A woman accompanying her children in Halloween costume casts her ballot in the general election at a polling station in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, October 27, 2024. - Reuters
TOKYO (Japan News/ANN): Support provided to bookstores by national and local governments found favour among 79% of respondents in a nationwide survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun, with 18% saying they are against it.
A project team set up by the Economy, Trade and Industry Ministry to support bookstores plans to establish a liaison council of related ministries and agencies by the end of the year to strengthen support. The team was established under the direct supervision of the economy minister.
The move to position bookstores as cultural hubs stems from the concern that disruption in book distribution could impact the foundation and competitiveness of the nation.
Asked whether they feel uneasy about the decline of bookstores, 63% of respondents said they do, with 35% saying they do not. Of those who feel uneasy, 89% were in favor of governments supporting bookstores, and so were 63% of those who said they do not feel uneasy.
When asked whether they feel that the number of bookstores in their area is decreasing, 65% of respondents said they do, while 33% said they do not.
According to the survey, the percentage of people who are in favor of offering support to bookstores was in the 70%-80% range in each age group, which seems to show that the understanding of the move by the governments is spreading.
When asked where they buy books, with multiple answers allowed, physical bookstores were the most common answer at 74%. It was followed by online bookstores, which was selected by 30%.
The most common answer for all age groups was physical bookstores, and percentages were higher among younger age groups.
When asked what they want from bookstores, with multiple answers allowed, 56% cited a “wide selection of books,” while 39% said they want a “location in their neighborhood.” Bookstores where “books are easy to find such as through a search system” followed at 25%.
The percentage of respondents who said they go to a bookstore at least once a month was 43%, down from 51% in last year’s survey.
When asked if they had read a book in the past month, 47% said they had, while 51% had not.
The mail-in survey was conducted from Aug. 20 to Sept. 26 with 3,000 eligible voters nationwide, and 2,025, or 68%, gave valid responses. The survey was held in conjunction with autumn reading promotion month which runs from Oct. 26 to Nov. 24. - Japan News/ANN
