English books are a rare commodity in Japan. Whether you're a full-time resident of Tokyo who needs something to keep you occupied on your daily commute, or a traveler just passing through in need of a good book to keep you company on your travels, Good Day Books is one of the best choices in the city.
Walking into the shop you'll find aisles and aisles of books, books of all genres and sizes and ages. From the recent bestsellers to the dusty classics, from textbooks to travel guides, there's always a great deal of variety available. The shop's exact selection relies on what books have recently been sold back, of course, but the listing of every title in stock on their website makes it easy. The shop can order new books for you, as well. Of course, they also buy used books.
The downside to Good Day Books is the price. Unfortunately, titles are typically not sold anywhere near what most people would expect for used books. A good bargain, these books are not. That said, they still come cheaper than new books sold at the major bookstores that deal with English books, which can be astronomically expensive. Also, supporting a locally-owned, locally-operated bookstore can be appealing in this era of chain stores and faceless Internet entities.
There's also more going on at Good Day than just a bookshop. BookClub is a reading and discussion group that meets monthly to discuss political topics. The shop also hosts a series of author presentations known as BookNotes. This speaker series features Japanese authors and writers about topics pertaining to Japan. There's even a book club designed specifically for non-native English speakers to practice their skills. Details on all these events can be found on the store's website.
Additionally, Good Day also holds tutoring classes for those preparing for international standardized tests including the GMAT, GRE, and LSAT. There are also English conversation classes for non-native speakers.
