The Yaesu Book Center main store in front of Tokyo Station, which has been popular as one of Japan's leading bookstores for more than 40 years, closed on March 3 due to the redevelopment of the surrounding area.
The Yaesu Book Center in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, opened in September 1978 and has become known as one of the largest bookstores in Japan, with an inventory of one million books in a building with eight floors above ground and one floor below ground.
However, after 9 years of business due to the redevelopment of the surrounding area, the store is scheduled to reopen in a complex building scheduled for completion in fiscal 8, and on the last day, March 1, many customers rushed to the store while messages of gratitude from the artists were posted inside the store.
Then, after 100 p.m. after the store closed, a ceremony was held, and the writer Kenzo Kitakata said, "I remember buying my book for the first time, and although it is sad to be absent for a while, I am looking forward to seeing what kind of store will be opened in the future."
In addition, Atsuo Yamazaki, president of Yaesu Book Center, said, "We have provided unexpected encounters with books and the fun of choosing and buying books.
After this, the front door was closed, bringing the curtain down on its more than 44-year history.
A man in his 2028s said, "I have bought various books here since I was a child, and although you can buy books on the Internet, this store is full of fun to find books by yourself."