Kinokuniya Bookstore

Kinokuniya is my favorite store to go to in International District! Staff are very friendly. I love buying animé/​manga, plushies, stationery, etc. from there. Also a great store to buy gifts for friends! It’s a bit pricy but worth every penny whenever I visit.

It’s a very nice place to browse around. The store has a great variety of different items, not just books.
If you’re interested in manga/​animé, this store has a whole collection of it. I was surprised to see many figurines, plushies, and toys but it made it even more fun to look through all the items. While I had originally thought some of these items were way too overpriced compared to other shops and online stores, I realized it was fairly reasonable because of shipping costs. There is a huge variety of things to look forward to, so if you’re not into manga, the store carries an awesome collection of stationary! They also carry K-​Pop Albums, (I purchased one) but there weren’t as many new releases as I had hoped. Again, the price was a little more, but knowing that it was the real deal and I had it already in my hands, I was really happy with it. The whole place was inviting and the staff were also very helpful. If you’re looking for novelty gifts or cute items to collect, the majority of the store is filled with that. In the end, I purchased my kpop album, and my brother purchased a Love Live Nendroid. I regret not purchasing anymore since some of the items I was thinking of buying online were already in the store. By the way, the animé and magna section felt like it was filled with so much Love Live items and other girl figures, I didn’t see some of my favorite mangas and characters as often. But I can’t complain since I still enjoyed seeing so much merchandise in one store. All of the toys were so cute, most of them imported from Japan. There were also a lot of mystery boxes for both manga and other types of fandoms, and a varied collection of Pop! Figures as well.
After you’re done browsing and shopping, you can go to the connecting door leading to the Uwijimaya store and eat some food. Again, the workers were very helpful and it was nice to just look around. If I had a store like this where I lived, I would probably shop there everyday! When I come back to Seattle, this is definetely a place I would stop by again!

While the primary attraction for Kinokuniya is its wide array of books (in English, Japanese, and even occasionally Chinese), I usually come here for the stationary section. For a store that doesn’t focus primarily on stationary, it has a pretty wide array of pens, pencils, markers, notebooks — anything, really. They even sell copic markers; they’re not any less expensive than they would be anywhere else, but it’s still nice to know that you can buy them if you happen to be in the ID area. What’s also nice is that quite a few things that they sell here aren’t found in larger art/​office supply stores I’ve seen around the ID/​Downtown/​Capitol Hill area (namely, Office Max and Blick), so it really expands your options if you prefer shopping in-​store instead of online. The prices aren’t particularly low, but are comparable to what you’d find online, so I have no complaints.
Aside from that, as other reviewers have mentioned, this is a nice place to get gifts for friends, considering the variety of merchandise they have. The books can get a bit pricey, so if you’re trying to buy a book that you could probably get at another bookstore I’d suggest you check at the other place first. Everything is 10% off if you’re a member, but membership costs 20 dollars a year, so it’s usually not worth it unless you come here semi-​regularly.

I go here 3 times a year to get my Mom her Japanese magazines. When I need help finding special editions the staff is always helpful. The calendars, stationary, pens, and office supplies are mu favourite. Don’t forget they have complimentary gift wrapping.

This is a fun place to look around. They have a little bit of everything, unfortunately it is all way overpriced.
Still if you are in the area it is worth popping your head into.

Looking for a cute Japanese theme like gift? Want to satisfy your craving for the latest manga or animé release? Visit this one stop for all Japanese related items bookstore. Even though the vast majority of the store is focused on books and magazines, Kinokuniya Bookstore also sells an array of other items.
Here, you can find various stationary items like journals, pencils/​pens, special paper and if you’re into the coloring book trend, there is a huge selection available here to pick from. As for other items, Kinokuniya does a great job in keeping up to date on the latest manga/​animé releases, especially in Japanese. For English, there isn’t a huge selection as Japanese but here, you’ll definitely find the popular series and such. Do note that all products are wrapped and you really can’t sample read them as you could in other bookstores like Barnes ‘n Noble.
If you need to buy cute gifts, Kinokuniya sells various sizes of animals (Pusheen, Grumpy Cat… etc) and other random items. It’s pretty awesome that this place is conveniently located in the Uwajimaya store, since you can easily go grab a bite to eat after shopping from here. Tip: If you want to save on gift wrapping after purchasing your stuff from Kinokuniya, Daiso is literally across the street from here, :)

Awesome place to browse. Staff is always very helpful and friendly, especially the young ladies who work at the stationary counter. The paper and fountain pen offerings are rare and phenomenal.
Also a great place to go if you want to hear snippets of Japanese, or want to try and impress people with the five words you learned from watching animé.
There is also a nice selection of Japanese language music, books, and mangas. They carry English language books in areas like history, art, and design, often really beautiful volumes that make you want to (or make you actually) drop $ 50 or more! Just the magazines alone are worth an hour’s browsing. Hard to find stuff like that anymore.

This store is a true gem! As a little girl, this is the place I dreamed of. Comics, pretty paper, stuffed animals and more!
On a recent visit, I found tons of Star Wars merch. The hype of the blockbuster film was matched by tons of Pusheen plushies in various sizes for kids and kids at heart. The shelves around the store are stocked with comics and a wide variety of interesting books.
I’m a lover of paper and this place does not disappoint. Washi paper galore! Cute notebooks, stationery and every kind of pen you can imagine is yours for the taking. Need an adult coloring book? They’ve got a bunch!
I’m often suckered by the impulse buys and convince myself that I need a lucky cat or other things I can’t seem to live without.
The downside is that the store configuration makes for a crowded shopping experience. Also, things are a bit on the pricey side.

Cool little bookstore in the International District. Lots of interesting and unique knick knacks for gifts and great selection of funky hard to find books. When your done shopping, go pick up a Beard Papa cream puff right outside!

Aside from the main attractions (manga in English and in Japanese) this book store has a lot of cute little knick knacks. My most recent visit here I purchased a 2016 calendar of cute baby sloths and a pair of two-​toed socks.
I can’t wait to use the calendar for a white elephant party gift and to wear my socks with slippers.

Aside from the main attractions (manga in English and in Japanese) this book store has a lot of cute little knick knacks. My most recent visit here I purchased a 2016 calendar of cute baby sloths and a pair of two-​toed socks.
I can’t wait to use the calendar for a white elephant party gift and to wear my socks with slippers.
–Sailor out

This place has some very unique things. The entire building/​block is a nice little piece of Japan. The staff is nice and it is conveniently located. Getting an Über car was easy too. Since it sits just south of downtown we walked downhill to it without any issues and took an Über car back uphill into town.
The space is a bit cramped but that’s partly because of how much selection they have. Besides books and comics, they have plenty of toys and collectibles.

So there’s a birthday coming up and you want to get your niece a bunch of cute little things but not the usual stuff… What do you do? I’d say give Kinokuniya a try. This place is about as close as you are going to get to a store like this in Japan or even some similar Korean stores, without the Korean stuff sadly.
So as you wonder the wonders that are this store it becomes apparent that the comic books are costly and the cute stuffed animals are expensive and the cute erasers shaped like animals are pricey… I think I feel a trend…
Okay, so the stuff is way more expensive than it is overseas but if you want it you’re going to have to pay. I don’t mind paying the extra money because they have a lot of things that are hard to find.
I ended up buying all the things I mentioned above as well as a really cool coloring book that is very detailed, a set of colored pencils in a tin box and a toy you can create into a dog by cutting what looks like aluminum. All this came to $ 65.00 and I didn’t feel so bad for spending so much because it’s the uniqueness of the gifts that matters.
The place was very crowded with people before the game and so it probably wasn’t the best time to come. This one guy was so wasted and loud I was surprised they didn’t escort him to the door.
I liked that there were a lot of little impulse buys at the cash register and I’m glad I was there with someone else or I probably would have spent over $ 100.00. They also have a beautiful selection of Japanese paper you can use for wrapping or crafts. Make sure you bring the whole tube of paper to the stationary counter! Check out all the pens, pencils and markers!!!
The employee I spoke with was both friendly and polite and also was kind enough to actually show me where things are instead of just pointing. Good customer service makes my day!
The book selection and comic selection are huge and there are books available in English as well. There are a lot of Asian magazines too so stock up if you have the cash!
They had some Pop Animation figures of the Walking Dead, Family Guy and Star Wars. The Stewie one was strange looking!
The kids magazine section had a lot of stuff for different age groups. They also had great 3-​D puzzles and Nano Blocks. I love Nano Blocks!!! They are expensive but a fun toy to occupy your mind and de-​stress!
I enjoyed browsing the origami paper and will come back to buy more when I run out. They had more than just the typical plain patters available.
They had some notebooks, purses, cards and even a shopping bag with a pug face on it!!!
Great place with helpful staff!

I’ve been coming to Kinokuniya for about 14(!) years now. My first time was as a year-​end field trip from my animé club in high school. This place pretty much blew my mind back then, and it’s still a very solid place to get Japanese books, manga and animé, music, pens and stationary, magazines… pretty much everything. They also carry merchandise like Pusheen the cat plushes which, while not actually Japanese, is clearly inspired by brands like Sanrio and appeals to a similar market. It’s a lot of fun to browse.
You might have some sticker shock at the prices of figurines and other items, but for many, that’s really how much they sell for in Japan (which is part of why there are knock-​offs out there… the stuff here is the real deal). There isn’t too terrible of a markup on most items here compared to what you’d pay in shipping if you ordered items online. If you can find the suggested yen price, which is often printed on the books, you can do a rough conversion in your head and decide if the price is fair (100 yen is usually about 1 dollar… though the yen has been weak this year).
If you have the ISBN number of a Japanese publication that they don’t carry in the store, they can special order it for you. This is a great way to get ahold of animé artbooks or other items without having to pay huge amounts in shipping.

Holy cats Batman! Right when you walk in you’re greeted by shelves and tables full of Pusheen merchandise. If you make it upstairs there’s an aisle of books filled with pictures of cats. A crazy cat lady/dude’s paradise!
Cats aside, Kinokuniya is a fun time killer and browsing shop. It’s also filled with manga, animé figurines, and stationery supplies. The imported items are on the pricey side but that’s to be expected. Be warned though, if you’re weak to cute knick knacks you will not be able to leave without buying something or everything…

Pretty expensive bookstore inside Uwajimaya, with a huge selection of Asian books, magazines and comic books. Also gift items, stuffed animals, pens and unique gadgets, like magnets or dinosaur tea eggs. Kind of like Urban Outfitters. You can easily spend an hour in here just browsing.

This place has everything! From an extensive selection of manga in both Japanese and English they also have a large selection of animé, as well as figures and collectables from just about every animé/​manga.
If that isn’t your thing there is a large selection of books based on Japanese art and life. The entire upstairs is devoted to music from Japan so if you’re looking, they probably have it.
I can also really appreciate the amount of stationary and art supplies in here! Makes me wish I had more money! From artist pens, pencils, and markers to all sorts of paper both blank and lines, they really cater to all types.
One last thing, they also have a fairly regular events in the store that have artists and showcase their work! Adds a nice touch!
To avoid import prices online, check this place for all your Japanese needs. Manga, animé, craft supplies, music, etc!

This place is awesome. Seriously. They have a wide assortment of everything from animé figures to manga to foreign magazines and books to kpop albums and it’s all authentic!
I had no idea this place existed and spent over an hour just kind of wandering around the store. It’s really well organized and the place looks great and they just have so many things to look through. The customer service here was also great for the two employees that I talked to at least, they were helpful and really kind.
The location is really great too, next to the grocery store and just being in that area is nice and very convenient.

I guess due to the population of Asian in this area, this bookstore is doing well. I love the choices or varieties they have. All their merchant are authentic and licensed so no worry about getting knock-​offs. As well, they charge quite reasonable give the cost of shipping etc. So I do like shopping here. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to read Japanese or other Asian languages. I can only come here to get cute pens and pencils or souvenirs like notebooks etc. Not the Manga etc.
This place is big and is located inside a grocery store. Staff are friendly and the place is full of interesting things.
Will recommend coming as a tourist. Who knows you might find something interesting.

So happy to have discovered this place… and made me totally reminiscent of our time in Japan! I’d say they have authentic stuff from Japan and I could totally spend hours and hours here. Books, collectibles, gifts… a lot of wonderful knickknacks here.

Cool bookstore inside of Uwajimaya at the International District, whenever I plan on eating or shopping in ID, I try to stop by to take a looksy around.
All kinds of things to look at and you can spend an hour easily looking around. They sell things from stationary, magazines (all kinds), DVD’s, manga, book supplies, pens, all different kinds of books, gifts, collector items, paper lanterns, and so much more! Neat little gifts you probably wont see a whole lot of.
It’s usually pretty tidy in there and shelves are well stocked, if you cant find something, the staff is helpful with providing assistance.
I love this location… Bookstore, Asian Grocery Mart and Food Court all right next to each other!!!

Kinokunia is my top place in Seattle to acquire AUTHENTIC licensed merchandise from Japan. (I confirmed this via merchant website and partnership certification).
Very clean, organized and neatly stocked. The wide variety of goods is pleasantly overwhelming. Kinokunia has more than just manga books and stationary.
It’s a full gift shop and collectors heaven. Plushies, nendoroid figures, animé toys, cards, trading figures, figurines, hentai body pillow covers (!), and seriously so much more amazing products.
Everything is fairly and competitively priced.
Clerk are always pleasant and helpful.
If you like animé, manga, or just Japanese culture in general… Prepare to sh! t your. Otaku butts and kiss that paycheck goodbye. :)
* avoid on weekends– it’s busy and packed. Narrow aisles cause traffic jams.

Kinokuniya is my top place in Seattle to acquire AUTHENTIC licensed merchandise from Japan. (I confirmed this via merchant website and partnership certification).
Very clean, organized and neatly stocked. The wide variety of goods is pleasantly overwhelming. Kinokuniya has more than just manga books and stationary.
It’s a full gift shop and collectors heaven. Plushies, nendoroid figures, animé toys, cards, trading figures, figurines, hentai body pillow covers (!), and seriously so much more amazing products.
Everything is fairly and competitively priced.
Clerk are always pleasant and helpful.
If you like animé, manga, or just Japanese culture in general… Prepare to sh! t your. Otaku butts and kiss that paycheck goodbye. :)
* avoid on weekends– it’s busy and packed. Narrow aisles cause traffic jams.

This is a great bookstore to get lost in! Love all the stationery and office supplies. Prices are pretty steep though, so I haven’t purchased anything from here. I’ve even seen a pencil sharpener that I bought for $ 1 elsewhere that they were selling for $ 5. Yikes!
Even though I’d never buy anything, I do like to browse all the neat-​o stuff!

This is definitely one of my favorite places in town! I’ve been frequenting this place since I was a kid since it was basically the only place that carried animé related books/​manga, toys and posters (Golden Age and Time Traveler’s had some but not much in comparison to Kinokuniya). They are located on the northeast corner of Uwajimaya. In the old days they were located on the second floor of the old Uwaji’s store across the street!
They carry a whole lot more animé related items than they did back then. Basically more physical media like DVDs and soundtracks on cd. If animé is not for you there are plenty of Japanese and Chinese books, magazines and the like. They have a really impressive array of stationery, too!
One can spend quite a bit of time here, but that is not a bad thing! The prices may seem to be a bit inflated since we are talking about buying imported items. When you are looking at the price tag, take a look at its price in yen. If it costs 1300Y then it would be about $ 13.00 USD (rounding up since it would be a bit over $ 12).
I was (and still) a big fan of Star Blazers/​Space Battleship Yamato (Uchuu Senkan Yamato) and even a bigger fan of the latest remake (Space Battleship Yamato 2199). Kinokuniya has been a source for some great books from there remake! Oh, if you haven’t seen SBY 2199 –WATCH IT!
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I thought their existed only of these books stores in the states, the one in San Francisco Japantown. Was I in for a treat… all of those Japanese magazines, books and calenders. Kinokuniya Bookstore is located right off Weller Ave right next to the large Japanese market. The books were over the top, I was totally impressed by the cooking, architecture and gardening section. If only I could read Japanese.
Acourse I had to check out the magazine selection, it is amazing how the Japanese like the American nostalgia. I like the Japanese tattoo magazines, they have some really skilled tattoo artists.
The sales associate did not want me taking pictures but I told her I was a Unilocal reviewer, unfortunately my phone pics did not turn out.

If you’re looking for Japanese books, magazines or manga, you will find your mecca here. There are tons of options-​in both English and Japanese-​that you can peruse, chuckle at, and learn from for a couple of hours. Comics, fiction, cultural references, cookbooks… you name it, and they probably stock it!
There are also a ton of generally colourful items around to distract you and make you spend more than you intended. Toys, bags, plushies, games, little nicknacks and gadgets: they’re here, they’re so enticing, and you want them all.
Come here with a full wallet. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

We stumbled across this bookstore by accident. It is a good size bookstore. Plenty of things to poke through besides books. Pens, erasers (fun ones), stationery, and of course books.
I am a fan of coloring books and especially Japanese coloring books. My husband asked an employee if they had any, but after a brief search, no luck.
We didn’t wander too much since a lot of the books were in Japanese, but after we looked over some of the cool things and my purchase of a few rolls of Washi Tapes, we walked into a grocery store that was within the same store. How convenient!

When in town, I wouldn’t mind walking in and checking the place out again.