Books, towns, and people connected by a used book market
June 10, 2017, a sunny Saturday in the rainy season.
On the day of the 7th edition of the popular second-hand book market "Book Carnival in Kamakura 2017", many people were waiting for the doors to open in front of the Yuigahama Public Hall and the traditional Japanese house "Garden & Space Kurukuru". rice field. The organizer of the event is Kamakura's popular second-hand bookstore "books moblo".
Inside the venue, there are 35 small bookstores that display books selected by various people with their skills. Picture books, photo books, literature, travel books, shops that only sell "scary" books, and booths that handle local little presses with high-quality designs. It's a paradise. The ages of our customers are also diverse. Young women, couples, mothers and children, everyone enjoys looking for books in their own way.
Venue of Book Carnival in Kamakura, Yuigahama Community Center. Amazing heat right from the start!
"Garden & Space Kurukuru" Book hunting at a venue with a beautiful garden. Dream time.
The fun doesn't stop there. First of all, a stamp rally connecting the venues. If you collect stamps while looking at the general stores scattered along the way or having a cup of tea at the cafe, you will receive an original fashionable eco bag.
In addition, there are plenty of projects suitable for Kamakura, the town of literary people, such as talk events with writers related to Kamakura, bookbinding workshops that are fully booked, storytelling for children, and "adult reading". . "Book Carnival in Kamakura" is a dense book festival that you can choose according to your taste.
The 4th Odawara Book Market, which was held the following week on June 17th, was a bustling day with a constant stream of people immediately after the venue opened.
There were 30 groups at three venues, centered around the Midori Kominkan near the station, the Hirai Bookstore parking lot, and the former Mifuku shared space. At the booths of Michiko Yazuki, a novelist from Odawara, and Tomoko Fuyukawa, a manga artist, there were customers who came from far away to get their books signed.
Venue of Odawara Book Market, Midori Community Center. The booth of local novelists Michiko Yazuki and Tomoko Fuyukawa.
The feature of the Odawara Book Market is the “Machinaka Venue”. In addition to the main venue, cafes and shops will open bookstores for one day only, arranging books with a selection that is unique to each shop. Visitors enjoy book hunting while looking for shops with the venue map distributed on the day.
Live performances are also held at the town center venue "Cafe mago", which was visited by many people who live in Odawara for the first time.
One of the pleasures of the used book market is to tour around the city. While walking in search of a destination, you will step into an alley you have never walked before, or encounter the charm of a store that you never had the chance to enter.
A day enjoyed by everyone involved
When you find a book that makes your heart flutter, you will be overwhelmed with happiness, as if you could understand each other without having to talk to each other. "There was a boy who asked his mother to buy Shigeru Mizuki's manga for him. I'm so happy that an unexpected person bought it for me."
The shopkeepers, who became neighbors on the day of the event, got to know each other as time passed, and had a lively conversation about books.
At each venue, book-loving volunteer staff supported the stamp rally reception and directions. Guidance at the venue, taking care of the owner, dealing with customers, patrolling between venues... I was in charge of a lot of work, but it was impressive that everyone was having a great time exchanging words. The kindness and smiles of "I want customers and shop owners to enjoy themselves!" brought people together and made the whole event warm and bright.
The decoration of the venue is also handmade by the staff. The ceiling decoration of this type was swaying in the wind.
A second-hand book market set in the city connects people
According to Ms. Keiko Ushiyama, the editor of Odawara Book Market, this time there were many cases where shopkeepers in the town came up with their own "production to liven up the Odawara Book Market", and I feel that it has become established little by little. That's what I'm talking about. Some people visit the store again after the event and become regulars. It seems that it was a day when many invisible small connections were born.
The parking lot of Hirai Bookstore, a bookstore in the city, is also at the venue.
At the second-hand book market, there are many secret exchanges of hearts through books, which are related to a place that is dear to everyone's heart. After reading it, I want to talk about it, and I want to visit the place where I met the book again.
The popularity of second-hand book markets remains undiminished, even as people say they are ditching the printed materials, perhaps because communication through "books" quietly and deeply connects people.
