If you're a local Japanophile, you've probably been to Book Off. This little slice of California strip mall (oddly enough, it looks like a supermarket) feels like heaven. The store sells used English- and Japanese-language books (from manga to Sarah Palin's biography), CDs, reference items and magazines—and buys books and music, as well. Cheap, cultural and close to the Japanese supermarket, here you can find manga selling for $3, a huge anime DVD collection, cutesy trinkets and albums by popular Japanese bands. If you read Japanese, you're in luck: Many novels are sold for only $1 because even nerds who love anime don't buy them. If you're selling your books, though, Book Off won't pay you much—especially if your items aren't in good condition. But hey, that means everything they sell is in fine shape.
