You might argue that it's hardly a bookstore if you can't go in and spend at least a few hours browsing¹ through hundreds of volumes, but Morioka never intended to create a classic bookstore. It's like a weekly 'suggested reading' service - you just go in and pick up the book chosen for the week, relieving yourself of the burden of choice. Morioka said he came up with the idea a store that solely² focused on one book at a time after organising several book-launch events at his old bookstore.

 

"Before opening this bookstore in Ginza, I had been running another one in Kayabacho for 10 years," Morioka told The Guardian³. "There, I had around 200 books as stock, and used to organise⁴ several book launches per year. During such events, a lot of people visited the store for the sake of a single book. As I experienced this for some time, I started to believe that perhaps with only one book, a bookstore could be managed."To finance the store, Morioka sold his huge collection of Japanese wartime propaganda, famous for the quirky, strong graphics⁵.

 

The store itself is minimal⁶, with concrete walls and ceiling barely covered in a thin coat of white paint, and the raw concrete floor left as is. A vintage chest of drawers doubles as a counter, while a flimsy table in the center displays the title of the week.

 

According to Morioka, his concept has a distinct advantage - the bookstore can serve as an exhibition for the book and its world, making the story come alive for customers. "For instance, when selling a book on flowers, in the store could be exhibited a flower that actually appears in the book," he said. "Also, I ask the authors and editors to be at the bookstore for as much time as possible. This is an attempt to make the two-dimensional book into three-dimensional ambience and experience. I believe that the customers, or readers, should feel as though they are entering 'inside a book.'"

点击收听单词发音