Autumn Reading Promotion Month: Let’s Have Time to Calmly Focus on Books

Editorial

15:08 JST, October 30, 2024

As the season of autumn progresses, it is a time when people are inclined to turn the pages of a book in peace and quiet. It is hoped that people will visit bookstores and enjoy an unexpected encounter with a book.

“Autumn reading promotion month” has begun. During this period, events will be held in various locations, such as those inviting authors to share the appeal of books. Such occasions will hopefully be an opportunity for even people who do not usually read much to become interested in books.

According to a survey conducted by the Cultural Affairs Agency in fiscal 2023, more than 60% of all respondents who were asked how many books they read in a month answered that they “do not read” any books. Nearly 70% of the respondents answered that their amount of reading was “decreasing.”

The main reason for these answers is that people spend more time using information devices such as smartphones, according to the survey.

The number of bookstores nationwide is also decreasing. More than a quarter of municipalities do not have a single bookstore in the community. The challenge is to find ways to protect towns’ bookstores where people can casually drop by.

Bookstores have a collection of books in a variety of genres, and there are moments when people unexpectedly come across a good book. A book that a person happens to pick up by chance can have a great impact on their life.

In recent years, unique bookstores have been increasing in various locations, such as bookshops with art galleries or cafes built on the same premises. There are noticeable examples in which some stores are showing ingenuity in their book selection, such as collecting books that introduce local history and nature, and picture books for children.

The success of such initiatives as speaking events with authors as guests and book reading events is gradually enhancing momentum to reevaluate the value of bookstores as cultural centers for local communities. It might be fun to walk around town looking for a bookstore that suits one’s tastes.

This year, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry conducted a survey of the business environment for bookstores. As a result, issues to be addressed emerged, including the low profits of bookstores as a percentage of sales and bookshops suffering from severe competition with online bookstores that offer services such as reward points and free shipping.

The current situation in which public libraries purchase multiple copies of popular new books and lend them out to many people was also cited by some as a contributing factor to the pressure on bookstores’ business, according to the survey.

The government should provide multifaceted support to bookstores to improve their management and business practices. It may also be necessary to devise ways to increase the profit margins of bookstores. It goes without saying that bookstores must make efforts on their own to create attractive stores.

They need to deepen cooperation with public libraries, which sometimes have conflicting interests, to improve the reading environment.

The ministry sees books as important for acquiring knowledge, pointing out that if their distribution were to stagnate, it could affect the nation’s very foundation and international competitiveness. It is important for society as a whole to share this sense of urgency.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 30, 2024)