91AV原创

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October 27, 2026
 

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BOOKSTORES

Bookstores have long been romanticized as idyllic workplaces, but a pair of newly translated Japanese novels give insight into the book business and show how it is upheld by the tireless labor of underpaid employees.
CULTURE / Books
Oct 25, 2026
Not so cozy? Japanese bookstore fiction gets real.
Translated Japanese fiction is obsessed with quiet stories taking place in bookshops and cafes, but life and work in Japan are not as idyllic as it seems.
Etc.books was named for those who appear as “etc.” or footnotes in society.
CULTURE / Books
Aug 2, 2026
Etc.books: A lone bookstore in Tokyo pushes against sexism
Etc.books helped redefine feminist publishing in Japan. Now its greatest challenge is staying open.
The entrance to the Have a Nice Stay bookstore on Wednesday
ASIA PACIFIC
Jul 29, 2026
Hong Kong independent bookstores to close after police raid
Police searched the two bookshops this month and arrested five people on suspicion of displaying and selling “items with seditious intent.”
An independent bookstore employee is being led away by policemen after the officers raided the "Have A Nice Stay" bookshop and confiscated items in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
ASIA PACIFIC / Politics
Jul 16, 2026
Hong Kong police raid independent bookstore run by former journalists
Police said it searched two shops after being alerted to books with “seditious intention” found in a shipment from overseas.
Yo Katami found a permanent home for Loneliness Books in Higashinakano in August 2024, but still travels for book pop-ups at fairs and events in Japan and across Asia.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 28, 2026
How a private collection of queer books became a cultural hot spot
Since establishing a permanent location in Nakano Ward in 2024, Tokyo’s queer-focused bookstore Loneliness Books has become a hub of events and activities for the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Only 102 new bookstores were opened in Japan during fiscal year 2025, which began in April last year, while 499 shops closed.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 16, 2026
Number of bookstores in Japan drops below 10,000 for the first time
Japan had 9,993 bookstores as of the end of March 2026 — just over 40% of its peak in fiscal year 1998.
A staff member taking a printed newspaper out of the machine at the Kyoto Shimbun factory in Kumiyama, Kyoto Prefecture.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 1, 2026
‘AI simply can’t replicate it’: Japan embraces zine trend
Independent artist and writers have been turning ever more to self-published or handmade small print publications, reflecting a love of paper in the digital era.
Tokyo native Noemi Minami founded Koen Book Club in 2021 with two friends. The club continues to meet monthly in public parks across Tokyo, weather permitting.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
May 18, 2026
Anglophone bookworms unite across Japan
Book clubs, book swaps and other reading events are providing a space for wholesome offline socializing in Tokyo and beyond.
Jimbocho, Tokyo’s book town, has gained popularity online and some travel companies are already selling book-centric tours for foreign visitors.
CULTURE / Books
Apr 20, 2026
Now on the multilingual margins, can Japanese bookstores be more than just a vibe?
While some travel companies are now offering book-centric tours around Jimbocho, foreign visitors are often leaving bookstores empty-handed, despite intentions to buy books.
Tokyo’s Jimbocho neighborhood has all kinds of bookshops and cafes, but it is mainly known for its abundance of stores selling secondhand books.
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 2, 2026
Inside a Japanese bookshop: Words you need to browse in Jimbocho
Decode shelving systems, publisher groupings and reader slang before making the most of Tokyo’s famed literary district.
People visit a bookstore in Beijing on Dec. 18.
ASIA PACIFIC
Jan 12, 2026
Novel concept: China’s spellbinding bookstores draw selfie snappers
While physical book sales have failed to bounce back in postpandemic China, some bookstores have become tourist hot spots for their photo opportunities.
Tokyo's Jimbocho neighborhood is a haven for book lovers, its rows of secondhand bookstores spilling over with printed materials.
LIFE / Lifestyle
Oct 18, 2025
What does Jimbocho think of its unexpected ‘cool’ status?
The book town’s residents weigh in on their home topping Time Out magazine’s “coolest neighborhoods” list.
Plotter's signature customizable leather binder is just one of many products contributing to the ongoing boom in the popularity of Japanese stationery.
LIFE / Style & Design
Oct 2, 2025
Tokyo’s newest stationery store sells ‘a slower, more human rhythm’
After years of selling its products in third-party stores, Japanese brand Plotter has officially opened a dedicated storefront in Tokyo.
For non-native speakers of the language, diving into Japanese books on a whim might just broaden your horizons and offer a fresh perspective on any topic imaginable.
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Jun 30, 2025
Japanese language is your gateway to seeing the world anew
Whether you want to learn about regional geopolitics or the history of cheese, reading Japanese books can offer a whole world of new perspectives for non-native speakers.
At Mount Zine’s gallery in Komazawa, Setagaya Ward, one wall is for exhibiting, while another is for zines for sale.
CULTURE / Books
Jun 21, 2025
A buzzing zine scene across Japan packs passion in multiple formats
In a world now dominated by digital media, small handmade books are a return to analog media and offline connection.
Hisamido set up a return box at its bookstore in Machida, Tokyo, to allow its customers to borrow and return books owned by municipal libraries.
JAPAN
Dec 30, 2024
Japanese bookstores collaborate with libraries for survival
A survey found that 493 municipalities had no bookstores as of November 2024.
The industry ministry plans to set up a liaison committee of officials from relevant government agencies to discuss support measures for brick-and-mortar bookstores.
BUSINESS
Oct 6, 2024
Ministry reports issues facing bookstores
The ministry will set up by year-end a liaison committee of officials from relevant government agencies to fully launch discussions on support measures for bookstores.
Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
CULTURE / Books / Longform
Apr 22, 2024
The story isn’t over for 91AV原创 bookstores
Shops without staff, shelves for rent, cafes and meetups are some of the ways the country’s dwindling bookstores are trying to survive.
Hisashi Yagi is full of enthusiasm as he reopens Iroha Bookstore at a temporary location in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Thursday.
JAPAN / Society
Mar 22, 2024
Beloved bookstore in quake-hit Ishikawa reopens at temporary site
The reopened Iroha Bookstore, which has a 75-year history, is lined with picture books taken from the original store and manga related to the prefecture.
Protests in Shinjuku, Tokyo, last November, echoed demonstrations in several major Chinese cities that called for an end to Chinese President Xi Jinping's draconian “zero-COVID” policy.
JAPAN / Society
Nov 28, 2023
Chinese intellectuals increasingly attracted to Tokyo
An increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in the U.S. following the COVID-19 pandemic has driven some graduates to Japan.
Two Japanese climbers die on remote Himalayan peak in Nepal
Rescuers have recovered the bodies of two Japanese climbers missing for over a week on a remote Himalayan mountain.
Aging Japanese village turns to Peru in search of new residents
Guests from Peru's Belen district interact with a baby in Nanmoku village in Gunma Prefecture.
Budget-friendly restaurant chain Saizeriya succumbs to rising costs
A Tokyo branch of Saizeriya, a chain of family-style Italian restaurants
U.S. has for years asked Musk to alter Starlink service in Ukraine and Middle East, sources say
A Ukrainian soldier sets up a Starlink satellite internet system near the frontline in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Oct. 16
U.S. military bans Chinese-made BYD cars from key air base in Okinawa
An F-22 Raptor lands at Kadena Air Base in Kadena, Okinawa Prefecture on Oct. 9. The base is a crucial hub for U.S. military operations in the region.
A dramatic bear hunt in a midsize Japanese city could be a harbinger of what is to come
Zookeeper Tetsuo Iso at the site of frantic search for a wild bear in Utsunomiya on June 9. Iso, 65, was asked by the prefectural government to help capture the bear and it was his shot with a tranquilizer gun that put an end to the saga.
How this long-term resident avoids the annoying tourist label in Japan
Tourists enjoy themselves while crossing the famous Shibuya Crossing in Tokyo on Oct. 12.
What can Asia do to avoid crossing crucial climate tipping points?
Motorists drive through a road covered with smog from wildfires nearby in Ogan Ilir in Indonesia's South Sumatra province on Sept. 25.
91AV原创 permanent residency reform has a glaring blind spot
Japan's immigration reforms risk creating uncertainty by tying permanent residency more closely to language proficiency before clear assessment standards and supporting infrastructure are in place.
Japan weighs how to evacuate thousands of tourists if Mount Fuji erupts
Climbers and visitors gather on the first day of the climbing season at the Fuji Yoshidaguchi Trail, at the fifth station on the slopes of Mount Fuji, in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, on July 1, 2024.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Famima Park Azabudai is a concept store by FamilyMart that combines convenience store staples with branded apparel, merchandise and a landscaped outdoor space.
Convenience stores, toilets and the allure of everyday Japan
By Elizabeth Beattie

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