BOOKOFF in Japan: Used Anime Figures, Ichiban Kuji Prizes, Plushies and Pokémon Cards
BOOKOFF is a chain of secondhand shops found all over Japan. Many people know it for used books, but many stores also sell used anime figures, plushies and trading cards. If you like Japanese anime, it is worth a stop: prize figures from the Ichiban Kuji lottery are often still in their sealed boxes, and they cost less than new ones. This guide shows what the site owner saw at a BOOKOFF store in October 2026 and explains the shelf labels and price tags.
Checked October 27, 2026. Stock and prices change every day, and each store sells different things. Prices in the photos are what the tags showed when the site owner visited. Always follow the signs and staff in the store.
- Anime figures and Ichiban Kuji prizes, many of them unopened
- Plushies for anyone who can't get to a Pokémon Center or Chiikawa Land
- Reading the labels: 未開封, 現状品, タグ付き and 税込
- Asking staff to open the glass case, and tax-free shopping
What BOOKOFF is
BOOKOFF buys used goods from people in Japan and sells them again. Besides books, stores may sell games, CDs, DVDs, toys, trading cards and clothes, and what each store sells differs from store to store. The store the site owner visits has a large toy and figure corner, with shelves sorted by labels such as ジャンプ (Jump, for series from the manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump) and アニメ・ゲームキャラクター (anime and game characters).
Anime figures
The figure shelves are sorted by series. In the photos you can see figures from Demon Slayer, Frieren, Naruto, Dragon Ball, My Hero Academia and Gundam. Many of the boxed figures are prize figures, the kind won in crane games and lotteries, and many are marked 未開封 (unopened). Figures that have been taken out of the box are kept in a locked glass case.
Ichiban Kuji prizes
Ichiban Kuji is a character lottery sold for a limited time at convenience stores, bookstores and hobby shops across Japan. Every ticket wins one prize, from the A prize down, and whoever draws the last ticket at a store also gets a special Last One prize. Because it is a lottery, many people sell the prizes they didn't want, so at BOOKOFF you often find them still sealed and almost the same as new. The prize figures are well made, and after the lottery ends, a secondhand shop is an easy place to look for them. The unopened Chiikawa prize figures in the photo were 1,800 yen before tax (1,980 yen with tax).
Plushies
Plushies (ぬいぐるみ, nuigurumi) are sold in big wire baskets and in glass cases. If you can't fit a Pokémon Center or a Chiikawa Land shop into your trip because of time or distance, BOOKOFF has plenty of plushies too. Some still have their original paper tag and are marked タグ付き (with tag). Chiikawa goods are popular and sell quickly.
Pokémon cards in the glass case
Single Pokémon cards are sold in a glass case, each with a price tag and a QR code. Tags in the photos showed 110 to 19,800 yen. For more about buying cards, see Pokémon cards in Japan.
Reading the shelf labels and price tags
The labels and tags are in Japanese. These words come up most:
- 未開封 (mikaifū): unopened, still sealed in the box
- 現状品 (genjōhin): sold as it is; it may have been opened or have small marks
- タグ付き (tagu-tsuki): with the original tag
- 税込 (zeikomi): tax included. On shelf tags, the large number is often the price before tax, and the price with tax is in small print, such as "1,800円 (税込1,980円)".
- フィギュア (figyua): figure
Sale wagons
Look for a cart with a red ワゴンセール (wagon sale) sign. On the day the site owner visited, the boxed figures on it were 50% off the tax-included price. The sign also says 現品限り (only the items on hand), so if you like one, don't wait.
Asking to see items in the glass case
Items in the glass case are locked. If you want to look at one closely, point at it and ask a staff member, "Misete kudasai" (見せてください, "Please show me"). Staff will open the case and let you hold it.
Tax-free shopping
Only some BOOKOFF stores are tax-free shops; the BOOKOFF page for visitors (in the references below) lists them by area. You need to spend 5,000 yen or more before tax, show your passport, and pay a handling fee that may differ by store. From November 1, 2026, tax-free shops charge the full price including tax, and the tax comes back after a customs check when you leave Japan. The details are in the new tax-free refund from November 1, 2026.
Taking figures home
Figure boxes are bulky. If you plan to buy several, leave room in your suitcase and pack the boxes between soft clothes so the corners don't get crushed.
My visit
I go to the BOOKOFF near my home at least once a month. If you love Japanese anime, there are lots of figures, and many Ichiban Kuji prizes are for sale. Ichiban Kuji is sold for a limited time, and the figures are high quality. Because it's a lottery, many people sell the prizes they didn't want, so they're almost the same as new, and surprisingly many are unopened. If you can't stop at a Pokémon Center or a Chiikawa shop because of time or distance, there are plenty of plushies. Chiikawa goods are popular: the shelf that used to be full was almost bare when I went. If you want to see something in the glass case, ask the staff, "Please show me," and you can hold it. You can find surprising treasures. I'd especially like visitors to Japan to see the figures, Pokémon cards and plushies in my photos.
Last reviewed: October 27, 2026. Stock, prices and tax-free rules change; please check the official pages below and the signs in each store.
