Going a little further from Kitamoto, geographic center of Saitama Prefecture, let's go around Saitama City, which was Urawa City, Oomiya City and Yono City, and which is economical and political center of Saitama Prefecture. For the sake of convenience, I show the place as old city name.
Junkudo has entered on the top floor of (SEIBU) LOFT annex near the JR Oomiya station. It is smaller than the Ikebukuro Branch of Junkudo, but it may be the largest store in Oomiya. You can read books sitting as same as other Junkudo. (2001.6.7)
There is Book Depo Shoraku at Yono, on the outskirts of Saitama-Shin-Toshin(the new heart of a city, Saitama), between Omiya and Urawa. It is large and may be enjoyable wandering about the shop on the Route 17, the Nakasendo Road. Book Depo Shoraku occupy three floors in the building in front of Kita-Yono station of the JR Saikyo line. It has parking garage, and it is free according to the purchase amount of money and hours. Venting machines in the shop provide bevarages at a little lower price. Shoraku may let us choose books leisurely with rests drinking juice. It seemed to close on irregular day and it closed early as going from Kitamoto on weekday. But now it closes late at night, 24:00 (Update: 2003.11.16). It is rare for these large bookstores to be open at night. There is a supermarket on the underground floor in the same building, and it keeps something strange foods.
it is the main store of Suharaya that is famous as an old-established big bookseller in Saitama Prefecture, where a few walk from the west entrance of the Urawa station of JR. They keep many books on Saitama erea. It was an only large bookstore in Saitama until opening of Shoraku and Junkudo. It may be a blind spot that there is an exclusive parking lot in the rear. You had better find the way to the rear if you go there by car, by motorcycle or by bicycle. They have a branch in CORSO, the west side station building. It may be good to visit Suharaya when you go aroud the Urawa station, when you go to the prefectural government office --- I don't know what kind of time --- or when you use Saitama Prefectural Library of Urawa. I suggest, however, Saitama Municipal Library at Kita-Urawa as for Libraries in Urawa.
These bookstores are leading in Saitama Prefecture. But if you realy want to find some exact books you want, I'm sorry, go to Tokyo at first, and go around largest or specialty bookstores in Japan.