a joy to come and shop and take a stroll outside when done.

4/17/2016

Best place to get unintentionally lost in. Every time I've been here, I've only intended to kill a few minutes by browsing the shelf of Japanese novels, but always, without fail, I end up spending an hour wandering through all three floors.

You'll find a treasure trove of both classic and popular Japanese fiction on the main floor. There is no better place that I know of in Manhattan to buy Japanese lit. There is also a huge selection of manga and anime on the third floor. You'll also find regular fiction / non-fiction, which you can normally browse in B&N and other bookstores. Price-wise, I don't think this is a steal, but it's not more expensive either.

While you could easily spend all your time on the main floor, don't forget the basement and the third floor. The basement is mainly dedicated to Japanese-language books and periodicals. It also has a lot of Japanese-style gifts: notebooks, pens, little imitation sushi erasers, et cetera et cetera. So kawaii. It's easy to end up buying a handful of "gifts."

Stop by the third floor for a snack / meal / drink at Cafe Zaiya. I haven't spent much time here because the moment I realize an hour has passed, I'm trying to make last minute purchase decisions and skedaddle.

8/2/2016

• 1 check-in

What better place to find this bookstore, very near Bryant Park and "The" NY Public Library. I frequent here monthly, if not for books, but they've got a nice cafe upstairs that is a review all to itself. If you want to check out Japan in english version you want to stick to the main floor. Downstairs level contains all 日本語 without translations. They also have nice selection of school and office supplies, diaries and gift ideas with vendors offering other crafts and things. Prices here are fairly reasonable. I came here last for some travel guides to 東京。found it very helpful and got maps too, for our visit to japan this month.

7/16/2016

Great selection but poor return policy. They won't accept back brand new book with receipt. Wanting to keep every penny like that does not generate repeat business . As a business owner myself, I have been quick to issue refunds as they tend to help substantially in the long run as this generates goodwill with clients, repeat business, and referrals. Please straighten this out.

6/25/2016

• 1 check-in

This location is cute, especially if you're into Japanese fashions and collectables, like manga. There are about three stories I believe, right across from Bryant Park, and there is a cafe at the top. If you're looking for lunch, I don't feel this place has great good options, but if you want a drink then you're in luck because this is mostly what they have. I can't speak to whether or not it's worth it though.

11/19/2015

• 2 check-ins

Whenever I am around Bryant Park I make sure I stop by here as well. I have somewhat of an addiction to stationery and this store makes my soul so complete. They have sooooo many unique office supplies! I've found a staple that didn't require staples and tiny foldaway staplers too. But that's not all, they have notebooks of all sizes, a huge selection of pens and pencils. But that's just the stationary department.

They also have books, and magazines, and manga and figurines, and rice balls and bubble tea and etc etc. Haha it's just an amazing store.

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  Their pen and pencil selections are to die for!

  Their pen and pencil selections are to die for!
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  Stamps and masking tapes!

  Stamps and masking tapes!
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  Traditional Japanese trinkets.

  Traditional Japanese trinkets.

4/27/2016

• 1 check-in

While on a recent trip to NYC, munchkin #1 wanted to check out the legendary (among her friends) Kinokuniya Bookstore.

Literally the only reason I set foot in this place is because munchkin #1 loves her Japanese Anime books.

Kinokuniya Bookstore has everything you local Japanophile will want.  In the words of the munchkin "they had a crap-ton of manga".

Lots of relatively overpriced, yet super cute stuff.  A lot of the stuff in there was in Japanese, so unless you can read it you may be out of luck.

Since I'm a grownup, I was less impressed than the munchkin.

I was also SUPER unimpressed with the passive-aggressive attitude that the cashiers gave my SO and munchkin #2.  For some reason, nobody every pulls this crapola on me.

If you just gotta have it go here...I guess.

12/14/2015

• 2 check-ins

Always an awesome stop in the city to check out some cool Japanese books or a nice place to find a cute gift for someone.

FYI: There are securities here that DO NOT ALLOW pictures to be taken. But I've taken these pictures before they stopped me.

Kinokuniya employees are very helpful and friendly, the store itself is tidy and clean and they have a cafe on the 2nd floor!

1st floor consists of English books ranging from DIYs to fiction books and etc. on this floor they have knick knack toys like Pusheen to nano blocks and random kikkerland novelties.

2nd floor consists entirely of anime stuff, Japanese books, mangas (in Japanese) and anime figurines and etc. This is also the floor they have a cafe at that has small cakes, drinks and baked goods.

Basement floor consists of a huge assortment of Japanese stationary, plush, Japanese magazines and Japanese children's books, DIYs and etc. I absolutely adore this floor and although some of the prices are a bit overpriced, they are adorable and it's hard to escape this floor without grabbing something cute!

Kinokuniya is located right across from Bryant Park, so it's nice being able to see the park sitting at the counter on the 2nd floor of the cafe. Definitely stop in here if you want to immerse yourself in Japanese products.

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• See all photos from Rosy V. for Kinokuniya Bookstores

2/29/2016

One of my favorite bookstores in the city! It is a Japanese themed bookstore with three levels. The basement holds stuffies, little trinkets,Japanese magazines, and stationary of all types including calligraphy brushes! The first floor  contains a collection of books with a Japanese influence (ex. Cooking books will cover making Ramen). The second floor contains a lot of Japanese cartoons (Anime) and also a small cafe zaiya install with a couple of seats. They are usually occupied on the weekend.

My favorite thing to do is to get a black seasame bubble tea and browse the photography / fashion books and the Kinfolk magazines on the first floor.

6/14/2016

• 1 check-in

The top floor has a terrific cafe for a quick coffee, or a surprisingly great lunch. Good quality and fresh. Oh yes, and quite an interesting bookstore. Manga and Anime and gift toys on the top floor. Immaculate bathrooms.