The 66th Tokyo Specialty Kanda Used Book Festival

About this event

The 66th Tokyo Specialty Kanda Used Book Festival will be held from Friday, October 23 to Sunday, November 1, 2026, in the Kanda Jinbocho Used Book District. Approximately 120 stores will participate, with over 100 wagons lining Yasukuni-dori Street, bringing together a total of more than 1 million used books. A key highlight of the event is the Open-Air Bargain Market, where a 'corridor of books' stretching about 500 meters surrounded by bookstores and bookshelves appears along the sidewalks of Yasukuni-dori Street. At the Tokyo Kosho Kaikan, the Special Selection Used Book Sale Exhibition featuring classical texts, handwritten manuscripts, modern first editions, and more, as well as an exhibition of rare books, will also be held. During the festival, concurrent events such as 'BOOK DIVE JIMBOCHO', an exhibition introducing the used book culture of Jimbocho, and live talk shows will take place. There will also be a collaboration with Rilakkuma, the tourism ambassador of the Chiyoda City Tourism Association, featuring limited-edition design tote bags. Held in conjunction with Reading Week, this major event is a historic gathering that began in 1960 (Showa 35). The Special Selection Used Book Sale Exhibition, an exhibition and sale organized by volunteers from Jimbocho's used bookstores, will be held in the basement hall of Tokyo Kosho Kaikan from Friday, October 23 to Sunday, October 25. Additionally, the Book Town Cultural Heritage / Rare Book Exhibition organized by Jimbocho used bookstore volunteers is held annually. Furthermore, the Kanda Used Bookstore Federation produces a 'Used Bookstore MAP' and the 'Official Jimbocho Guide' every year, distributing them starting in mid-October. The Jimbocho Book Festival, which mainly deals with newly published books, the Kanda Curry Grand Prix, which determines the area's number one curry by vote, and the Kanda Sports Festival will also be held as related events.

Venue

Kanda Used Book District

2-20-26 Kanda Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0051