KB
Kinokuniya Bookstore - San Francisco
Two floors of Japanese books, manga, and anime treasures in SF's Japantown.
5
Retail Store
$$
Two floors of Japanese books, manga, and anime treasures in SF's Japantown.
Kinokuniya Bookstore - San Francisco sits in the Japan Center Kinokuniya Building in San Francisco's Japantown, spanning two floors. The first floor focuses on Japanese books, manga, and anime, while the second floor offers a wider mix of books, plushies, blind boxes, and toys, plus a Studio Ghibli corner. Reviewers praise helpful staff, organized spaces, and ample selection that invites browsing for hours.
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Extensive selection of manga, anime merchandise, and related collectibles on the lower floor.
Wide range of Japanese and English books, including art books, magazines, and general reading titles.
Offering plushies, blind boxes, toys, and Studio Ghibli-themed items on the upper floor.
Unique Japanese-inspired gifts, stationery, and trinkets for all ages.
Friendly and helpful staff available to answer questions and guide customers through the store.
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Overall rating
Gregg Rudes
Headline: Basically a Japanese Barnes and Noble? Yes please! Really love this place and this is the second location I have visited outside of NYC. Location: Located in the Japantown mall across two floors. The mall can be pretty busy and consequently this place can be jampacked Service: Staff was great and friendly. The line on both the second and first floor were fast Selection. Over two floors there is a lot to look at here. The lower floor is more of the anime and manga section. This place does not have as much selection as the NYC location but still a great place with a lot to look through and try not to buy. Books and various trinkets are pretty fairly priced from my perspective. Maybe more pricey than Amazon but great to shop local!
John Rodriguez
Very cool store. Tons of manga, anime, publications, and general reading merch. Reading titles found in both Japanese and English languages. Great selection of anime merch and collectibles. And elated to learn they have stores back home; never knew! Definitely a spot to check out of you're in the neighborhood.
Litea
I just love and adore this huge bookstore so much. Its a store thats filled with manga, japanese books, magazines, anime this and that,and so much more items that you just need to take your time and roam around the bottom floor and top floor to see everything. The staff are so helpful when you have a question.
Food Soul
They have two floors. The first floor was mostly Japanese books, anime, manga and art books. The second floor has variety of books, plushies, blind boxes and toys. I like the little corner on the sexond floor that has Studios Ghibli sections. I bought some blind boxes and books from that corner. They have cashiers on both floor to check out. Also, I like how organized they were.
Spencer
This store was such a pleasant surprise! I adore bookstores which is why I came in, but I ended up leaving with two books and a plethora of merchandise! If you are in any anime fandom, you will absolutely love their lower level! There is so much merchandise that is often so much more expensive to import online, and it made me so happy to see even smaller fandom merch here!
