Amid concerns that younger Japanese are not avid readers, like their older counterparts, Tokyo's Kanda-Jimbocho district, famed for its stores selling used books, is boasting innovative ideas to attract more customers.
Home to more than 150 such stores, the Kanda-Jimbocho district saw the opening of a new headquarters of the Tokyo Antiquarian Bookseller's Cooperative earlier this month. The building will serve as an information center on secondhand bookstores and inventories. It also has rooms for exhibitions and cultural events.
"We want to turn the building into a space that links secondhand bookstores to customers, by showing items that can also be understood by the younger generation," co-op spokesman Tomoaki Kitahara said.