Hi everyone!
I'm so lucky that I'm visiting New York in August! I'm really looking forward to it!
Among other things, I'd really like to find some good Japanese stores that sell Japanese books/magazines, Manga, Anime, DVDs and whatever to help me learn Japanese back home. It's hard to find anything Japanese here in Norway, but I figure there's a lot of stuff to find in New York, so I want to stock up on J-supplies! Hehe! =)
What really interests me is Japanese DVDs with exact subs, Japanese Playstation games (PSX/PS2) and DS games and random J-signs/magazines/whatever for my wannabe-immersion environment!
I've heard there's a Book Off in NY? Am I correct?
Please recommend me some great places to buy learning-material! Book shops, music shops, movie shops - everything is interesting! =) As long as I can find Japanese stuff in there, hehe!

Also, I dig the Japanese cuisine! Do you NY-locals have any favorite spots for fresh Sushi? =)
Thank you guys!! =)

Yours sincerely,
Zorlee

The 3 big Japanese bookstore are:
Kinokuniya
Book Off
Asahiya

I usually go to Kinokuniya since it's the biggest(but also the most expensive).

Asahiya is like Kinokuniya, but with generally better prices.

Book Off is GREAT for manga, but one annoyance is that they don't have any computers in the store. Which means there are no databases to search through and you just have to search the aisles yourself (everything is in Japanese)

for info on some good japanese-related places in NYC, go here:
http://www.aozoranyc.com/directory/

The largest Japanese supermarket on the East Coast is actually in New Jersey (about 30-40 from midtown Manhattan) via a bus.

For location details, go here:
http://www.mitsuwanj.com/en/location.htm

Shuttle service details:
http://www.mitsuwanj.com/en/shuttle_service.htm

Wow! Thank you so much, chamcham!! =)
I'm definitely checking out all the bookstores!
Do you know of a good place to buy DVDs (Movies, Anime, TV-series) in Japanese? Would a place like Bookoff be the best bet, or can I find other stores?
I'm really, really keen on finding DVDs with exact subs, since I can't seem to find that back home! =)

EDIT: Also - is it possible to find Japanese videogames somewhere in NY? Thanks!

Last few times I went to Manhattan I was surprised that St. Mark's Place in the Village had turned into a bit of a little Japan town. Several izakaya, an "italian tomato" (chain japaliano) and there is a little Japanese supermarket, too. I'd guess you could go there in the evening and meet some よぱらい日本人。

Not far away "Honmura-An" is a very high quality Soba restaurant. It's right by the Angelika theater, just south of houston if I am correct. Only really good soba I've ever had in America. They make it on the premises.

edit: むかつぐけど Looks like Honmura-An has closed...and the owner has opened a shop in Roppongi.

Yuka Sushi on the upper east side is not the most authentic sushi, but it is Japanese run - the fish is fresh and the price is excellent.

Chamcham is right about N.J. - there is a large Japanese community across the Hudson. I've heard of Japanese that have lived there for years and have not needed to learn english.

It's kind of disappointing, but they are only 2 shops for import video games.
Personally, I'd prefer to order online from ncsx (http://www.ncsxshop.com) or
PlayAsia (http://www.play-asia.com)

Your best bet is J&L Game Trading Inc in Chinatown (http://www.jnlgame.com/index.html).
They have the most extensive stock of import games in NYC.

J&L Game Trading Inc.
28 Elizabeth Street
New York, NY 10013

Another option is VideoGamesNewYork in the east village. (http://www.videogamesnewyork.com)

VIDEOGAMESNEWYORK
202 East 6th street
New York, NY 10003
Tel. (212) 539-1039

Sorry for the late answer -
Thank you guys so much for your info! I really appreciate it! =)
Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some sweet stuff in NY!
I'm just wondering... Is Chinatown a good place to look for Japanese stuff? Or is it all Chinese? Any experiences?
Thank you guys!!

Chinatown is predominantly Chinese. Nevertheless it's a great place in NYC so I'd defny go and check it out.

Hello! It's me again! =)
I'm taking the plane to NY tonight, so I was just wondering if I could get some last-minute information about Japanese traditional shops in New York?
I've been wanting to buy some Japanese tableware, decorations, pictures/posters etc. for my apartment back home, and I do believe I can find that stuff in New York.
Do you guys know of any good Japanese traditional shops in New York?
All I've got now is the Mitsuwa super-market, but I don't know if I'll be able to find that kind of stuff there.

Again, thank you guys so much for your help - I really appreciate it!

I know some restaurants. Ippudou in the city is one of the best for ramen - and try their pork buns too. Pretty highly recommended.

Also, there's a street called St. Marks which is FULL of Japanese restaurants and shops and things. It's funny since it used to be the punk area, but nowadays it's fully Japanese for some reason.

If you have some extra money to burn on food, there's the pricey Zenkichi in Williamsburg.

Ippudo and Ramen Setagaya (both in East Village) are widely considered to be the best ramen shops in NYC. Of course, there are many other good places.

For a listing of EVERY japanese restaurant in NYC, go here:
http://www.chopsticksny.com/