It's a long long way from the not so gentle giant Amazon who's existence has been responsible for putting thousands of traditional bookstores around the world out of business.
The little bookshop displays perhaps the most ultimate minimalist philosophy, desiring that the potential reader has the opportunity to focus on just the one very carefully selected item rather than being deluged by choice. How beautiful.
An oasis of calm in the retailing storm...
Such a different book store and such a brave idea made me curious. I looked at the home page and found out that a part of the concept includes "an event to gather every night". Wow how innovative Mr. Yoshiyuki Morioka are. I also read that he was involved in the Japanese Translation of Leonard Koren's "Wabi-Sabi for artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers".
ReplyDeleteI see a wholeness in the philosophy, the shop, the beauty and simplicity that's worth paying attention.
Thank you for the way you broaden my horizon, Keith.
Nice for the new generation of tiny brains, with a short attention span.
ReplyDeleteGive me the old fashioned bookstore like Borders, where you could browse happily for hours, often on a journey of discovery. Or sit and try the goods while you have a coffee, and a chat to the other browsers.
Stimulation of the mind and colour and artistry and the fellowship of other book lovers.
I do hope the idea doesn't catch on.
People are such sheep, and bored with the status quo to the extent they will latch onto any new idea just because it is new, no other reason, to feel they are "in with the new and the trendy".....Jennybee
Borders is even too big and commercial. I was lucky enough to live in Minnesota and experience even smaller , personal bookstores who also ordered for two local colleges. They were small little worlds in themselves The owner was often hanging around to help. I really miss them. They were on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, Mn
DeleteYour oasis of calm statement, Keith really appeals to the idealist in me but idealism doesn't pay the rent or mortgage. With prices being what they are all over Japan and especially in Tokyo, it must be the "nightly event" that brings in the cold, hard cash to support life's realities. Unless of course the owner is independently wealthy and trivialities like rent, utilities and food on the table don't matter.
ReplyDeleteWho knows Suzy about the owner's situation but it's nice to find idealism is alive and well...
DeleteNice to see the world still has room for such interesting things.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love a huge unruly pile of books to dig through, the clean minimalist concept is refreshing.
How exactly has Amazon put bookstores out of business? Same line all the people claiming Walmart has put stores out of business. - It's not Amazon or Walmart putting stores out of business.
ReplyDeleteIt's the people who choose to stop shopping at smaller stores and spend their money with these mega corporations that are putting small businesses out of business..