() is

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

's largest chain of used bookstores. Founded in August 1991, the company has had explosive success, expanding to 866 stores throughout Japan and eight overseas locations (as of August 2006). In addition to books, its chains also sell

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

, CDs, DVDs, video games, and even used

video game consoles A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to a t ...

, mobile phones and

portable media player A portable media player (PMP) (also including the related digital audio player (DAP)) is a portable consumer electronics device capable of storing and playing digital media such as audio, images, and video files. The data is typically stored o ...

s. The stores are distinguished by their large surface area, cleanliness and bright illumination.

Operations

Book Off stores are large and browsing is encouraged. Another innovation cited for its success is the practice of shaving the edges off the pages of books using a special machine in order to make them appear newer. By offering a wide selection of books that appear like new at reduced prices, Book Off has aggressively targeted conventional bookstore chains, which since 1953 have been unable to discount new and near-new books and other media due to government regulations which enable a publisher's cartel. Book Off is frequently cited as a rare example of a corporation that was able to grow during the so-called "lost decade" of economic stagnation that followed the collapse of the

Japanese asset price bubble The was an economic bubble in Japan from 1986 to 1991 in which real estate and stock market prices were greatly inflated. In early 1992, this price bubble burst and Japan's economy stagnated. The bubble was characterized by rapid acceleration ...

, through its use of innovative business strategies. It expanded from merely used books to used second-hand merchandise through its Hard Off stores, and to the video rental market through Tsutaya.

International stores

Book Off also operates several stores in the United States, two in Seoul and three in Paris. In 2012, it closed its only Canadian store in Vancouver, British Columbia. In the USA, there are two stores in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, seven in California, and two in Hawaii. There are eight stores in Malaysia operating under the Jalan Jalan Japan brand.

Gallery

Image:Book Off Manga.jpg, Thousands of manga volumes at Book Off Image:Book-Off! Opéra Paris.jpg, Book-Off! store near Opéra in Paris Image:Book Off Game Books.jpg, Japanese used game books sold at Book Off

References

External links

*
U.S. website
{{authority control Bookstores of Japan Companies based in Kanagawa Prefecture Retail companies established in 1991 Japanese companies established in 1991