Public libraries are becoming more multifunctional with cafes and spaces where visitors can enjoy conversation and games.

Japan is a book lovers’ paradise. Home to internationally renowned authors such as Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto, Japan has plenty to offer both on the page and on the streets. Whether you’re ...

Some public libraries in Japan will trial sales of new books from fiscal 2025 to fill the void caused by a nationwide decline in the number of physical bookstores, industry officials said. The program ...

Japan’s public libraries are quietly undergoing a digital transformation. In just six years, the number of local governments offering e-book lending services has increased sevenfold, reaching 613 ...

A network of libraries run by Seoul's Gwanak-gu District has been drawing much attention in Japan. The city borough currently runs some 43 libraries as part of a knowledge-sharing project, which ...

AKASHI, Hyogo -- A city library here is now a busy place for local people. It opened in April 2025. It does not ask all people to be quiet all the time. People can talk, play smartphone games and meet ...

TOKYO (Reuters) - Libraries in Japan are hoping a machine that sterilizes books using ultraviolet light is giving visitors reassurance to take-out publications during the coronavirus pandemic.

Paperback books line shelves at Kitakyushu Municipal Central Library in Kitakyushu's Kokurakita Ward on Sept. 3, 2026. (Mainichi/Shohei Sorita) KITAKYUSHU -- The Kitakyushu Municipal Board of ...

TOKYO - Some public libraries in Japan will trial the sale of new books starting in fiscal 2025 to address the void caused by a nationwide decline in the number of physical bookstores, industry ...