In June, Kinokuniya is opening a store in Johns Creek, Ga., an Atlanta suburb, that will be its second-largest in the U.S., following the New York City store. The 11,200-square-feet location will be the company's "flagship for the southeastern U.S.A.," Kinokuniya said, serving as "a foothold for business expansion" in the region, which has seen "remarkable population and economic growth in recent years."
The Atlanta store will offer "a wide range of books, especially manga, which has been gaining popularity in recent years, as well as high-quality, functional, and well-designed Japanese stationery and general merchandise." Inventory will include anime, Ghibli goods, Godzilla products, and Gundam plastic models. The company added that "while absorbing the diverse cultures of the local Atlanta community and its residents, the store will be a space where people with different cultures and values can gather and stimulate each other's intellectual curiosity."
The Johns Creek store is Kinokuniya's 21st store in the U.S.; the first opened in San Francisco, Calif., in 1969. The 95-year-old company is one of the largest booksellers in Japan and, besides the U.S., has branches in Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, and Cambodia. Since 2016, Kinokuniya sells Japanese books in Vietnam in partnership with FAHASA.