S1E34: Japan fights to save its beloved bookshops

The Straits Times Podcasts

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry wants to take action to get people to return to brick-and-mortar stores.

Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times chats with ST’s correspondents in the Asia-Pacific, the US and Europe, about life as it goes on, amid the screaming headlines and bubbling crises.

The Japanese are sentimental about bookstores, viewing them as precious communal spaces that do more than just sell books.

And yet, fewer and fewer are going to these stores, in line with global trends.

What is more surprising is how the Japanese government has decided to seize the problem by its horns, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry setting up a taskforce to look into the matter, even as the bookshops themselves are striving to find fresh ways to appeal to customers.

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying chats with Japan Correspondent Walter Sim on why the Japanese government has decided to be so interventionist.

Highlights (click/tap above):
1:59 One in two Japanese read “less than one book” every six months

3:26 Why the Japanese are sentimental about bookshops

6:15 A “psychic” bookseller in Osaka

10:06 Laments at shuttered shops but it’s too late

12:15 Taking action

17:12 Walter’s favourite bookshops in Japan

Read Walter Sim’s article here: https://str.sg/AWsW

Produced by: Li Xueying ([e-mail]) and Fa’izah Sani

Edited by: Fa’izah Sani

Follow Letter From The Bureau Podcast every first Friday of the month here:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWa7

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWa8

Spotify: https://str.sg/JWaX

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: [e-mail]

Read Li Xueying’s articles: https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/ip4x

Read Walter Sim's articles: https://str.sg/wHY2

Read ST's Letters From The Bureau: https://str.sg/3xRd

Register for Asian Insider newsletter: https://str.sg/stnewsletters

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#STAsianInsider

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bab

1. Japan fights to save its beloved bookshops (00:00:00)

2. 1 in 2 read less than a book every 6 months (00:01:59)

3. Why Japanese are sentimental about bookshops (00:03:26)

4. A “psychic” bookseller in Osaka (00:06:15)

5. Lamenting over shuttered shops: Too late? (00:10:06)

6. Intervention? (00:12:15)

7. Walter’s favourite bookshops in Japan (00:17:12)