Japan's numbers of one of my favorite places are dwindling...

One of my favorite things to do in Japan has always been wandering around bookstores. Even if I don't buy anything, I can happily lose an hour or two browsing the shelves, and some of them feel very much like destinations in their own right. For instance, the Tsutaya store in Daikanyama is one of those places I'll happily recommend to anyone visiting Tokyo, whether they're a book lover or not.

I love the architecture at the Tsutaya in Daikanyama!

I did feel a little sad recently reading that Japan now has fewer than 10,000 bookstores for the first time.

According to new figures from the Japan Publishing Organization for Information Infrastructure Development (JPO), there were 9,993 bookstores across the country at the end of March 2026. Back in 1998, there were more than 24,000, and last year alone, 499 bookstores closed, while only 102 new ones opened.

It's not just the numbers that surprised me. Nearly 30% of municipalities in Japan no longer have a bookstore selling newly released books, meaning for many people, a trip to the bookstore isn't something they can do close to home anymore.

I know plenty of people read digitally these days, and Japan isn't alone in seeing bookshops disappear. I think there's something special about Japanese bookstores, though, in that they're not just places to buy books. They're often architectural marvels, somewhere to slow down, discover a new author, browse beautiful stationery, or find a magazine you didn't even know existed.

Do you still visit physical bookstores, or do you order things online or use an e-reader?