Kinokuniya is the largest bookstore chain in Japan, with 70 shops around the country, in cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka. There are 44 Kinokuniya shops outside Japan.
Its first overseas store opened in San Francisco in 1969. Several other bookstores have since opened in the United States, in cities including Los Angeles and New York. It then ventured into the Asia-Pacific market, opening its first store in Singapore (Liang Court Store) in 1983. Shops in Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand followed suit. In 1996, Kinokuniya opened its first outlet in Australia, located in Sydney's Neutral Bay. It later moved to its present location in George Street in the Central Business District.
Since 2000, Kinokuniya's U.S. store has capitalized on the growing popularity of Japanese popular culture by stocking both English- and Japanese-language books and manga, as well as other Japanese TV, film, and gaming-related merchandise. The New York City branch in Rockefeller Center was the best-known, encompassing, lengthwise, an entire city block. A new store later opened on Avenue of the Americas, near Bryant Park, replacing the old store, which closed at the end of 2007. The bookstore located at 1073 Sixth Ave includes three floors. The top floor has an in-store café with products from nearby Cafe Zaiya, where customers are offered a range of fresh sandwiches, cakes, bento boxes and bubble tea. The middle floor concentrates on English books of all types, while the basement level houses Japanese books and magazines, as well as a wide variety of stationery.
Books Kinokuniya is known for the immense size of its bookshops. For more than 10 years, its store in Ngee Ann City, Singapore, was the largest bookshop in South East Asia, until the opening of the new Gramedia flagship store in Jakarta in 2007.
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On January 13, 2010, Kinokuniya opened its first branch in Hong Kong.
Fellow international bookstore chain Page One (headquartered in Singapore) began as the magazine agent for Kinokuniya, but later became independent.
On September 22, 2017, Kinokuniya opened its first branch in Vietnam.
In March 2019, Kinokuniya's Singaporean branch announced that the Liang Court store was to close on April 21, 2019. The Plaza Senayan outlet of Kinokuniya's Indonesian branch closed on April 1, 2021; earlier, Kinokuniya Pondok Indah Mall was closed in 2018.
On November 18, 2022, Kinokuniya opened its first Philippine branch at Mitsukoshi BGC Mall in cooperation with Fully Booked.
In April 2023, Kinokuniya's Indonesian branch opened an outlet on Central Market, PIK 2.
On December 15, 2024, the Plaza Senayan outlet was reopened.
On February 18, 2025, Kinokuniya announced that its Ngee Ann City store in Singapore was to be downsized, with some of the vacated space being reserved for a café.
Books Kinokuniya opened its first South Asian bookstore in Bangladesh on 19 June 2026.
Overseas stores
Overseas, there are 44 stores in total as of January 2025. They are located in:
Australia
The Galeries, Sydney, New South Wales
Westfield Chatswood, Sydney, New South Wales
Melbourne Central Shopping Centre, Melbourne, Victoria
Bangladesh
Centrepoint, Dhaka
Cambodia
AEON Mall Sen Sok, Phnom Penh
Hong Kong
Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Mira Place, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Grand Plaza, Mong Kok, Hong Kong
Lee Theatre, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Tuen Mun Town Plaza, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong (store closed on August 21, 2023)
Island Resort Mall, Siu Sai Wan, Hong Kong (opened September 22, 2025)
Indonesia
Central Market PIK 2, Jakarta
Sogo Central Park, Jakarta
Sogo Plaza Senayan, Jakarta (store closed on April 1, 2021; reopened in December 2024)
Seibu Grand Indonesia, Jakarta
Kota Kasablanka, Jakarta
Sira Village Grand Outlet, Bali
Malaysia
Suria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur
Seibu The Exchange TRX, Kuala Lumpur
Pavilion Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur
Philippines (In partnership with local bookstore chain Fully Booked, where they are known as "Fully Booked-Kinokuniya", which are a bit different from the regular Fully Booked bookstores)
Mitsukoshi BGC, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig (store opened on November 17, 2022)
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay
SM North EDSA, Quezon City
Glorietta 4, Makati City
SM City Cebu, Cebu City
Singapore
Ngee Ann City, Orchard Road
Bugis Junction, Bugis
Liang Court, Clarke Quay (store closed on April 21, 2019)
JEM, Jurong East (store closed on May 9, 2022)
Raffles City, Singapore (opened on 18 July 2025)
Taiwan
Breeze Center, Taipei
Dayeh Takashimaya Department Store, Tianmu, Taipei (closed March 2022)
Kuan San Sogo, Taichung
Hanshin Arena Shopping Plaza, Kaohsiung
Thailand
CentralWorld, Bangkok (Former Isetan Zone; Isetan Department Store closed on August 31, 2020, while Kinokuniya Bookstore still open as usual)
Siam Paragon, Bangkok
EmQuartier, Bangkok (Relocated from Emporium)
United Arab Emirates
Dubai, Dubai Mall - It is advertised under the title 'Book World by Kinokuniya'.
Abu Dhabi, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island
United States
Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, California
Japantown, San Francisco, California
San Jose, California
Santa Monica, California
Torrance, California
Arcadia, California
Johns Creek, Georgia
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Edgewater, New Jersey
New York City, New York
Beaverton, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Austin, Texas
Carrollton, Texas
Haltom City, Texas (marketed as Fort Worth)
Katy, Texas
Plano, Texas
Seattle, Washington
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