HOUSTON – (Realty News Report) – Kinokuniya Books, a Japanese bookstore founded in Tokyo nearly a century ago, is expanding in Houston with new store in the Village.
Kinokuniya will take over the former Village Fitness location at 2369 Rice Blvd. this fall, according to retail brokerage firm NewQuest. Village Fitness recently closed after nearly three decades of operation in the pedestrian friendly historic shopping district.
In addition to books, magazines, comics and graphic novels, Kinokuniya sells stationery and gifts. The Rice Boulevard store will be just a couple of blocks west of Rice University, near the corner of Morningside Drive.
“Kinokuniya will be a tremendous addition to the Village, given its proximity to Rice University and the neighborhood’s reputation as one of Houston’s most walkable and community-oriented destinations,” said Heather Nguyen, founder of NewQuest’s Asia Pacific Advisory Services division. “The bookstore aligns perfectly with the area’s culture of learning, discovery and appreciation for literature.”
Kinokuniya signed a 5,582-SF lease with landlord David K. Gibbs Associates in an off-market transaction, according to NewQuest. Heather Nguyen and Rebecca Le of NewQuest’s Asia Pacific Advisory Services represented the tenant, while Will Roberts represented the landlord in-house.
The new bookstore will fill a gap in Village retailing since the departure of Half Price Books in 2020 after 38 years on University Boulevard.
Nguyen assisted Kinokuniya with opening its first Texas store at NewQuest’s Katy Grand development in 2019. The retail center at the Katy Freeway and the Grand Parkway has become a hotspot for international brands including Miniso, Tim Ho Wan, Haidilao Hot Pot, and 85°C Bakery.
“Kinokuniya typically has just one store per city, but the Katy location is doing particularly well so they wanted another one,” Nguyen said.
Based in Tokyo, Kinokuniya now operates more than 80 bookstores in the Asia Pacific region, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and the U.S. Founded in 1927, the company first expanded internationally to San Francisco in 1969.
July 1, 2026, Realty News Report Copyright 2026
Feature image: The Kinokuniya bookstore at Katy Grand was the first in Texas. NewQuest courtesy photo.
THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT PODCAST
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Mike Spears of Lee & Associates Houston
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Bob Parsley of Colliers Houston
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Mark Davis of Davis Commercial
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with David Hightower of Midway
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Alex Kamkar of Bold Fox Development
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Brad McWhirter of Trahan Architects
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Lacee Jacobs of Rebel Retail Advisors
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Danny Rice of Colliers
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Trey Odom of Avera
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Kris Larson of Downtown Houston +
LISTEN: THE RALPH BIVINS PROJECT with Jim Carman of Howard Hughes Holdings
File: Japanese Bookstore Locks in Village Lease