Jimbocho
Books and music are food for the soul, and I couldn’t leave Tokyo without visiting the famous book town,
Jimbocho.
I truly envy the Japanese people. In this digital age, where bookstores and even libraries are slowly vanishing, this quiet little town remains a sanctuary, street after street lined with bookshops. It’s quite amazing.
There’s every kind of bookstore imaginable, from the modern to the antique. I even wandered into an “adult” bookstore by accident, its magazines were so explicit that even I felt shy to look! Then I stumbled upon another filled entirely with erotic art, books, and photography, all boldly displayed without shame.
Many stores were entirely in Japanese, so I couldn’t fully browse or appreciate the treasures within. Still, I found joy in simply being there, sitting in a cozy bookstore café with a refreshing lemon drink, surrounded by the scent of paper and quiet conversation. It reminded me of a lovely bookstore we once had in Newtown that also served food and drinks, sadly, it’s long gone now.
One of my happiest discoveries was a shop devoted to classic manga. Seeing all those familiar titles stirred something tender in me, memories of childhood, when Japanese animation was my dearest friend and constant companion.
书籍与音乐都是心灵的食粮,而我在离开东京之前,绝不能错过那座著名的书之街——神保町(Jimbocho)。
我真心羡慕日本人。在这个数码时代,书店甚至图书馆都在慢慢消失,而这座静谧的小镇却依然是爱书人的圣地——一条又一条街上,尽是书店,令人惊叹不已。
这里的书店种类繁多,从现代到古旧,应有尽有。我甚至误打误撞走进了一家“成人”书店,里面的杂志内容直白得让我都不好意思多看几眼!转角又发现另一家,专卖各种情色艺术、书籍与摄影作品,坦荡地陈列在橱窗中,毫不避讳。
许多书店都只有日文书,所以我无法深入浏览或细细体会那些珍宝。但我依然很享受那份氛围——坐在一家温馨的书店咖啡馆里,喝着清爽的柠檬饮料,四周弥漫着纸张的香气与轻声的交谈。那一刻,我忽然想起曾经在纽镇(Newtown)的一家类似书店,也能边看书边用餐,可惜早已停业。
最让我惊喜的是,竟然发现一家专门贩卖经典漫画的店。那些熟悉的封面唤起了我心底柔软的记忆——童年时的自己,沉浸在日本动画的世界里,把那些故事当作最亲密的朋友与陪伴。