A 13-minute walk from HOTEL RESOL STAY AKIHABARA. On the way to Kanda Myojin Shrine, a symbol of the Kanda area, you will see a deep blue roof and a sign that says "Saitousha Bookstore."

Saitosha Bookstore was created with the concept of "A bookstore that thinks of paper," and sells paper items such as books and postcards selected with a paper theme.

A store that began with the desire to "rekindle the culture of paper"

The reason why Saitosha Bookstore turned its attention to the culture of paper lies in the roots of the store owner, Mr. Nakamura. Mr. Nakamura's ancestors have been in the paper business since the Edo period, and Mr. Nakamura himself grew up in an environment where he was familiar with various types of paper from an early age.

However, in recent years, with the advancement of electronics and paperless society, people have fewer opportunities to come into contact with paper. If things continue like this, the depth of paper and the culture that paper has nurtured may be lost. Feeling a sense of crisis, Nakamura decided to create a place where people could experience paper culture. In January 2022, he opened "Saitosha Bookstore," which sells books, a part of the paper culture that is familiar to us, and paper products such as stationery.

The exterior and interior of the store are dotted with herringbone-like patterns. This is called a higakimon, and it is like a symbol of Saitosha Bookstore. It represents an upward movement as it looks like an arrow going up, and it is combined with Saitosha Bookstore's wish to "reignite the culture of paper again."

A store that captures the culture of paper in a broad range and allows you to experience it with all five senses

A major feature of Saitosha Bookstore is that it allows visitors to experience the wide-ranging culture of paper while using all five senses.

Inside the store, large sheets of Echizen washi paper made specially for Saitosha Bookstore are used for the ceiling and bookcase partitions. The soft color of the washi paper, which absorbs the light just right, the way it sways gently in the wind, and the faint sound of the paper clinking allow you to feel the presence of paper with all five senses.

The books in the store are based on the theme of "paper culture" and have been selected by the owner, Nakamura, himself. The genres are diverse, ranging from books about Japanese paper, to paper crafts such as origami, to books about how to write letters and Japanese expressions. He tries to select books that are easy for many people to pick up, and there are books with many photographs and books produced in full color, making them easy to read even for people who are not usually familiar with books.

When you visit Saitosha Bookstore, you'll realize just how diverse the culture that paper has supported, from origami and tanka poetry to interior design. You can casually enjoy the charm of paper, which is something familiar yet also supports Japan's deep culture.

The enriching experience of "selecting" paper

At Saitosha Bookstore, we also value the "fun of choosing paper." For example, we give away one bookmark for every 1,000 yen you spend, and you can freely choose from about 40 different types of paper.

There are also bookmarks made from rare papers that you don't usually see, such as "Kaguya," a paper with a pattern that resembles the craters of the moon, and "Miranda," a paper that gives off a refined, sparkling light. You can enjoy the fun of finding your favorite paper by actually touching the texture and patterns of the paper.

This service has been going on since the shop first opened, and was started by Nakamura, who wanted people to "enjoy the experience of touching paper and choosing which one to use." Through the experience of "selecting," customers can come into contact with various types of paper with different personalities, and discover their own preferences, which leads to an attachment to paper.

A place where you can enjoy both the fun of shopping and the fun of being in the store

Saitosha Bookstore was started with the desire to ignite the culture of paper. The store, which is designed to convey the various charms of paper, is visited by many people from both Japan and abroad.

Paper is the foundation of culture, and there is a saying that "the more paper used, the more mature the culture." To "reignite the culture of paper" may mean increasing the number of people who enjoy culture that uses paper and igniting feelings of familiarity towards paper. The journey of "Saitosha Bookstore," which continues to care about paper and to convey its feelings about paper, continues.

---

Saitosha Bookstore
Address: 1F Lions Plaza Ochanomizu, 1-2-12 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0034
HP: https://saitousha-bookstore.com/
Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/saitousha.bookstore/
*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.