David & Goliath in Japan

Asahi has a Story on the record number of small book shops closing in Japan.


They say about1,300 bookstores closed last year and 6,400 have disappeared since 1995. Most big stores are not in much better shape, this is a result of a bubble in the book retailing business.


Bookstores also face tough competition from discount stores selling remaindered or almost-new books, from online bookstores, public libraries and “manga cafes,\’\’ where customers can browse among current manga comic.

I think we have now run this same story from the US, Ireland, England, and now Japan.