Nestled amidst the hustle and bustle of Osaka lies a "used book street" that the Japanese call Hankyu Used Book Town, home to dozens of small bookstores specializing in rare books, vintage comics, old magazines, and especially art publications such as ukiyo-e paintings.
According to Nikkei Asia, this street, near the bustling Umeda district, is attracting both domestic and international tourists with its rustic wooden bookshelves filled with books printed decades ago, alongside ukiyo-e paintings, antique maps, and handcrafted publications preserved with the care of generations. Domestic tourists, especially young people, come to the book street to find a sense of "analog nostalgia" amidst the digital age. Holding an old book in your hands, smelling the yellowed paper... becomes a unique experience - a "spiritual tonic" that is hard to replace.
For many foreign visitors, this is a treasure hunt for cultural artifacts. They patiently spend hours, sometimes all day, searching for a book printed in the 1960s, a map of Japan from the Meiji era, or even a reproduction of an ancient ukiyo-e print. These items are not merely objects, but also contain memories and distinctive artistic imprints of Japan. Among them, prints and small handicrafts are the "medicine" that helps shop owners maintain their businesses. A reasonably priced ukiyo-e print can be more appealing to Western tourists than a difficult-to-read Japanese novel. This approach demonstrates flexibility, preserving tradition while adapting to the modern world.
For Osaka, the old book street serves both as a testament to memory and a soft strategy to connect the city with the international community through reading culture. Along that street, rustic wooden bookshelves are filled with books printed decades ago, alongside ukiyo-e paintings, antique maps, and handcrafted publications preserved with the respect of generations. The street's special appeal lies not only in the value of each book but also in its unique atmosphere.
According to The Japan Times, Osaka's used book district is becoming a popular stop for collectors, researchers, and adventurous tourists alike. Despite their small size, the shops maintain their operations by preserving traditional values while experimenting with unique products such as ukiyo-e woodblock prints and rare reproductions, breathing new life into the traditional craft.
From a tourism perspective, these streets have become cultural highlights on the map of Japanese experiences. Not only does Osaka quietly preserve its ancient atmosphere, but the trend of restoring and promoting old book streets has also emerged in Jimbocho Street in Tokyo – dubbed Japan's "book sanctuary," home to hundreds of used bookstores of all genres – and Teramachi-dori Street in Kyoto, with its tranquil atmosphere and traditional imagery connected to the present.
This reflects the rise of a cultural trend that seeks out old objects, handicrafts, and traditions, as a natural reaction to the fast-paced life of the digital age. Here, slowness, tangible objects, and the feeling of holding things become precious experiences. And it is precisely because of this that Osaka's old book street is reviving thanks to its quiet and enduring vitality.
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/pho-sach-cu-hoi-sinh-o-nhat-ban-post812929.html
Comment (0)