PLACES – Limited Japan Photography Artbook on Kickstarter (MAKE/100)

PLACES – A Photography Artbook of Japan’s Beauty (MAKE/100)

Independent photography projects live and die by trust. When you support a photographer on crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter, you’re not only backing a creative idea—you’re supporting the experience, dedication, and artistic vision behind it.

My newest project, PLACES – A Photography Artbook of Japan’s Beauty (MAKE/100), is the result of years of traveling, photographing, and exploring the visual identity of Japan. The book focuses on the atmosphere, landscapes, and cultural locations that make Japan such a fascinating destination for photographers and travelers alike.

A Limited MAKE/100 Photography Artbook

This project is part of Kickstarter’s MAKE/100 initiative, which celebrates limited creative productions with a maximum of 100 editions. Each copy of PLACES will therefore be part of a small, exclusive print run, making the book both a photography collection and a collectible art object.

The concept behind the book is simple: capture the beauty of Japan through carefully composed photography—from iconic landmarks to quiet moments that reveal the country’s unique atmosphere.

Instead of focusing purely on famous tourist spots, the project aims to present Japan through the eye of a photographer who values composition, light, and storytelling.

Experience from Previous Photography Artbook Projects

While I may still be considered an independent or emerging photography artist, this project is not my first experience with publishing photo books on Kickstarter.

I already had previous successful campaigns which helped establish the workflow and reliability behind my projects, here are two examples:

• Masked – Cosplay Portrait Artbook
  A MAKE/100 project focusing on artistic cosplay portrait photography, combining costume design, lighting, and character expression.

• Japan in Black and White
  A photography book exploring Japan through monochrome imagery, highlighting architecture, streets, and landscapes through classic black-and-white photography adding written stories to each and every picture therefore sharing the creation of those pictures

These projects allowed me to gain valuable experience in artbook production, printing logistics, campaign management, and delivering rewards to supporters worldwide.

Why Support an Independent Photography Artist?

For independent creators, crowdfunding isn’t just a funding method—it’s a way to build a community around creative work.

Supporting projects like PLACES helps photographers:

• publish carefully curated photography collections

• produce high-quality printed artbooks

• continue documenting unique locations and cultures

• maintain creative independence

In return, supporters receive exclusive, limited-edition photography books that will never be printed in large commercial runs.

Capturing the Beauty of Japan

Japan offers an incredible range of photographic inspiration—from historic temples and modern cityscapes to seasonal landscapes shaped by cherry blossoms and autumn foliage.

Through this project, I want to share the visual diversity and atmosphere of Japan in a curated format that invites readers to explore each image slowly, away from the fast pace of social media.

Photography books remain one of the best ways to experience visual storytelling, and PLACES aims to deliver exactly that.

Support the Kickstarter Campaign

If you enjoy photography, travel imagery, or limited artbook editions, you can support the project here:

PLACES on KICKSTARTER

Every supporter helps turn this photography project into a tangible book and supports independent artistic work.

Game Guide Haul in Den-Den-Town

Searching for the Dragon Quest I & II Game Guide in Ōsaka

One of the final days before returning to Germany was dedicated to a familiar mission whenever I visit Japan: tracking down items still missing from my shopping list. This time, my main objective was a recently released game guide for Dragon Quest I & II.

Since the game had only launched shortly before my trip, demand was still extremely high. As expected with anything related to the Dragon Quest series, the official guide had already sold out in many places. Even large electronics retailers such as Yodobashi Camera Umeda had no copies left.

That meant it was time to try the next logical location.

Den-Den Town: Ōsaka’s Otaku and Retro Gaming District

Whenever you are searching for niche gaming items in Ōsaka, Den-Den Town is usually a reliable destination. The district is often compared to Tōkyō’s Akihabara and is well known for:

• retro game shops

• anime and manga stores

• figure retailers

• electronics and hobby shops

Many stores in the area also carry game strategy guides, including both new releases and older publications. Unfortunately, despite checking several shops, the Dragon Quest I & II guide proved surprisingly difficult to find.

Even Super Potato, famous for its retro game collection, didn’t have it. That was not entirely surprising, though—Super Potato mainly specializes in classic titles and older gaming memorabilia, rather than brand-new releases.

Still, the visit led to an unexpected discovery.

The One That Got Away: Zelda Oracle of Ages & Seasons

While browsing the shelves, I came across a strategy guide for The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages / Oracle of Seasons.

For collectors of gaming literature, guides like this can be a fascinating piece of gaming history—especially for older handheld titles.

At first, I hesitated. A moment of indecision that I would soon regret.

Only a few days later, after deciding I actually wanted to buy the guide after all, I returned to the shop. By then it was already gone. It is a small collector’s tragedy many enthusiasts know well: hesitate too long, and the item disappears.

FUN FACT - EDIT: Ironically, after returning home and inspecting my own shelves, I discovered something amusing—I already owned that exact guide. The regret suddenly felt far less dramatic.

A Lead in Namba: Junkudo Bookstore at OCAT

Back to the original mission: the Dragon Quest I & II guide.

After some additional searching, I decided to try larger bookstores instead of game shops. In Japan, chains such as Kinokuniya or Junkudo often carry extensive selections of gaming books and strategy guides. Eventually I found a Junkudo bookstore inside OCAT (Ōsaka City Air Terminal) in the heart of Namba.

Unfortunately, the guide wasn’t available on the shelves there either. However, the staff offered a solution: they could order a copy for pickup in the store.

Communication proved slightly challenging due to the language barrier, but after a bit of back-and-forth the order was placed successfully. The book would arrive within a day or two, if I remember correctly.

Mission almost accomplished.

Rediscovering an Artist: Genso

Before leaving the store, I remembered something else.

Back in 2022, during my semester in Matsumoto, I had discovered an illustrator named Genso. His work immediately caught my attention because of its unique concept: detailed post-apocalyptic illustrations of real Japanese cities.

In his artworks, familiar urban landscapes—Tōkyō, Ōsaka, and other locations—are depicted as abandoned ruins reclaimed by nature, creating a haunting but beautiful atmosphere.

At the time I had purchased one of his books, but I couldn’t remember his name for quite a while. A quick search finally brought it back: Genso.

Interestingly, since my previous visit he had released a new volume focused on Ōsaka and the Kansai region.

Picking Up the Dragon Quest Guide

When I returned to Junkudo to collect the ordered Dragon Quest I & II guide, the staff had to search for it behind the counter for several minutes. Watching the process made me briefly wonder how their internal storage system was organized, but eventually the book appeared.

Of course, I didn’t leave with just one item. Naturally, I also bought the new Genso artbook I had just rediscovered.

Expanding the Collection: More Game Guides

Throughout the trip I managed to add several other Japanese strategy guides to my collection as well.

Among them were guides for:

• Romancing SaGa 2 (Nintendo Switch remake)

• the original SNES version of Romancing SaGa 2

Japanese strategy guides are often beautifully produced, featuring artwork, developer notes, and extensive gameplay documentation—making them valuable not only as references but also as collectible books about gaming history.

A Funny Twist: Surugaya Strikes Again

Shortly after finally purchasing the Dragon Quest I & II guide, another ironic moment occurred.

While browsing Surugaya, a well-known Japanese second-hand retailer, I suddenly spotted a used copy in excellent condition.

Naturally.

Collectors will understand the situation perfectly: once you finally find something after a long search, it immediately appears elsewhere.

Still Missing: Pokémon Legends Z-A

One guide I hoped to find during the trip unfortunately did not exist yet.

There was still no official strategy guide for Pokémon Legends Z-A available in stores.

This is likely because the game’s DLC content was released very shortly after launch, meaning the publishers probably waited until all gameplay data was finalized before printing a comprehensive guide.

The Pokémon series has a long tradition of multiple strategy guides per game. For example:

• Pokémon Scarlet & Violet received separate guides for the main game and DLC/postgame content.

• Earlier Pokémon titles often had two different books as well: one covering the story and another focusing on the Pokédex and advanced content.

• Sometimes several different publishers release competing guides for the same game.

So it is quite possible that the Legends Z-A guide will appear later.

Final Shopping Memories Before Leaving Japan

Looking back, the search for the Dragon Quest guide turned into a small adventure across Ōsaka’s gaming and bookstore scene.

Between Den-Den Town, retro shops, large bookstores, and unexpected discoveries like the Genso artbook, the final shopping days of the trip once again proved why Japan remains a paradise for collectors of gaming culture.

And sometimes the hunt itself becomes just as memorable as the item you were originally searching for.

Luckily they had this game delivered within one day to Junkudo at OCAT in Namba

The Disappearing Art of Video Game Guidebooks – And Why Japan Still Keeps It Alive

Why Video Game Guides Still Matter

In the 1990s and early 2000s, printed video game guides were an essential part of gaming culture. In countries like Germany, so-called Spieleberater or strategy guides were widely available in bookstores and gaming magazines. They offered maps, secrets, walkthroughs, and tips for players struggling with difficult levels.

Today, however, these books are often considered obsolete. Online walkthrough sites, YouTube playthroughs, speedruns, and Twitch streams have largely replaced traditional game guides. If a player gets stuck, the solution is usually just a quick search away.

Yet in Japan, video game guides never truly disappeared. In fact, they continue to play an important role—not just as gameplay references, but as cultural artifacts and artbooks.

Japan’s Physical Media Culture

One reason game guides remain relevant in Japan is the country’s strong culture of physical media preservation.

Across cities like Tōkyō and Ōsaka, massive second-hand retail chains continue to circulate physical media on a huge scale. Stores such as BookOff, HardOff, HobbyOff, OffHouse, and Surugaya keep older games, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, and books in circulation for collectors and enthusiasts.

This ecosystem supports not only retro gaming, but also the preservation of related media like strategy guides and artbooks.

Not every retro shop is equally recommended, however. The famous Super Potato has increasingly become more of a tourist attraction and influencer hotspot than a practical place for collectors. While the selection is good, the prices are often significantly inflated.

Overtourism and the Retro Market

The impact of overtourism has also reached the retro gaming scene.

In areas such as Akihabara in Tōkyō or Den‑Den Town in Ōsaka, the influx of tourists has pushed prices to extreme levels. What were once collector-friendly districts have increasingly become premium retail zones aimed at visitors rather than enthusiasts.

Even some branches of BookOff—for example the store in Namba—have followed this trend. Certain retro titles, especially from the Pokémon series, are sometimes priced at levels that border on speculation.

Scalpers and resellers have purchased large quantities of these games in recent years, creating artificial scarcity. As demand grew, stores adjusted their prices accordingly. For collectors who remember the earlier retro market, this change is striking.

Game Guides as Artbooks

Despite the changing market, Japanese game guides continue to offer something unique.

Unlike many Western guides that focused primarily on walkthroughs, Japanese guides often function as hybrid publications—part strategy guide, part artbook.

They frequently include:

• original character artwork

• concept sketches from the development process

• detailed maps and world layouts

• item lists and gameplay systems

• developer commentary and lore

For many players, these books are not only tools but windows into the creative process behind the games.

Nostalgia and Personal Memory

For collectors and retro gaming enthusiasts, game guides also carry a strong emotional component.

In my own collection, there are countless guides and artbooks that accompany the games in my retro archive. When revisiting an older title, these books become more than reference material—they reconnect me with memories from childhood and adolescence. Sometimes they remind me of the challenges I had to overcome while playing those games for the first time. At other times they simply evoke a sense of nostalgia or provide a small form of escapism.

Holding the original guide while replaying a classic game creates an experience that digital walkthroughs simply cannot replicate.

Game Preservation in the Digital Era

In recent years, concerns about game preservation have become increasingly important.

The industry is moving toward digital distribution models, subscription services, and limited physical releases. Examples such as key-based physical releases or digital-only titles show how fragile access to games can become. If a game is eventually delisted from online stores, access to it can disappear entirely.

Printed materials like game guides and artbooks therefore become valuable historical records. They document worlds, mechanics, and creative processes that might otherwise be lost.

The Value of Physical Books

The appeal of physical books is universal. Just as many readers still prefer printed novels over e-books, collectors and enthusiasts appreciate the tactile experience of printed guides.

The comparison is similar to vinyl records in music culture: while digital access is convenient, physical media provides a richer and more tangible connection to the art itself.

Events like the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Leipzig Book Fair demonstrate that printed books remain culturally significant even in a digital age.

Video game guides belong within this broader ecosystem of printed media.

A Creative Perspective

From an artistic perspective, game guides and artbooks represent a unique intersection between game design, illustration, and publishing.

They preserve concept art, design documents, and visual storytelling elements that often never appear within the games themselves.

This artistic dimension is also something I personally value in my own creative work. Through my photography projects and Kickstarter campaigns, I have published several limited photography artbooks, including cosplay portrait collections and visual explorations of Japan.

Just like game guides, these books transform digital images into a curated, physical experience—one that can be revisited years later.

Why These Books Should Not Disappear

Video game guides may no longer be necessary for solving difficult levels. The internet has made sure of that.

But their cultural role goes far beyond gameplay assistance.

They are:

• archives of game design history

• collections of artwork and creative ideas

• nostalgic companions to beloved games

• physical artifacts in a digital entertainment industry

For collectors, gamers, artists, and historians alike, game guides remain a medium worth preserving.

And perhaps that is the most important reason why they still matter.

Books and Cosplay 2025

In a few hours the Book Fair Leipzig (Leipziger Buchmesse) is about to start. As usual the Manga-Comic-Con (MCC) is part of it as well. 

After doing a poll about the reason of visiting the event the majority voted for meeting friends/community ativities (52%), photo shootings and location (39%) and a few to meet me ;), but nobody choose shopping or program. Therefore the question might be, do we need so many shopping booths for merchandise?

Yes, but No, simple and precise, I know.

The people in my "bubble" are primarily Cosplayers, so their focus are costumes, crafting and sewing tools or materials, their needs / main interest is costume-based. On the other hand you have those fair goers who simply want to get to know the latest merchandise, manga or anime and are willing to spend their saved cash on plush dolls, figures or just enjoy. We may not forget the fact that's it's a trade fair, too, mostly for books - who wpuld have guessed that - but also for video game publishers. I am looking forward to see and visit the booth of NINTENDO, should be a guaranteed hit, although I think I already know all the presented games or own them.

I am also happy to meet my friend from Games Room SVVAMP, it's been too long since I met him. Talking to him will create a few Monster Hunter flashbacks, because they are having a Monster Hunter community meetup and some sort of challenge aside the many offered tournaments with amazing prizes.

But every trade fair, especially otaku conventions, have a huge program and many shows, there are show groups and other acts, but the highlight of that is always the cosplay contest. Some cons call their contests championships, but there is only real championship, the DCM (Deutsche Cosplay Meisterschaft), all the others are copycats that try to blow up their relevance by using such a name making it sound bigger, more important and better, but when there are 5 championships, there is no championship, so it's just a regular contest.

Beside the MCC hall my main interest is the central glass hall, because I will pack a punch of taking thousands of pictures and normally the available light there is just perfect, so you don't need any flash and the ISO can stay low.

I will take a break of those shootings by visiting WirMachenDruck, they are some sort of business partner, because they print my books. I will also have a look for the travel section hoping to maybe find a publisher for one of four books or any of the 3 that are "work in progress".

I am quite excited and will have some difficulties to get a rest. I am ready and all my gear is packed, my batteries are charged and my SD cards are not completely empty, but I have ~400GB of available space, this should work.

ENJOY LBM 2025!

MASKED

MASKED: The Art of Cosplay – A Unique Cosplay Artbook Project

Cosplay is more than just costumes – it’s an art form, a passion, and a way to step into a world of imagination. With MASKED, we’re pushing the boundaries of what a cosplay artbook can be, blending photography, creativity, and storytelling to create something extraordinary. This 280-page premium artbook features 20 models (19 talented cosplayers and one non-cosplay model), showcasing intricate costumes, breathtaking photography, and the depth of character that cosplay embodies.

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Why MASKED Stands Out

MASKED isn’t your typical cosplay photobook. Inspired by Japanese idol artbooks, we’ve taken the concept of a portrait collection and elevated it to the level of fine art. These pages aren’t just photographs – they’re carefully composed visual narratives, with every frame capturing the essence of the character and the cosplayer’s vision.

This isn’t our first venture into this realm. MASKED builds on the success of our first cosplay portrait book, DRESSED, which featured 10 cosplayers over 234 pages. Now, with double the models and 280 pages, MASKED is an upgrade in every sense – more talent, more artistry, and more passion.

A Glimpse Behind the Mask

Cosplay is about transformation, stepping into a new identity, and bringing fictional worlds to life. The title MASKED delves into this transformative power, exploring the idea of not just physical masks but the metaphorical masks we all wear. Cosplayers embody traits they admire or wish to express, creating personas that often reveal more about themselves than they conceal.

This project is deeply personal to me as both a photographer and a former cosplayer. My own journey began in 2004, participating in and eventually hosting cosplay competitions, and it has remained a central part of my life ever since. MASKED reflects my connection to the community and my desire to showcase its artistry in the most professional, captivating way possible.

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Why This Project Matters

Cosplay is a global phenomenon, but the way it’s documented doesn’t always match the skill and artistry involved. In Japan, idols – often including cosplayers – are celebrated with beautifully designed artbooks, bridging the gap between fandom and fine art. In Germany and beyond, this level of recognition is rare, and MASKED seeks to fill that gap.

Every photo in this book is meticulously crafted, from the composition and lighting to the layout and design. The result is an artbook that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with high-end fashion collections, fine art photography, and museum-quality works.

A Limited-Edition Collectible

This isn’t a mass-produced project. MASKED is a limited-edition release, making it a rare and valuable collectible for fans of cosplay, photography, and art. With only a small number of copies available, this is your chance to own a piece of cosplay history.

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Meet the Team

This project wouldn’t be possible without an incredible team of 21 people – 20 models and myself as the photographer. The team includes 19 cosplayers and one non-cosplay model, ranging in age from 18 to 38, representing a wide variety of fandoms from games, anime, manga, and more. Each individual brings their unique creativity and passion, making MASKED a true collaboration.

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My Journey as a Photographer

Over the past two decades, I’ve honed my skills as a professional photographer, focusing on landscapes, portraits, and cosplay. My previous works include two Japan-themed photobooks:

• "Japanese Castles" (日本の城 – Nihon no Shiro): A detailed exploration of Japan’s historic castles.
• "Japan – Black White" (日本 – 黒白 – Nihon – Kuro Shiro): A hybrid of photography, travel anecdotes, and guidebook inspiration.

MASKED brings together all my passions – cosplay, photography, and Japanese culture – into one ambitious project.

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Join the Journey

MASKED is more than just a book – it’s a celebration of creativity, identity, and the global cosplay community. By supporting this project, you’re not just purchasing an artbook; you’re helping to elevate cosplay to the realm of fine art and supporting independent creators who pour their hearts into their work.

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this unique project. Limited editions sell out fast, so secure your copy of MASKED today and experience the artistry of cosplay like never before.

DRESSED

It's been a little quiet lately, but that doesn't mean stagnation or stasis.

It has just been a focus shift to other platforms like INSTAGRAM.

Yet still I haven't been standing still, so I want to use this post to share my latest project.

Over the course of the last 15 months I have been doing hundrets of photo shootings with a large ammount of Cosplayers. This collection of over 20.000 pictures was used to pushing forward my idea of an artbook for Cosplay portraits. Beside the many opportunities on conventions I also did a lot of private shootings around Germany, e.g. in a park close to the main station in Erfurt or in several places in Leipzig and Berlin always trying to perfectly match the location and season with the Cosplayers and their costumes. Before I go on, here are a few examples.

Those handpicked pictures and the selected people are pieces of fine art. In late 2021, but actually efficiently in 2022 I really had my first chance of taking pictures in the exact style that I wished to take them. The reason for that is my CANON R5 in combination with my SAMYANG 85mm F1.4, as well as the 24-70 F2.8, 70-200 F4 and a few more from CANON.

This portrait artbook is a piece of passion.

This Book is MORE than just a few portraits of Cosplayers. 

I hope you enjoy the idea of that book.

Here is the Link to that new project - DRESSED - Cosplay Portrait Artbook - preorder your copy on Kickstarter now.

New Year - new projects

The new year has just started and it's time to get creative again.

Once again I am working on a book, this time it's about places in Japan that are somewhat connected to a story and not just being nice or sightseeing spots.

The book is called "Japan in Black and White" and is live on Kickstarter like the last one already.

I decided to select monochrome pictures, because they deliver a stronger feeling, which is some times quite melancholic depending on the memory, e.g. 

• sleeping in a tree house in Winter with -20°C
• getting a heatstroke and collapsing in front of a temple during my pilgrimage and ending up in hospital with a small kidney damage resulting in being "homeless" and sleeping in an internet café for 3 days
• almost breaking my leg while snowboarding
• being "arrested" for flying a drone in Tokyo
• being "stranded" at night in Okayama - walking and dancing in the streets for 8+ hours
• sleeping in an office

 

The book will contain at least 200 pages and will feature 100+ photos of 100 spots and stories.

Because of Japan's borders still being closed this project is also a way to fight my wanderlust making it some sort of art therapy as well as the book from last year. Being unable to make new memories, discover new places and gather new materials I am forced to stick with my current stock and getting creative with it.

Beside the book project there are 2 more campaigns that I support as project manager:

• Make 100 - Origami Earrings - Make a Wish
• the inspiration was taken from the myth of being granted a wish when folding 1000 origami cranes - 200 of those cranes, using 3,75x3,75cm sheets, will be used to create earrings - in addition there's an addons to buy a set of origami figures on top making it possible coming closer to 1000

• MAKE 100 - Handdrawn Portrait Prints
• after editing photos in too many different ways I reached a "limit" until I rediscovered drip painting - I always liked that abstract painting technique but was never able to paint it digitally until I bought a graphic tablet and Clip Studio Paint and found a way to combine that technique with editing my portraits
• 100 different portraits are offered as 15x15cm high quality prints on cardboard

Maybe you like these projects and consider supporting them, I would be happy.

Thank you in advance - Enjoy!

日本の城 - Launching next week

After setting up everything we will finally launch 日本の城 - Japanese Castles next week.

I've been working on this artbook about Japanese castles for a few months now and after receiving copies for proof reading last week we can finally go live next week. In this book I share over 400 pictures of 19 Japanese castles on 292 pages.

The Kickstarter campaign will be launched next week: https://lnkd.in/dxFyw86 Please join and support my project to help me publishing this book and make my dream of self publishing come true. Thank you for your support

Last Week I finally finished the book and already ordered a copy for proof reading.

As soon as everything is fine I will start launching this project on Kickstarter.

Here's a preview of some of the 400+ pictures of "日本の城 - Japanese Castles" of 19 castles on 292 pages. Launch on Kickstarter will be in April. Enjoy! 

Only 4 castles left

Still Working on my Picturebook for my upcoming Kickstarter campaign, a few more castles are finished now, currrently there are ~40/290 pages left: Fukushima, Nagoya, Matsumoto and Kishiwada

To finish up that entry I hereby present Fushimi castle with a mixed abstract Background and the family crest of Toyotomi mixed with Matsudaira.

Join my project on Kickstarter - coming soon - April 2021 - https://lnkd.in/dxFyw86

BookOff - What's that?

Bookoff / Book Off is one the biggest brands for used items in all of Japan. It's famous across the whole country and one can find those shops in every region, from small town shops to big size stores in metropolitan areas.

From used books over to CDs, DVDs, games and other used items like smartphones you will find the perfect preowned product for you, very often in a condition that seems to be new.

Before going to Japan for the first time of my life in 2010 a good friend of mine recommended me to visit a shop called BOOKOFF, he went to Japan several months before me and he loved the shops offering many games and old game guides,I remember he talked about and presented to me a guide book for Fire Emblem 6 Sword of Seals (Fuin no Tsurugi) and I was almost instantly on fire to get my hands on my own copy of the game and this particular guide. And at the end of that vacation in 2010 I had the game for ~3500Yen and owned the guide twise with a third one already being shipped to me from Amazon.co.jp, because I found the book in an average condition at a store in Shinjuku, close to the JR Yoyogi Station (〒151-0053 東京都渋谷区代々木１丁目５８−1) and I wanted to get a better one, which I found on Amazon, purchased it and chose delivery to Germany. Unexpected and maybe karma related I saw a nearly new version of this guide and bought it thinking I could still cancel my Amazon order - pas possible - so I have 3 now.

Whenever I'm in Japan I need to visit those stores beside the big tourist attraction and sightsseeing spots because they always offer a good bargain.

The awesome item condition, the nice prices are the wide variety are just a few reasons to make that stores worth visiting, I've already spent hundred of hours there and found many treasues, mostly games and game guides but also "normal" books, e.g. a few F.R.I.E.N.D.S "encyclopedia" books or a SEINFELD script from the US.

Just to give you an idea, here's my 2010 LOOT:

I'm looking forward to my next visit and the items that I can find. It's hard to decide for a favorite store per region, because the stock always changes and it also depends on your target ignoring everything else, but the one in Tokyo Akiba is a very big one with 6 floors but it got famous abroad and not just throughout Japan so the prices are a bit higher than elsewhere. Ueno and Ikebukuro are pretty good as well, in Ikebukuro I almost everytime found and bought something (more or less) useful, sadly the one with 40.000 foreign books in Tokyo close to the Shirokanedai Metro station is closed.

In Osaka the one in Namba is quite nice. During my working holiday in 2015/2016 while I was in Yufuin I did a Bookoff tour in Oita and Beppu for one day finding treasures like Castlevania Symphony of the Night for 2000Yen and other cool stuff.

Beside the Bookoff shops there are Hardoff, Hobbyoff and other brands that all belong together.
Here are a few pictures of my early years:

Shinjuku

Ikebukuro - Sunshine City

Already closed - Shirokanedai

Gotanda -nice one

Ueno

To round up the BOOKOFF shops and to give a hint about the item variety of the stores and to make you laught I linked the current coomercial campaign, the reactions of the customers in video 3 and 4 are gorgeous

That's all 4 now - See you soon at Tokyo Game Show 2019 or any Bookoff close to you.