Seikōsha Books — Local services in Kyoto

To be honest, if the owner thinks the sound of customers flipping through vinyl records is too noisy, then maybe he shouldn’t be selling a bunch of vinyl in a bookstore to begin with—or at least learn how to properly display secondhand records.

Wearing a grumpy face when the records are packed so tightly that flipping through them is naturally going to make noise… I don’t get what he’s being so grumpy about.

Then I immediately saw another group of customers getting scolded with the same sour attitude. Maybe some people in Kyoto think acting like this makes them seem elite or refined.

For the record, I also run an independent bookstore in my own country—but having a bad attitude doesn’t make you “cool” or “unique,” okay?

Ironically, I even spotted a book by a friend of mine being sold there. Maybe I should let him know just how unpleasant the atmosphere in this place actually is.

I used to order from this store online quite a few times from overseas, but I never expected the in-store atmosphere to be so...

A splendid independent bookshop just around the Kyoto Imperial Palace area. They sell books, magazines, independent zines, artbooks, gifts, and more. They also have bargain section at the front as well as some pamphlets and postcards that you can take for free. Most of the books are in Japanese, but one needs not to understand the language to appreciate the beauty of books. I discovered so many new publishers and their publications here. My personal highlight is finding a gem that is Shukyu Magazine, a Japanese football lifestyle magazine (comes with a booklet of English translation too).

The ambiance is homey and calming; I would have loved to stay...

京都市上京区俵屋町にある、独立系の小さな本屋さん。

初めて訪れた時は営業時間前で、お店の前を通りがかっても、シャッターが閉まっており「誠光社」の看板も出されていないため、そのまま通りすぎてしまいましたが、「かもがわカフェ」を目印に場所を特定できました。その際お店の中が一部見えたので、よく見ると「スマホを捨て、今ここの場を楽しんで」的なメッセージが。なので後で訪れた時には店内の撮影はしませんでした＾＾

店主さんの目利きで選ばれた感じの本が大まかなジャンルごとに棚を構成していて、絵本や「母の友」(福音館書店)などの子育て中の人が関心を持ちそうなもの、アートデザイン系、人文／社会科学系などなど、「こんな本も出てたのか」と思わず手に取ってみたくなる本が色々ありました。

何か決まった本を買いに行くというよりは、素敵な本との出会いを楽しむ場所だなと感じました。

会計時に「かもがわカフェ」のコーヒーが置いてあるのを発見！今度買っ...