70% in Favor of Japan Govt Supporting Bookstores, Survey Finds

The Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 JST, October 25, 2025

Seventy percent of respondents said they approve of central government support that improves the business operations of bookstores and encourages people to open new ones, according to a survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun. The percentage of respondents against such measures was 27%.

The nationwide survey was conducted in conjunction with autumn reading promotion month, which is from Oct. 25 to Nov. 23.

In June, the government unveiled a plan to vitalize bookstores to halt the decline in their number, positioning the stores as important cultural centers for local communities. The plan includes support for improving the stores’ operational efficiency and promoting their collaboration with local governments and libraries. The survey results suggest a positive view of these efforts.

Behind the efforts lies a sense of crisis over the decline in the number of bookstores. More than a quarter of municipalities do not have a single bookstore. In the survey, 61% of respondents said the situation needs to be improved, while 36% said it does not. Among the respondents who said the situation needs to be improved, 91% approved of the government’s efforts.

Many respondents expressed their approval of specific support measures in the revitalization plan.

Eighty-six percent of respondents said they approve of government efforts to help translate more Japanese works into foreign languages and promote Japanese books in other countries so that Japanese literature is more known abroad. Only 11% said they do not approve of such efforts.

Eighty-seven percent said they expect picture book specialists who are knowledgeable about such books and are skilled at reading to children will play an active role in promoting children’s reading activities, while 11% said they do not.

According to the survey, only 45% of respondents, down from 47% in last year’s survey, said they had read a book in the past month. Those that said they had not was 54%, up three percentage points from last year. Forty-two percent said they go to bookstores at least once a month, down one percentage point from last year.

In an open-ended question regarding what kind of bookstores are preferred, a man from Kanagawa Prefecture stated that he likes bookstores that have a lot of books for children and encourage them to pick up a book.

The survey was mailed to 3,000 eligible voters nationwide and was conducted from Aug. 25 to Sept. 30. A total of 2,039 individuals responded, for a 68% response rate.