Japan Cabinet Members Voice Support for Bookstore Proposal; Minister Says Stores Offer Place to ‘Learn Diverse Values, Develop Creativity’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:35 JST, February 8, 2025

Cabinet members and related parties spoke about the necessity of promoting bookstores on Friday in response to a joint proposal compiled by The Yomiuri Shimbun and Kodansha Ltd. for revitalizing bookstores in Japan.

In March last year, the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry formed a team to promote bookstores and started implementing measures to support them.

“Bookstores are suffering from fewer customers because of people shifting away from reading; delays in digital transformation in the bookstore and publishing industries; and the burden of introducing cashless payment systems,” said economy minister Yoji Muto. “It is necessary to take measures to address these challenges.”

The government plans to draw up its own plan for revitalizing bookstores in cooperation with related government offices this spring.

“We would like to compile the plan in cooperation with relevant ministries and agencies, with the proposal [by The Yomiuri Shimbun and Kodansha] in mind,” the Muto said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi stressed the importance of bookstores.

“Bookstores play an important role as a place where people learn diverse values and develop creativity,” Hayashi said. “Relevant ministries and agencies will work together to reinvigorate bookstores.”

Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Toshiko Abe said the ministry will also make efforts to promote reading activities.

“[Bookstores] are the foundation for spreading the culture of the printed word in local communities,” Abe said. “We would like to help with drawing up the government plan from the viewpoint of promoting reading and revitalizing the culture of the printed work.”

The joint proposal by The Yomiuri Shimbun and Kodansha also identified for the need to support bookstores in regional areas as a measure to promote local economies.

“To create an environment that makes it easier to open new bookstores, we may be able to use the government’s new regional revitalization grant to support the revitalization of shopping districts and city centers, including local bookstores,” said regional revitalization minister Yoshitaka Ito.

Bookstores also serve as a distribution base for content such as manga.

“It’s important to revitalize bookstores as the center of culture from the perspective of the Cool Japan strategy,” said Minoru Kiuchi, minister for the Cool Japan strategy.

Junko Mihara, minister for measures for declining birthrate, said she will make efforts to offer help from the viewpoint of having children be well-rounded.

Digital minister Masaaki Taira stressed the importance of digitization, which maximizes the value of analog content.

“While the internet tends to make people passive due to filter settings or recommendations [of books to users], people can expect fortunate coincidences at bookstores,” Taira said. “The digital ministry would like to consider what can be done.”

Former industry minister Ken Saito set up the project team at the ministry to promote bookstores when he was in the post.

“The declining number of bookstores is a serious problem that could deteriorate Japan’s national strength,” Saito told The Yomiuri Shimbun. “I find it very reassuring that an influential media outlet has made the proposal. I want the government as a whole to make further steps.”

Kazuhiro Sato, president of Yaesu Book Center, which operates bookstores mainly in the Tokyo metropolitan area, said the proposal will help people become aware of the fact that seeing bookstores in their neighborhood is becoming less common. “We would like to make our bookstores an essential place for local communities and not just a place that sells books,” Sato said. “We want to make bookstores a place where people can have more opportunities to come in contact with books.”