Have you picked it up recently?
Paperback current location December 7 11:05
``Paperback books, which were once easily available, have become 'luxury goods.''
The other day, a post on Twitter appealing for the price increase of paperback books attracted attention.
Are they really going up in price?
Can you unravel the history of paperbacks?
What new developments are there now?
A book-loving interview team tried to find out the latest information.
high?
not high?
acceptance of young people
The interview team headed to Waseda, Tokyo, where bookstores selling new books and second-hand bookstores stand side by side, and interviewed young people.
A 23-year-old man in his fourth year of university
said, "When I picked up my father's paperback books on the bookshelf at my parents' house, the price was about 300 yen.
On the other hand, there are also voices that do not feel expensive.
A 25-year-old female graduate student said,
"I buy one or two books every month, but I don't feel that the price has gone up that much. Looking at the paperback books on the bookshelf, I thought, 'I used to like this kind of book back then.'" I'm thinking about it."
I also spoke with international students.
In Europe and the United States, books in the style of paperbacks, which are equivalent to Japanese paperbacks, are widely popular, but they are said to be more expensive than Japanese paperbacks.
A 23-year-old woman studying abroad from the
UK "I think the price of a 'paperback' in the UK is £10, or around 1,600 yen at the current exchange rate. In Japan, there are paperback books that can be purchased for less than 1,000 yen, so it's not cheap. mosquito"
Are paperbacks really getting expensive?
According to the Research Institute for Publishing Science, the average price of a paperback book was 467 yen in 1991, but has risen year by year to 732 yen in 2021.
This represents an increase of approximately 57% over the last 30 years.
A paperback book that could be bought with one coin in the past.
Paperback books that cost more than 1,000 yen are no longer rare.
Masaharu Kubo, senior researcher at the Research Institute for Publishing, said, ``Smartphones have become widespread, entertainment is diversifying, and sales of paperback books, which were cheap and could be read as if to pass the time, have fallen, and the number of copies is limited. The price will inevitably rise due to the increase in the price of materials.
"Bunko" culture that expanded encounters with books
Paperbacks were first published in Japan from the end of the Meiji period to the beginning of the Taisho period.
"Sodechin Meisho Bunko", "Tachikawa Bunko" and "Shincho Bunko" were launched one after another.
After that, in the Showa era, ``Iwanami Bunko'' was launched, which made the paperback format that continues today popular, and there were several booms, including after the war.
Specially appointed lecturer at Tokyo Keizai University, Tsuyoshi Horiguchi, who specializes in publishing culture, points out that paperbacks have played an important role in the spread of reading culture.
“The beginning of the Showa period, when paperbacks became established, was a major turning point in terms of expanding the readership.At that time, paperbacks appeared with the philosophy of providing classic works at affordable prices. After that
, in the post-war boom, the title
of "classic" gradually disappeared, and the "affordable price" aspect was emphasized. There is no doubt that
this
is the reason why people picked up paperback books and provided an opportunity for them to read.
Sharing the “paper” that each publisher is particular about
A paperback book that is affordable and expands the reach of readers.
Publishers are also trying to keep costs down and keep readers engaged.
One of them is "paper".
From February this year, four companies, Chuokoron Shinsha, Kadokawa Haruki Office, Kawade Shobo Shinsha, and Chikuma Shobo, have started using common paper for their paperbacks.
In fact, publishers have been particular about the "paper" of paperback books.
The color, thickness, and texture of the paper were also taken into consideration for each label, making it the most suitable for the machine of the printing shop.
However, there was a risk in using different papers for each company.
When a hit work comes out, there is a sudden reprint and there is a shortage of paper, and the price of paper goes up due to soaring materials.
Three years ago, Chuokoron Shinsha approached Oji Paper Co., Ltd., a business partner, and publishers using the same factory.
However, because we were particular about paper, the person in charge of other companies who received the proposal recalls, "At first, I was worried whether it would really be beneficial for each company."
Over 10 meetings were held, and the process of making prototypes, offering opinions, and remaking them was repeated.
A person in charge of Chuokoron Shinsha
``When you read a book, the color of the paper becomes the background, and the feel of the paper when you flip it over is all related to reading. There was some resistance from each company, and I am sure that they were cautious about it.It was not a simple idea that 'the same paper will be cheaper.'"
In the end, we settled on something close to the middle ground, such as the color and thickness of the paper that each company had originally used.
Mr. Tatsuya Konishi, Brand Promotion Department, President's Office, Chuokoron-Shinsha
"There is a saying, 'This paper in this library is the identity of our publisher.' However, we also face the need to sell paperbacks in a limited number of copies and to establish a solid business.As long
as paperbacked paperbacks continue to be read, we will have to come up with various ways to meet that need. I would like to continue to put it out."
This year's buzzword is "audio book"
There is also a movement to increase the number of fans by creating opportunities to listen to classics and long stories while doing housework, raising children, or even while working.
An IT venture company founded in 2004, while negotiating with publishers and obtaining permission, distributes "audiobooks", a service that allows you to listen to the voices of narrators and voice actors reading books on your computer or smartphone.
While there are many business books in the lineup, many paperback works from Iwanami Bunko to Shogakukan Bunko and Kodansha Bunko are being "audiobooked".
It is said that not only the latest works but also masterpieces and feature films are popular to listen to.
For example, Dostoevsky's work Crime and Punishment (Iwanami Bunko).
It seems that the recording time of the voice reading is more than 30 hours up and down.
However, it is said that the reading voice can be played back at the speed of your choice, up to 4x speed.
It seems that there is a high demand for trying to listen again to stories that people have decided to read at least once in their lives and have given up trying to "read through" through paper media.
Four years ago, we introduced a subscription service that allows you to listen to more than half of the works you distribute.
The word "audio book" was also nominated for this year's buzzword award.
In the past, users were mainly business people who used the time to commute, but in recent years, the child-rearing generation has become concerned about presbyopia, saying, "I can't take my eyes and hands off my children, but my ears are free!" It is said that the use is spreading to seniors in their 60s.
Yuya Kubota, President of Otto Bank
“With the corona crisis, I spend more time at home and take a walk to relax. I think they are capturing the needs of readers who want to be able to listen to the works.”
Everyone is different, everyone is good.
I want you to touch the world of paperback books in various ways.
It seems that as companies are squeezing their brains, the ways readers enjoy their books are also diversifying.
A 28-year-old couple of the same age who met in the city.
She says, "I like the texture of paper books, so if I buy them, I buy paperbacks."
Although we did not come to terms with each other, I realize that each has its merits.
In addition, a 33-year-old woman with a baby noticed that she could not find time to read because she was busy raising her children. rice field.
In addition, a 27-year-old graduate student said that he was so absorbed in historical novels that he brought them into the bath, and said that he did not feel that paperback books were expensive.
A 27-year-old graduate student,
"I wonder how much time and effort a writer put into creating that kind of story. I'm not a writer, but I myself have everything from researching materials to writing a thesis." I think paperbacks are something that enriches the mind, and I hope that the culture of paperbacks will not disappear.”
Read your way
Even though the style of reading has changed, paperback books continue to be sought after by many people.
A paperback book that takes you away from everyday life and invites you to an unknown world.
From the interview team who prides themselves on "If you have free time, paperbacks!" to you.
Even if you haven't read recently, how about enjoying paperbacks during the year-end and New Year holidays now that you have more options?
(Network News Department Kayoko Tamaki Yukie Kanazawa Kitami Bureau Ryosuke Tokuda SNS Research Imiko Miwa)