Hon no Machi — Jimbocho Book Town Guide
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What is Hon no Machi? A record of the town and its people since 1980
Thank you for visiting. This is the website of Hon no Machi (“Book Town”), the town media of Kanda-Jimbocho, often called the world’s greatest district of secondhand bookstores.
Hon no Machi has two faces. One, of course, is the “town” itself — Kanda-Jimbocho. The other is the name of the “media” that has kept conveying the life of this town.
1980: to carry the voices of the town
The magazine Hon no Machi was founded in 1980. In an age without the internet or social media, it was born as a publication of the Kanda antiquarian booksellers’ association.
Even then, Jimbocho was a lively crossroads of students, readers and colorful shop owners, yet there were few places that gathered and published the “words of the town.” Beyond news of antiquarian and new bookstores, Hon no Machi carried essays by writers who loved the town, profiles of shop owners and explorations of local history — becoming a cultural record that went far beyond an ordinary newsletter.
Every issue, which seemed to smell of ink when you picked it up, was filled with the passion of people searching for books and the pride of those who protect them. It was the town’s circular, and a bridge between book professionals and readers.
From paper to the web, and into the future
More than 40 years have passed since then, and the way information travels has changed enormously. There were difficult times, when publication even stopped for a while, but the strong wish of the town’s people — “we must not let this light go out” — has kept it going, in changing forms.
The Hon no Machi website carries on the spirit of the printed magazine while trying something new: bringing the Jimbocho of today to book lovers around the world, more widely and more quickly.
What stays the same, and what we change
Jimbocho has a history going back to the Meiji era, but it is by no means a “relic of the past.” While long-established antiquarian bookstores welcome you just as they always have, new cafés open and young people start new bookstores — the town keeps renewing itself.
The same goes for Hon no Machi as a medium. With the same passion we had when we were founded in 1980, but with flexible methods, we will keep sharing the charms of this town.
Our staff are people who work in this town, people who love books, and volunteers who care about the town’s future. Our jobs and ages differ, but we share one wish: to pass the culture of Jimbocho on to the next generation.
Please, come to the real town
This website holds a great deal of information, but it is only an entrance. If something here catches your interest, please come to Kanda-Jimbocho in person.
The distinctive scent of old books, conversations with shop owners, the quiet of a back-street coffee house, and the encounter with a book you have never seen before — this town is full of experiences no website can convey.
Having watched over this town since 1980, we hope Hon no Machi can be a good guide for you.