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“Publishing culture is practically synonymous with Japanese culture; it is like a mirror reflecting Japan as it is today.” Sanseido Bookstore’s Kanda-Jimbocho Main Store reopened on March 19, 2026. President Takao Kamei talks about the role of the bookstore and his feelings for the town of Jimbocho. (From the final part of the interview, Hon no Machi, May 2026 issue)
On March 19, Sanseido Bookstore’s Kanda-Jimbocho Main Store celebrated its long-awaited reopening. It is a fresh start for a bookstore that has long been a Jimbocho landmark.
Books as a Medium
When we first asked about the role of the bookstore, Kamei said:
“Above all, it’s to protect publishing culture. I think the bookstore is its most important base. Publishing culture is practically synonymous with Japanese culture; I think it’s like a mirror reflecting Japan as it is today.”
But that publishing culture is now at a major turning point.
“The market keeps shrinking, and the situation is very precarious. That’s exactly why we have to join hands with everyone in the industry and search for ways to sustain it. I believe the Jimbocho main store has to become the symbol of that.”
The way people get information has shifted to smartphones and all sorts of other media. But Kamei says, “Smartphones are certainly convenient. Still, I want to get across that books continue to play a vital role in helping people think things through and live thoughtfully.”
The value of books, he says, lies in the way they let you organize information systematically and understand it.
“When you watch news or videos on a smartphone, the information inevitably ends up fragmented. You might become well informed, but it’s hard to become truly cultured, if you like. With a book, pieces of information link up properly, and knowledge and ideas in a particular field take shape. A book is a luxurious medium in which your own thinking and will come into play, and in that sense, I think reading books can change something like the depth of a person.”
He also touched on the appeal of physical bookstores.
“I suppose it’s being able to pick a book up and check what’s inside. You can look at the cover, the table of contents, the style of the Japanese prose and so on, and decide whether the book is right for you. I think that’s an appeal only a physical bookstore can offer.”
The Town of Jimbocho and Its Bookstores
The conversation broadened to the town of Jimbocho.
Kamei describes Sanseido Bookstore’s role as “the town’s entrance.”
“As a landmark, I hope we can serve as the entrance to the town. Books connect with everything. They can link up in all sorts of ways with Ogawamachi, the town of sporting goods, and with Ochanomizu, the town of musical instruments.”
He pictures a scene in which the pleasures of the town spread out from the bookstore.
“Someone comes to buy a book and, before they know it, they’ve dropped into a sporting goods store or had a meal at a curry restaurant. I’d love for us to be a kind of entrance that’s useful to the people of the town.”
Finally, Kamei had this message for readers:
“Jimbocho is a truly enjoyable town. The scenery changes every time you come, and so do the bookstore floors. As Sanseido Bookstore, of course, but also as one member of Jimbocho, we want to work with the people of the town to make it a place you’ll want to come back to again and again.”
A bookstore is an entrance to the world. And within the town of Jimbocho, too, it hopes to be an entrance leading to knowledge and culture—those were the feelings that came through in his words. (The end)
Sanseido Bookstore Kanda-Jimbocho Main Store
1-1 Kanda-Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Reopened March 19, 2026
Nearest station: Jimbocho Station (Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway)
*Please check the official website for hours.
Takao Kamei
President and CEO of Sanseido Bookstore. On March 19, 2026, he reopened the Kanda-Jimbocho Main Store.
Interview and text: Rin Mizuki
Hon no Machi editorial team. In charge of the series “The People Who Weave Book Town.”
Interview with Takao Kamei, President of Sanseido Bookstore (3 parts)
Part 1 A Bookstore Is a Door to the World: What It Means to “Keep Going” as a Bookstore in the Heart of Jimbocho
Part 2 The Future of Bookstores Lies in “Multiplication”
Part 3 “A Bookstore Is the Town’s Entrance”: Protecting Japanese Culture Through a Jimbocho Bookstore
This article was published in the May 2026 issue (Vol. 13) of Hon no Machi, the community salon magazine of Kanda, Ochanomizu and Jimbocho. You can read the full text, along with the other articles, in the PDF.
▶Read the May 2026 issue of Hon no Machi (PDF, in Japanese)
Founded in 1980, Hon no Machi brings you the latest from Book Town every month, together with Jimbocho’s bookstores, publishers, cafés and galleries.
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日本語で読む — Read this article in Japanese