Tucked away on a nondescript second floor, this secondhand English-language bookstore is a small haven for academic book lovers. The shelves are lined with everything from old paperback novels (mainly Penguin and Pelican classics) to works on philosophy, religion, folklore, international relations and critical theory – all at relatively reasonable prices.
Kitazawa has been in business since 1902 and was once regarded as one of Japan’s largest foreign-language specialist bookshops. Their glory days may have passed, with the store having shrunk considerably in the past few years (they used to occupy the first floor too; it now houses children's book store Book House Cafe), but it's still a great place to while away a good chunk of time browsing and feeding your inner intellectual.