Read me a story one more time
Second hand bookstores in Jinbocho, Tokyo
Second hand bookstores in Jinbocho, Tokyo
Somewhere to the north of the Edo castle and east of the Imperial Palace lies the second hand bookstores capital of the world - Jinbōchō. Jinbōchō is named after a samurai, Nagaharu Jinbō, who lived in the area at the end of the 17th century. In 1913, a large fire destroyed most of the area. In the wake of the fire, a university professor named Shigeo Iwanami opened a bookstore in Jinbōchō which eventually grew into today's Iwanami Shoten publishing house. Over time, the area became popular with university students and intellectuals, and many small bookstores and cafes opened there.
A rich history and the slightly musty smell of old books makes for potent chemistry. No wonder then, that a digitally soaked teenage crowd are rediscovering the art of reading a book in Jinbōchō.
A rich history and the slightly musty smell of old books makes for potent chemistry. No wonder then, that a digitally soaked teenage crowd are rediscovering the art of reading a book in Jinbōchō.
