An event is being held in Yurakucho, Tokyo where used bookstores from Japan and abroad gather to sell rare books and historical materials.
(Event ends at 4pm on the 17th)
This event is held once every two years by a group of second-hand bookstores across the country, and this year, 28 second-hand bookstores from Japan and abroad collected approximately 5,000 items including historically valuable books, ukiyo-e prints, and letters. is on sale.
Among these, The Tale of Genji, which is said to have been written in the early Edo period, is valued at 25 million yen because it has a gorgeous cover with cranes and pine trees drawn in gold and silver paint.
At the venue, booths were set up for each store, and visitors could actually pick up books and talk with the sellers.
A man in his 50s living in Tokyo said, ``This is the first time I've found an original illustration from a picture book I own for sale, and although the price isn't cheap, I'm debating whether to buy it or not.'' .
The organizer, Atsushi Kataoka, vice president of the Japan Antiquarian Book Dealers Association, said, ``We hope you will come and see the collection of rare books from Japan and abroad that are normally only found in art galleries and museums.''
This event will be held at Tokyo Kotsu Kaikan in Yurakucho, Tokyo until 4pm on the 17th.