Relax! Go ahead, read a book.

Article 5 - Relax! Go ahead, read a book. I know that there are book lovers among us here on this blog. After all, you wouldn’t be reading this if there wasn’t an interest in learning new and interesting things. And so today we’re going to the bookstore. Hop on your bike, pedal a bit while dodging the metal poles that are sticking up in the middle of the sidewalk to prevent motorbikes and vehicles from using the large sidewalks to escape traffic. You’re almost there! You’re going to pass, on the left, a group of seven high school students who are riding laden with gym bags and merrily chatting without looking where they’re going. One of them swerves toward you, but your reflexes make quick work of it. This is a skill you can perfect in Japan, after all. It’s best if we don’t get hit by that car whose driver isn’t looking in our direction, after all. Pedal…pedal…pedal… Congratulations, you’ve arrived. Let’s park the bike in the bicycle parking lot. Don't forget where it is! It'll take you ages to find it later if you do, since all of the bikes look the same.

Head across the plaza and up the stairs. Look at all the signs and find the one marked by the character for book. The character is pretty simple, and the sign is usually some bright color.

One step inside will show you why I had you go to the bookstore before you even unpacked your suitcase. Then again, maybe it's not so impressive to people who haven't come from a state where the nearest book store is a thirty minute drive. In Japan, regardless of where you are, there is almost always a book store an approximate five minute walk away, under that bright sign.

On average, a new novel in small paperback form costs roughly 450 yen. At today's current exchange rate, $1US equals roughly 90 Yen. This style of book that is no bigger than your outstretched hand and can fit in your pocked is extremely popular, and I don't quite know why it hasn't picked up in other countries as well.

Hard covers range anywhere from $8 to $25. Textbooks, from $15 to $65. Strangely, I don't remember paying more than $25 for a textbook while I was abroad. Quite the difference from the United States.

There are plenty of magazines on fashion, motorcross, sports, travelling, current events, science, and other catagories laid out on the shelves in a colorful fashion as well. The best part is undoubtedly the fact that all books that are not in some sort of wrap are laid on the shelves with the expectation that you, the customer, are going to spend 10 minutes to a couple of hours deciding whether or not you're going to buy it.

I don't know how bookstores in Japan manage to make a modest profit when more than half of the people in the store at one time are reading their favorite book and not buying anything. It might be from all of the pens and stationery that get sold at $4 or more a piece. Japan is serious about its pens and pencils.

And then there's Manga, or Japanese Illistrative Books. You can expect that part of each store will be dedicated to this popular form of media, and for good reason. There is a huge market for this form of easy reading among people from all age groups.

Here's a snapshot of a display of popular travel magazines. Can you spot the one for Okinawa?