Myorenji Walking Guide — Three Shops for Books and Ceramics

The area around Myorenji Station has 3 registered walking spots, ranging from a used bookshop to a bookstore and a ceramics shop. All three sit in the Kikuna and Shinoharadaimachi neighborhoods of Kohoku Ward, Yokohama, and all are independent shops built around everyday objects: books and tableware. This is less a shopping trip than a walk for browsing the distinct character of each shop's selection.

For a route, start at [Honya Seikatsu Tsuzurikata](/en/spot/42ef04c6-9893-4c4e-92d8-8730cdaceca3) in Kikuna 1-chome, closest to the station, continue to [Utsuwaya Maholo](/en/spot/afd6edad-6ba7-43c5-b1ed-252b08423a10) in Kikuna 2-chome, and finish at [Tweed Books](/en/spot/673abb15-b10e-4af0-92d7-503b5b443abe) in Shinoharadaimachi. Myorenji Station is the nearest station for all three, so the reverse order works just as well.

Honya Seikatsu Tsuzurikata

Located at 1-7-8 Kikuna, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama. This is Myorenji's bookstore, the kind of place where simply scanning the shelves eats up an hour. Don't miss the free papers stacked by the register — pick one up when you pay. Visiting it first slightly changes how you see the neighborhood for the rest of the day.

Utsuwaya Maholo

A ceramics shop in Myorenji at 2-8-20 Kikuna, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama. Because it deals in tableware meant for daily use, half the pleasure is picking pieces up and testing their weight and rim. If you'd rather not carry anything home, online purchases are available through the shop's website (maholo.net). Scouting in person and buying later is a perfectly valid way to visit.

Tweed Books

At 4-6-107 Shinoharadaimachi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama. This used bookshop in Myorenji is defined by its shelves of books on jazz. A secondhand shop with a clear specialty is worth browsing even if you don't know the subject, because the arrangement of the shelves is itself a kind of reading. It also buys books, so it doubles as a destination when you're clearing out your shelves at home.

A Closing Tip

All three are independent shops, and what they sell — books and ceramics — is all carry-home weight. Plan the order with your bags in mind: use Maholo's online purchase option, or save the bookshops for last. If Tweed Books is on your list, bring the books you've finished reading from home and sell them there. None of the three list a budget figure in the data, so go with the intent to browse the shelves first.