SKWAT/twelvebooks

A Haven for Design, Art, and Sound – Twelve Books Tokyo Twelve Books Tokyo is a quiet revelation tucked away in the heart of the city—an essential destination for anyone passionate about art, photography, design, and independent publishing. From the moment you enter, you’re immersed in an exquisitely curated world where every book feels like a work of art, carefully selected to reflect the pulse of contemporary visual culture. The space itself is serene and minimal, encouraging thoughtful browsing and slow discovery. Each title is presented with intention, and the entire shop feels more like a private gallery than a traditional bookstore. Whether you’re drawn to rare photography monographs, design theory, or cutting-edge artist publications, you’re guaranteed to find something that sparks your imagination. But what makes Twelve Books even more special is its small yet deeply thoughtful record collection. The selection mirrors the store’s visual sensibility—carefully chosen vinyl records that span ambient, experimental, electronic, and jazz, offering the perfect sonic companion to the books on the shelves. It’s a subtle but powerful addition that transforms the space into a multisensory experience. The connection between sight and sound is seamless and elevates the store from a place to shop into a place to feel. The staff are warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about their collection. Whether you’re looking for a specific title or simply want to wander and discover, you’re in good hands. Twelve Books Tokyo is more than a bookstore—it’s a cultural sanctuary. A rare and inspiring space where art, design, and music come together in perfect harmony. Highly recommended.

Found this in Popeye magazine. Was 45 min - 1 hr via train to north Tokyo, but absolutely worth the visit. As a designer it was the best place I visited over five weeks in Japan. The record shop is amazing with listening stations. The books are amazing with samples to flip through. There is a private design studio upstairs that designed the space and got a private tour, super good. The cafe next door is very artistic and great for thinking. The staff was rad, Niko was really welcoming and helpful. It’s off the beaten path, but it’s the top designed bookstore I’ve visited on the planet. I swooped up on design book and got on my way. Go here +

The location is quite far—about an hour by train. The space is impressive, but the book selection is underwhelming, focusing mainly on big publishers and art catalogs. I recall their previous shop in Aoyama having a much more interesting selection. Given the hype, I’m not sure it’s worth the visit. It seems many visitors are more interested in taking Instagram photos than exploring the books. There is a good selection of vinyl, but since I wasn’t there for that, I can’t comment further.

Aesthetic shop but kind of lacklustre selection of books–most of which were western/foreign. If you live in Tokyo I can see the appeal but as a visitor with precious time, I wouldn’t schlep it out here. Desperately needs a cafe or something to make the two hour round trip worthwhile.

Fantastic record selection

亀有と綾瀬の間にあるアート系洋書の輸入代理店の倉庫ですが、見本誌があり、すべて購入可能です。 小さなアートギャラリー、古いレコード販売のコーナーもあり、隣にはカフェ併設の展示/イベントスペースがあります。

亀有の高架下に出来たレコードと洋書の空間。 レコードの数がすごく多くて好きな人にはたまらない空間かと！ 本も沢山ありますが、 英語の本が多くて私には読めません。笑 が、とても刺激的な空間。 隣にはカフェがあって 打ち合わせ？等に使われたり、レストルームとしても良い感じのところです。 カフェは店員さんの対応がとても親切で、 とても居心地の良い時間を過ごせました！ アートな空間で、 好きな場所です！

表参道A5出口から歩いて数分。有名なPRADAの建築の近くです。恵比寿のPOSTがキャッチーで分かりやすい本を集めているのに比べ、こちらのセレクトは骨のあるコンセプチュアルなアートブックが多い印象です。 装丁もどれも面白く、見ていて飽きません。 1階は無人なので少し面食らいますが、2階に行くと本のパラダイスです。 海外の本屋に来たような赤い絨毯と、個性的な家具が目を引きます。 本棚の配置が考えられていて、ぐるぐる回遊していると、回るたびに違う本が目に止まり、思った以上に長居してしまいます。 部屋のあちこちに椅子があるので、座ってじっくり本を読み込んでいる方もちらほらいました。 店員さんが英語ぺらぺらだったので、海外の方が来ても安心なのではないでしょうか。