A used book market connects books, towns, and people.
June 10, 2017, a sunny Saturday with blue skies during the rainy season.
On the day of the popular used book fair "Book Carnival in Kamakura 2017", which will be held for the 7th time, many people were waiting in front of "Yugahama Public Hall" and the old folk house "Garden & Space Kurukuru" for the doors to open. Ta. The event was hosted by ``books moblo,'' a popular used bookstore in Kamakura.
Inside the venue, there are 35 small bookstores displaying books carefully selected by various people. There are shops selling only picture books, photo books, literature, travel books, and even ``scary'' books, as well as booths selling local Little Press books with high-quality designs. It's paradise. The customers are of various ages. Young women, couples, mothers and children all enjoy searching for books in their own way.
Yuigahama Community Center, venue for Book Carnival in Kamakura. It was very exciting right from the start!
“Garden & Space Kurukuru” Book hunting at a venue with a beautiful garden. A dream-like time.
The fun doesn't stop there. First up is the stamp rally that connects the venue. If you collect stamps while browsing the general stores scattered along the way or having tea at the cafe, you can receive an original and stylish eco bag.
In addition, there are many events befitting Kamakura, the city of writers, such as talk events featuring writers with connections to Kamakura, bookbinding workshops that are fully booked by reservation, reading sessions for children, and "adult reading sessions." . ``Book Carnival in Kamakura'' is a rich book festival where you can choose according to your taste.
The 4th Odawara Book Market, which was held the following week on June 17th, was also a busy day with a steady stream of people arriving from the moment the venue opened.
There were 30 groups in three venues: the Midori Community Center near the station, the Hirai Shoten parking lot, and the shared space Old Sanfuku. At the booths of Odawara-born novelist Michiko Yazuki and manga artist Tomoko Fuyukawa, some customers came from far away to have their books autographed.
Midori Community Center is the venue for the Odawara Book Market. Booths by local novelists Michiko Yazuki and Tomoko Fuyukawa.
Odawara Book Market is characterized by its "machinaka venue." In addition to the main venue, cafes and shops will open bookstores for one day only, displaying books with their own unique selections. Customers can enjoy book hunting while searching for stores with venue maps distributed on the day.
Live performances are also held at the downtown venue ``Kissa Mago,'' which was visited by many people living in Odawara but visiting for the first time.
One of the fun things about a used book market is walking around the city. While walking in search of a destination, you may step into an alleyway you have never walked before, or discover the charm of a store you have never had the chance to enter.The venue map is a treasure map that you can use for years to come.
A day enjoyed by everyone involved
When I walk into a store and find a book that makes my heart flutter, I often feel a sense of joy as if we can relate to each other, even without having to have a conversation. ``There was a boy who asked his mother to buy Shigeru Mizuki's manga for him.'' I'm really happy that someone I didn't expect would buy it,'' said the shop owner.
As time passes, the shopkeepers who sit next to each other on the day get to know each other and get excited about talking about books.
At each venue, book-loving volunteer staff supported the operation by accepting stamp rallies and providing directions. I was impressed by how much fun everyone was exchanging words with each other, even though they were responsible for a lot of work: guiding people around the venue, taking care of store owners and customers, and patrolling between venues. Their kindness and smiles, such as "I want our customers and shop owners to have fun!", brought people together and made the whole event warm and bright.
The decoration of the venue was also handmade by the staff. The book-shaped ceiling decorations were swaying in the wind.
A used book market set in the city connects people.
According to Keiko Ushiyama, an editor who runs the Odawara Book Market, there were many cases where store owners in the town came up with their own ideas for ``staging that would liven up the Odawara Book Market,'' and I feel that it may have gradually become established. That's what he said. Some people even come back to the store after the event and become regulars. It seems that it was a day that gave rise to many invisible connections.
The parking lot of Hirai Shoten, a bookstore in the city, was also the venue.
Many secret emotional exchanges are exchanged at the used book market through books, which are connected to a place deep within everyone's heart. After reading it, I want to talk about it, and I want to revisit the place where I first encountered the book.
The reason why used book markets remain popular even though people say people are moving away from print may be because communication through books quietly and deeply connects people.
