One staple on every Singaporean’s Japan itinerary is to do some thrift shopping. Whether it’s hitting the streets of Harajuku for trendy vintage fits or stopping by hobby stores that line Akihabara, you just can’t beat the thrill of discovering steals as you peruse a Japanese thrift store’s wares.
Well, you don’t have to hop on a flight to Japan for that experience anymore, as a Book Off pop-up has landed on Singapore’s shores this year-end. Here’s all you need to know about the popular Japanese secondhand shop’s stint on the Little Red Dot.
Book Off is a chain of second-hand shops from Japan that deals in a wide range of goods such as books, video games, electronics, clothes, as well as hobby-related collectibles like anime merchandise and trading cards. They’ve got over 850 outlets spread across the country, and tourists all over the world flock to their stores to see what they can uncover within.
Lucky for those of us living in sunny Singapore, they’ve recently set up shop in the form of a pop-up located in Courts Nojima on Level 3 of The Heeren shopping mall in Somerset. The pop-up will run from now till 14th December 2025, from 11am to 10pm daily. Although it’s a temporary pop-up, it still stocks a healthy amount of products that might be difficult to purchase outside of Japan.
True to its name, there are tons of books ($7-$50) and magazines for you to leaf through. Most of them are in Japanese, but the selection mainly consists of artbooks that are mainly printed with illustrations; we even found one based on the Avengers: Age of Ultron movie.
If you’re an anime fan, you’re in luck; there is a huge array of anime merchandise such as plushies ($5-$9), figures ($15-$200), and keychains ($3-$9) to consider splurging on, from beloved series such as My Hero Academia, Demon Slayer, Jujutsu Kaisen just to name a few. .
Should you want to step into your favourite character’s shoes instead, have a look at their racks of cosplay costumes that range from $20 to $30. Although you can’t choose your sizes, from a quick glance, they seem to be in decent condition. Do remember to give them a wash before slipping into them; these outfits are second-hand after all.
There’s also an anime CD ($9) section to pick up original soundtracks from hit anime series, as well as a whole section dedicated to the virtual idol Hatsune Miku. Once you’re done shopping for Miku-inspired merch, snap a picture at the round mirror installed on-site; post it on your socials and tag #snowmikuskytownSG, and you’ll be able to redeem a free sticker of Miku or her Vocaloid friends.
Image adapted from: Khoo Yong Hao
As for trading card game enthusiasts, you just might be able to complete your collection at the Book Off pop-up too. They’ve got shelves filled with Japanese print Pokémon trading cards; the rarer cards ($9-$25) are sleeved in plastic with individual price tags stuck on them, while the common ones go for $3 for 5 pieces.
Image credit: Khoo Yong Hao
Interestingly, they also sell retro game cartridges ($19-$49) for game consoles like the Nintendo 64 and the Super Famicom. FYI, a lot of these games were released in the early 90s, so we’re not sure if they still even boot up properly. Either way, these are still a pretty cool find as they don’t come by often, especially outside of Japan.
Image credit: Khoo Yong Hao
Shopping’s a huge part of any Japan trip, but even if you don’t have a vacay planned to the country this coming holiday season, you can still do some retail therapy at the Book Off pop-up. It seems like not many people know about the pop-up too; we swung by on a Monday evening around 7pm and there wasn’t much of a crowd at all; best to head down before the rest of the public catches wind of it.
Address: Courts Nojima, The Heeren, Level 3, Singapore 238855
Opening hours: 11am-10pm, Daily
Contact: Courts Singapore Instagram
For more things shopping-related reads:
Cover image adapted from: Khoo Yong Hao
Technically, this is the second time Singapore has qualified for the Asian Cup.
This is your call to get up earlier for work.
As if we need another reason to visit the mall.
Look forward to free model-building workshops.
Earn some extra money on the side.
Mark your calendars for 15th December 2025.