Circular Yokohama held “Exploring Hoshiten: Book Talk! vol.2 – creating community spaces through bookstores”

On February 26, Circular Yokohama, our platform for promoting the circular economy in Yokohama, collaborated with the project “Book and Radio Travel Agency” which has the concept of a “travel agency where books become tickets,” to hold a reading event titled “Exploring Hoshiten: Book Talk! vol.2 – creating community spaces through bookstores.”

The theme of the second “Exploring Hoshiten: Book Talk!” was to “create books and spaces to weave the future through dialogue with bookstores.” The event first featured a talk session by two people who run “places with books” in the Hoshiten area of Yokohama, then followed by a networking session where participants could also join in.

Background of the event “Exploring Hoshiten: Book Talk! vol.2 – creating community spaces through bookstores”

“A city you love has a bookstore, a bakery, and a public bath you love.”

Someone once said this. Perhaps there is a favorite place in your favorite city where you feel comfortable.

But what if there is no such place in your city?

“If there isn’t, let’s create it ourselves!”

You can expect something interesting might happen in a city where people think like this.

Yokohama has long been said to have “few independent bookstores,” but in recent years, the number of unique “places with books” has actually been increasing. This event was the second in a series of talk events featuring two people who run places with books in the Hoshiten area of Yokohama.

A scene from a past event

The guest invited this time was Takugo Tomita of the Tennocho store of Miraiya Shoten Bookstore, which has stores in Aeon shopping centers nationwide. Tomita, a seasoned store manager, has been a bookseller since he joined the company after graduating from university.

In the first half of the event, the two people who run small “places with books” interviewed　Tomita, who runs a large “place with books” in the city.

“Why did you become a bookseller?”
“What are your focuses in terms of creating a store and shelves?”
“What are the challenges unique to large bookstores, and what are some things you would like to do with people in the local community?”

They talked about books and space creation from their respective viewpoints and values.

In the second half of the event, there was also a networking session.

Participants enjoyed a lively “Book Talk!” about:

• Recommended books and bookstores
• Common experiences with reading
• How to become a better reader

A scene from a past event

[Reference page] “Exploring Hoshiten: Book Talk! #2 – Create Books & Spaces to Weave the Future through Discussion with Bookstores” to be held on February 26 | Circular Yokohama
(in Japanese)
[Related site] Circular Yokohama