Kinokuniya Bookstore - Portland

Great bookstore. My granddaughters favorite place to go. So much to see. We spent about an hour inside just looking at everything. Then we went upstairs..even more stuff. She bought a book and 2 pens. I would definitely recommend this bookstore. We will be back.

Took my Anime fanatic son here and he LOVED it. I appreciate Anime as well and got a kick out of all the options they have. All sorts of mangas, cook books, drawing, plushies, videos! Definitely worth the visit.

Huge selection of stationary, gifts, trinkets, and comics. Didn’t have standalone sonny angels when i went :( but they do have a sonny angel tote bag

Awesome place for cute trinkets. Went there because I was told they have a decent selection of Tokidoki Unicornos, and they did! But they had many other cute things too. Sanrio, Ghibli, Manga, etc.

The security at this place always makes me feel weird. Kinokuniya is known to readers of Japanese as a global bookstore chain and I have been to a lot of them over the years and seen the evolution of their US stores as they've shifted from being a small chain frequented mostly by Japanese expats to a massive beast feeding the global otaku hunger for anime and manga. The downtown Portland store differs from most other stores in focusing almost exclusively on catering to the latter audience: this kino features manga, model kits and Japanese stationery goods with a dusting of other things generally in the "cool Japan" bucket randomly adding color too. This isn't to say they only sell manga and art books though-- this kino has a tight selection of Japanese novels in both English and Japanese that provide something unique even for someone like me who has the papers to prove their expertise in the field. They also offer an interesting assortment of nonfiction in both languages that carry that very smart contemporary appeal. Books on the histories of Japanese candies or Showa era design, a series of manga that teach you management skills, unique Portland guides and gorgeous children's books stood out my last visit. My major issue with kinokuniya is their prices and it feels even worse at this location - I think it is because of the curation and not a different pricing structure. Kinokuniya is very reliable in how it prices items I think but the standard they use is from an era where these items were difficult to get in the US at all and where importing was much more expensive than today. I am frustrated because I would spend a lot more here if the prices weren't double what I could pay elsewhere. And I don't just mean their imports - they stick to the SRP on their domestic merch or higher which, I'm sorry, growing up in the city of Powells I have never paid SRP for a paperback. Personally, I think well curated shops provide guests an experience that appeals to first timers and regulars, offers predictable items and curiosities, is ready to provide the batteries to the toy it sells and has variety in pricing so that on any visit a guest could come in and find something catch their eye and fall into their budget. This kinokuniya does an excellent job - surprisingly to me - of many parts of that list but they need to either relax their pricing or add some budget items into the mix. Or, put it another way, I never finish at this store with that heady satisfied feeling like I found a treasure or a deal and that feeling is something that hooks you into coming back. I know kinokuniya is a more utilitarian company - in Japan it's a bookstore with simple layouts and very dull colors. But this kino screams out like it's trying to be on Takeshita-dori and could use a few of their tricks to really thrive.

I really enjoyed the selection of stationary, especially pens and stickers for my postcard writing. The staff was very nice. I was visiting Portland but I found out after the fact that there is a location in my city which I’m excited about! I can’t speak on the books as I did not look at them.

VERY cute store for all things Japan. I bought my friend here as she is a major anime fan. The prices are a bit high but a lot of the stuff looks imported so I guess that makes sense. I loved the pen and notebook variety!

So Cute! This was a really fun store and I loved the Japanese and Asian themed stationary and findings. It's a fun stop and I was able to find some goodies to take home for my son. I heard a person check out who said that the store could get him in trouble with all the goodies he could go home with. It's True! Lol!

They have a great selection of books,dvds,kawaii,figures and just a bit of everything that you would find in Japan.my favorite place to shop.

The cutest store! I wish I knew about it sooner. Wide selection of manga. Lots of cute trinkets like pens, washi tape, sonny angels, smiskis, Sanrio plushies, cars that you can build. Little pricey but not surprising since most of this stuff is from Japan. Workers are super nice. Overall, a great place to check out if you're into anything & everything Japanese!

Stumbled across this huge store as I walked around downtown Portland. I was unfamiliar with the chain but had a great time browsing... for a really long time. Things I actually bought: Godzilla blind boxes (sadly I did not get mecha-Godzilla), cute lunch containers, and stickers. Things that I was tempted by: Studio Ghibli and Hello Kitty things (many). Things I sadly missed: I didn't know the 2nd floor was even an option. And no one has Kogepan stuff anymore and I miss him/her/it. Staff was available but not pushy. The store is well organized and clean.

Awesome bookstore inside a huge Asian supermarket. This is a hidden gem. Tons of amazing anime and manga books along with other really interesting mythology based hard bound books. If you love studio Ghibli this is the place for you but also a full range of interesting and unique books and memorabilia here. Definitely visit and then check out the awesome supermarket afterwards, there's so much here.

this is the worst store ever- emyloyes were so rude and not helpful at all treated me like i was dumb and didn't know anything

They had everything I was looking for and even things I didn't know I needed ha ha I love this place. Everybody was so helpful and kind.

This was such a cute store. We were visiting and my kids wanted to stop by and explore. I've never seen such a large collection of pens! That was exciting. I loved looking at all the books and blind boxes they have to offer. My son got one of those BAPE backpacks and my daughter decided on some blind boxes. They have a second floor where you can take photos. Super cute touch. This is a good place to get gifts. They have something for everyone.

The atmosphere of Kinokuniya is stellar. They maintain a clean and organized book store that offers a wide variety of products. Their staff are kind and efficient and they all still wear masks which is greatly appreciated. This store has everything from trinkets to manga to writing utensils! I would recommend you stop by if you are in the area.

One thing I miss about my hometown and traveling is visiting Kinokuniya Bookstores! When in need of a gift, (for your family or yourself, mind you), Kinokuniya is a great place to go. They always have the latest manga and magazines, even the ones with the bonus items! Their books are located on the first floor along with few blind boxes, stationary goods, and gifts. The second floor you will find it is only half the size of the first floor and overlooks the entire store. Located here are the anime figures and photobooks. The prices are decent for official merchandise and definitely better than buying from from resellers where there is a risk of authenticity. During my visit, there was an frightening occurrence as footsteps were heard above the GLASS windowed roof. Apparently there was a local person with a possible weapon that tried to break in... While the suspect was not found, there was already security guard inside store and incident was reported right away. I really do hope they found this crazy person. Anyhow, while your shopping trip may hopefully not be as exciting, I was able to find some sweet gifts for family and check out with ease.

Great selection and friendly staff. Tons of Manga as well as journaling supplies. Check this place out if you are in PDX.

A very large collection of manga, Japanese art books, model kits, pens, and anime related toys. There's nothing else quite like this place in the Portland area, and a much bigger selection than the Kinokuniya in close-by Beaverton. Well worth the visit if you're in to these types of things

Lots of cute collectibles and manga and anime themed items. Lots of Japanese popular culture like hello kitty and friends and Ghibli films. Video game and anime magazines and books and guides and art. A little bit pricey

So cute!! And friendly staff, please don't shake the boxes there is even a sign. There are many more types of blind boxes the Sonny angels run out pretty quick but they are fast at restocking them. They have lots of stationary! Overall a really great place to find cute gifts :)

Cute! Great place to stop to get quality books. (Each book is heat wrapped to help prevent damage and creases) this is my go to stop to collect paper and envelopes as well as stickers for letters! Even if you're not into anime, it's a fun store to just browse around in!

WHAT. Someone please tell me how I only just found out about this book store?! It is, AMAZING. We are huge Ghibli fans, Sanrio fans, and in general all things cute and small. We came but and made it 5 feet into the door before immediately getting sucked into their massive wall of stickers. Seriously, so many stickers both flat, puffy, large and small. They also had an entire stamp collection and inks (don't be like me and forget to grab an ink pad). Then you pop into the Sanrio section and mystery boxes. We got two types and got the exact ones we wanted! We wandered over to the stationary area with pens and blank notebooks, sketch pads and more. Managed to find the cutest little round bottomed doggy, whose purpose I'm unsure of other than sparking joy. It just wobbles and spins back and forth lol! We grabbed a few coloring books and then immediately ran for the back wall of stuffies. They're displayed on steps and range from small to as-big-as-you huge. There's a little section devoted to Pokémon that had books, figures, block sets and more. The magic for us was upstairs, if you go past the stuffies there is a large Ghibli section where, warning, literally everything is cute and amazing. We walked out with the coolest playing cards, a bath towel, Totoro notebook that was bound like a real book, a Ponyo notebook, pens, and pouch. The one downside to this place, things are a bit expensive but it's perfect for that splurge special trip! We got a membership because in the end, it saved us because we grabbed so many things. We'll be back!

The bookstore is very famous in Japan. I am also very happy to see it in the USA. There are many Japanese books and comics in it. It also has many stationery and animation peripheral products. I like it very much. The staffs are very nice and friendly, too. Thank you for your service.

We saw this store while waiting for a walking tour to begin. It is adjacent to Director Park, where the tour started. After we finished the tour and had lunch, we stopped in here (at my daughter's request) before returning to our car. This bookstore is an interesting mix of anime, manga, and Japanese animation. They also have model car kits, art supplies, etc. And they have books, of course. But if you have always wanted some Miyazaki-themed towels, they have you covered. There is probably a wide swath of Western Lit that is not carried here, but for the genres they do serve, they serve it well. If this sounds like a place that would interest you, definitely check it out.

Horrible customer service. I tried to returned a book I bought for daughter a week earlier and I was told no Becuase I didn't had the receipt. The book was still sealed with their store barcode on it. I asked for store credit and they still said NO. I know it's my fault for not saving the receipt but at the same time they should try to do better in helping theirs customers. I bring my kids to this store quite often but not anymore. Just to not good customer service when you ask for one favor. Would not come back. I will go to powell books instead. Not sure they cared but I wanted to express my frustrations.

If you love anime, pens and paper this store is for you. Lots to choose from. I love their pen selection especially their fountains.

Wide selection of Japanese products including toys, stationery, books, pens, planners. Fun to browse too.

Well curated, beautiful things. Many of the aisles and turns are a little too narrow to be accessible in my opinion but I guess that's how they pack in so much good stuff into expensive real estate. We'll be back for all the adorable Studio Ghibli and Hello Kitty fun, not to mention the amazing selection of Japanese stationery.

Diverse selections on books, magazines, manga, gifts (adorable), just a very cute store to explore. Found a stapler that doesn't require staples to staple paper together when I first visited here a couple years ago! Staff here were friendly, helpful and welcoming.

This bookstore was a pleasant surprise to find while in Portland. There was an array of Japanese merchandise from stationary to books to stuffed animals. There are 2 floors and definitely a pretty large store. A bit larger than the San Francisco store. My son purchased several books. Highly recommend if you interested in Japanese books, stationary, characters, etc.

This store is a little piece of heaven for me. I could literally wander in here for an hour+ and be fully entertained - however I was with some boys who weren't quite as intrigued by it as I my girlfriend and I so I had to be efficient with my browsing. They've got all fun japanese goods - I LOVE the totoro/studio ghibli display! They had so many novelty items I've never seen before from studio ghibli. I was super tempted to buy a ton but was afraid to leave the store spending hundreds of dollars unnecessarily. I ended up purchasing a cute little sakura stamp, and an iguana cable bite. Around $12 for both and TOTALLY worth it. There are 2 stories, a coffee shop, and a very aesthetic staircase seating area. You can easily entertain yourself in here with all the books, figurines, plushies, and crafty items. One of my other favorite finds were the impressive collection of Studio Ghibli puzzles and paper theaters! Overall would definitely come back here and wish they'd open more branches in California!

A bigger branch of Kinokuniya is now open in Portland!! The aisles are wide and sections are clearly marked with goods everywhere- greeting cards, children section, stationary, art, cooking (a little bit of everything) Great place for exploring, even if you are not to purchase anything. Book sections has not only Japanese authors but Asian authors and a variety of works. Upstairs is the comics and manga section. In the back you have the cafe, goods from Behind the Museum Cafe- drinks, sweets, sandwiches, onigiri, and soft serve. A couple of tables to the side for eating inside. There is a wheelchair lift that is accessible which is nice but no public restroom

This is a branch if the international bookseller which has its original Portland branch in Beaverton, but more than three times the size. It is well laid out with room for the shelves to breathe. There are two levels, upstairs are manga and artistic graphic novels. Downstairs there is literature, design, travel and cooking along with everything kawaii - cute, DVDs, jigsaw puzzles, plush toys, pens, magazines, origami paper and children's books. They have a selection of Japanese stationary, gifts and bags. There is even a tea shop, Book of Tea, by the team from the Behind the Museum Cafe. There are some tables dedicated to the tea shop, but it's not really a laptopping space. It would be a good unofficial Japanese embassy or for a J-date. The interior is airy and modern, and related to the style of Kengo Kuma's work at Shizuku by Chef Naoko nearby, and the Japanese Garden plaza. It is exciting to have a store bringing us all the things from Japan, for gifts, or for yourself!

Such an improvement over the one inside Uwajimaya! Miki has been unable to find Japanese language manga in Beaverton, where translated versions have taken over the shelves where those once were. This location feels even larger than the Seattle store and has a huge selection of manga, magazines and books in both English and Japanese! They have an incredible section of greeting cards, stuffed toys (so many Pusheen and Totoro!), and more, as well as a delightful outpost of Behind The Museum Café, areas to sit and read, as well as a gathering area where a group were discussing cosplay. There were a surprising number of Japanese customers, but plenty of others as well (including many of the cosplayers!). As Miki likes to say... "It's a good time to be Japanese!"

I spent way too much at this bookstore, but that was my fault - haha. If you love Japanese culture, anime, stationery, books (in Japanese and English), you should plan to spend time here. The people I talked to at this store were very nice, too! Also, note that there is an upper level! That's where all the Studio Ghibli and many figurines can be found! I managed to stuff all of my purchases into my suitcase (phew) to take home, but if you are flying out of Portland the next day like I did, you might want to plan ahead as far as packing goes...haha. :)

This place is SO CUTE. I went to the downtown pop up a couple months ago, and was really anticipating it opening. The location in Beaverton is too far, and small compared to this new spot. They have everything from cards to book, Studio Ghibli Knick knacks to Japanese figurines, cooking books to manga sets, and even a cafe right in the store. For their opening week, they had a deal where if you collected stamps from Kinokuniya AND Muji just down the street, you would get 20% off any purchase at Kinokuniya or a free coffee at Muji. I spent about an hour in here just strolling the aisles and flipping through books and looking at all of the small toys in store as well. It's a great place to come to kill time or learn a bunch of new things about Japanese culture, film, food, anime, etc.

Wow! What an awesome place. If you're looking to browse for some gifts for the upcoming holidays this is the place to stop in! Drinks aren't allowed so leave them by the front entry. We came here during their grand opening celebration in early October. They had an all day Dragon Ball model building work shop that we built and got to take home and guest speakers throughout the day. There's so much to see here you can easily get lost in here. I mean you can wonder every aisle and find some neat treasures for yourself or your BFF. They have gift cards available that would be sure to make great gifts. Also a cafe and seating in the back. Street parking available but not sure if they validate or not.

i've been to multiple Kinokuniyas but this one blew me out of the water, not only with stock (as they had everything the others stores had but more) but the customer service was also exceptional it was just a simple question of if they had an item in stock and they answered but with so much kindness i don't know how else to put it would definitely come back to shop when i'm in portland next

This place helped me collect so much more manga! Bought the Demon Slayer box set, and the people here are so nice! I would definitely recommend checking it out if you collect manga and happen to be in Portland!

I visited last week for my first time. An Awesome bookstore for Anyone loving anime. Books, videos, trinkets, writing materials. So many fun things there. I will be back often.

Such a unique store. I love pens and notebooks/journals and this is just the place to find something special!

I'll tell you this much: this store is going to be one of my first stops when it's time to do my holiday shopping. Sure, they call it a bookstore, but it's got so much more! It's like a Japanese culture explosion, with all sorts of novelties and knickknacks highlighting odd anime characters or whatnot. If you've ever wanted to own/use/wear something celebrating an anthropomorphic fried egg*, this place has you covered. But of course, they do have books. From novels by prominent Japanese authors to coffee table books covering all sorts of Japanese trends and subcultures, I'd wager there's something here that would interest most anybody. And a whole second-floor atrium dedicated to manga. There's a cafe in the back, and it looks like a little stadium seating area for speakers or whatnot. I'm sorry if this review is a bit all over the place, but so is this dang store! I HIGHLY recommend just popping in for a visit and seeing it all for yourself. It's one of the most fun browsing experiences I've had in a while. * I guess his name is Gudetama, and he's very lazy? Japanese stuff, man... it's a trip!

Wow. The new Kinokuniya Portland Downtown Bookstore is awesome! It is located inside the Guild Theatre building on SW 9th Ave directly across from Director Park. The Guild Theatre building was built in 1927 and is a historical site. Of course, the interior of the building has been totally redone. All the shelving and woodwork was custom made on site. It is a beautiful store. The exterior marquee that reads Guild Theatre remains out front and now says "Kinokuniya Portland Welcome". If you've ever visited the already existing Kinokuniya Bookstore located inside Uwajimaya in Beaverton, then you know the type of merchandise sold here. The store sells manga, graphic novels, cards, pens, plushies, magnets, tote bags, mugs, stickers, blind boxes and so much more. There really is something of interest for everyone here. Most of the merchandise comes from Japan and therefore the package labeling is written in Japanese. This can sometimes make it tricky figuring out an item's usage. But if you find yourself really stumped, the employees here are all very nice and willing to help. Manga is located on the partial second floor. In the back of the store you'll find the charming Book of Tea Cafe that is run by the owner of Behind the Museum Cafe. It is definitely worth checking out. The cafe sells coffee drinks, teas, pastries and sweets, sandwiches, onigiri and soft serve. Everything in the case looked fresh and tempting. There is a small area with seating or you can enjoy your treats outside at Director Park. Kinokuniya Portland Downtown Bookstore is a fine addition to our city. I highly recommend visiting here.

I love this place- I'm not too familiar with where to buy manga other than chain book stores, but I felt like this place had such fun things! Manga in English and Japanese, posters, figures, merch, etc

Cute little shop in the heart of Portland. Although I didn't purchase anything, they offer a large array of stationary goods as well as books. I enjoyed my time walking through the store. It's packed with goodies and lots of local Portland stuff to check out.

Great store with lots of cool unique options. We visited from Miami FL and I will say we have nothing like this back home. Many different options to choose from

First time here and during COVID there is a table before you enter to temp check and give you hand sanitizer. You have to check in your bags as well. Inside, there are a lot of cute items. The tea shop is closed during COVID but there was special "POP UP shop" for the anime Demon Slayer in the back still going on with anime displays that my daughter wanted to see. Also large life size special pop up posters for the POP UP shop. The staff was friendly and not busy on Labor Day which was a great plus considering how crowded this store can get.

This is such a cute store! Below is a review for during COVID. - You'll need to check-in your bag - They take your temperature and ask you to sanitize your hands before entering - They ask that anything you touch should be placed in designated baskets to be cleaned afterwards The staff are really nice and they have a very large selection of stationary.

It was hard not to buy everything! I will definitely visit again! The staff was polite and the store was well organized. I loved their huge Studio Ghibli section.

Some super awesome stuff! A little pricey but that's understandable. Got some cute pins!

We loved this Japanese store. Lots of Studio Ghibli products. I bought a wallet and am so happy with it. $$$ Studio stuff, same prices if u go to Japan. An entire wall of pens!!! Will go back when we can.

I used to go to the Kinokuniya inside Uwajimaya growing up, so when I heard they opened up another store downtown, I knew I had to check it out. The store is really spacious and had a nice inventory of cute gift cards, stationery, office supplies, toy figurines, stuff animals/plushies, books, and other knick knacks featuring a variety of Japanese animated characters like gudetama, totoro, rilakkuma, etc. They also have an upstairs dedicated entirely to manga. There's also a cute cafe tucked in the back of the store but with very limited seating. I was very happy to see that they had a studio ghibli display filled with studio ghibli merchandise. If you're a Miyazaki fan, you will definitely love this store. While most of the merch are pricier than I would have liked, I still had fun exploring and browsing the store. Definitely could have stayed for hours if I had the time. I ended my trip with some lovely studio ghibli post cards and a totoro folder. Parking may be tricky with Portland street parking, but highly recommend if you're ever in the area or want to do some holiday shopping!

When I was in Japan this summer, one of my favorite experiences was browsing through a stationery store and marveling at all the nifty paper products and craft tools that had not yet made their way to Collage. So I was excited to visit the newly-opened Kinokuniya and see if they could replicate the experience. Indeed -- they do sell a lot of the things I found so charming in Kyoto! The sad part is that it all seems to cost about twice as much. ;.; Anyway, this is a very convenient location and a good place to go if you're looking for Japanese stationery, scissors, greeting cards, and scrapbooking doohickeys. They also have what looks to my inexperienced eyes like a good collection of anime, manga, novels, and books about Japanese language/art/culture. My focus was on the stuff I couldn't find anywhere else, but they do have Portland, OR souvenirs and more general art and design books. The café at the back is not high on ambience, but it carries the best menu items from Behind the Museum Cafe up on 10th, so if you're shopping here anyway I highly recommend indulging in a treat. The matcha latte, hojicha latte, hojicha/matcha "brownies," onigiri, and chikara cake are all good ideas. It seems like the organization of the store is in constant flux; e.g. a seating area that existed in October had disappeared in December. I'm not sure whether they're trying to nail down the perfect layout or just committed to change.

This place is fantastic for Manga, Anime, and pens! Yes pens! A huge assortment of any pen your heart desires!

So glad there is a Portland location now! Absolutely love this book/stationary store! Great selection in Japanese and English for any artist, otaku, stationary junky or curios customer! My favorite part is that they have an entire section just for studio ghibli!!

It's great that Kinokuniya is in Portland - up here from Eugene on a day trip and had to stop by to get my fix of Japanese craft books, esp sewing, felting. Meh. Shelves are barely stocked and have zero on felting, some on needle felting, some sewing, some knitting and some crochet. A *lot* of cosplay esp. dolly, truly a disproportionate amount - you can see where the store's buyer is focusing. It's rare for me to leave one of these without purchasing something. I couldn't find even a good bag/purse book and only one Machiko Kayaki (that I already had). No Coming Home, no Cotton Friend. Parking is h3llatious so unless you live within the light rail system you should probably stick to Etsy.