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Japan...
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In Ebisu,
Tokyo, look for Good Day Books
just a five minute easy walk from the station. This is a great second-hand
bookstore with friendly bilingual Japanese/English speaking staff.
They sell new as well as used books, have a grand selection of books
on Japan, and trade books also. Website: http://www.gooddaybooks.com/gooddaybooks/contents/home/?language=english
Therese, Yokahama, Japan 
EDITOR'S NOTE:
(taken from the Good Day Books website) BOOKNOTES Lecture Series
-- Since August 2004, Good Day Books has hosted BOOKNOTES, a monthly
series of lectures presented on Sunday evenings by authors of
books about Japanese, famous or obscure, and aspects of life in
Japan, present or past. To be admitted to a BOOKNOTES presentation
by an author, a prospective member of the audience must have purchased
from Good Day Books a copy of the book on which the author's presentation
is based. Each BOOKNOTES presentation to date has been followed
by a lively question-and-answer session and a book signing. SEATING
IS LIMITED.
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I'd like to nominate
the Kinokuniya bookstore
in Hirosaki, Japan.
It has a modest English-language section of novels (Japanese and
other authors), magazines, Japanese language textbooks and an array
of non-fiction books on Japanese culture. It is the only bookstore
of its kind in Hirosaki and is an oasis of English-language reading
for the English-speaking residents of this city - me included!
Vikki, Hirosaki, Japan
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Naturally, English
books are very expensive and hard to find in Japan! Lots of people
take their used books and exchange them...there are a few shops
worth mentioning. The first is the Blue
Parrot in Takadanobaba.
Website: http://www.blueparrottokyo.com/
They have a great selection of books, their prices are the lowest
and the owners are two friendly brothers - free internet, free magazines
like Metropolis and the Tokyo Notice Board which help you find out
a lot about the city and you can exchange your books for other ones.
Lighten your suitcase or stock up on things to read for the next
leg of the journey. Leave time to visit Ben's Cafe, just up the
street and indulge in a Bailey's Latte, houmous and veggies, meatloaf
and a totally non-smoking restaurant. Website: http://www.benscafe.com/en/map_e.html
The second recommended
bookshop is the Intelligent Idiot,
located above the famous Las Chicas restaurant in Omotesando.
The owner is a friendly Japanese woman and all the books are new
but with reasonable prices, ranging from $5 - $12. Expect to find
current paperbacks, bestsellers, fiction about Japan, children's
books, etc.
If magazines are
all the reading that you require, DO NOT buy them at the airport
where they are outrageously expensive. The best bet is Tower
Records in Shibuya,
7th floor. Here, you have a huge selection, free reading time
and also a wide variety of new books (expensive). The magazines
are the cheapest you can find but start at $9 for a Marie Claire,
Glamour.
As an aside, I
started a bookclub for women only in Tokyo and they meet once
a month to discuss chick-lit, drink wine, met other English speaking
women and chill out. Email tokyo-bookworm-girl@hotmail.com
for the next meeting dates and book title.
Laura, Singapore
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT FEMALE-CENTERED
TRAVEL IN JAPAN? Check
this link.
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