Kinokuniya Bookstore Begins Partnership with "Yondemy," an Online Learning Service That Gets Children Hooked on Reading
Kinokuniya Bookstore and the online reading education service "Yondemy" have announced a partnership. The collaboration aims to address children's declining interest in reading and establish new reading experiences and revenue models for bookstores.
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- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 11:31
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Yondemy Inc. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Sota Sasanuma), which operates "Yondemy," an online learning service that gets children hooked on reading, announced that it will begin a partnership with Kinokuniya Bookstore Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yukio Fujinori) starting April 2026.
This partnership aims to address children's declining interest in reading and build new revenue models in the bookstore industry. To provide children with the experience of feeling "books are fun" in the physical space of bookstores, we will install level-specific book selection shelves using Yondemy's proprietary index, "Yondemy Level" (*1), which indicates the difficulty of books. This will enable children to encounter books that match their reading ability. In addition, both companies will develop experiential events, such as lessons on how to read, to foster familiarity with books. Through these initiatives, we aim to create opportunities for children who have not been familiar with books to visit bookstores and provide them with the experience of enjoying reading. Concurrently, by introducing a revenue-sharing mechanism, we will promote the establishment of new revenue models in the bookstore industry.
Both companies plan to hold regular events and implement measures in the future.
As the first phase, an event to help children develop reading habits will be held at Kinokuniya Bookstore Musashi Kosugi store on Monday, May 4, 2026 (holiday).
(*1) ...PR TIMES: "Yondemy's proprietary index 'Yondemy Level,' which measures children's reading ability, obtains patent."
Background of this initiative
Yondemy's mission is "to deliver rich reading experiences to children across Japan." We address the social issue of children's declining interest in reading by providing "Yondemy," Japan's first online reading education service (*2). In the national academic achievement test for elementary and junior high school students conducted in 2025, the percentage of students who "like reading" recorded an all-time low (*3). Furthermore, in the national "Longitudinal Analysis Survey" (2024 fiscal year), the average scores in all subjects significantly decreased, making the decline in children's learning ability a serious social issue. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, time spent on games and smartphones has increased, while reading and study time has been squeezed, further exacerbating the decline in reading comprehension.
One of the factors accelerating this decline in reading is the current situation where the transition from "read-alaloud" in early childhood to "independent reading" of children's books is not smooth. A survey by Benesse Educational Research Institute (*4) shows that while read-aloud was frequent before school entry, it tends to decrease sharply after elementary school entry. While parents let go, thinking "they can read by themselves now," it is not uncommon for children to lack the skills to read text-heavy books independently. Furthermore, the reality that the "non-reading rate" (the percentage of children who do not read a single book in a month) increases with grade level (*5) has also become clear.
On the other hand, many Yondemy participants have shown cases where children who encountered a book that matched their reading ability and preferences subsequently continued to read spontaneously.
"Yondemy" is characterized by its AI-powered book selection function tailored to each child's reading ability and preferences, and mini-lessons that allow them to learn how to read while having fun, creating opportunities for children to discover the joy of reading.
Kinokuniya Bookstore, which is now starting this partnership, is one of Japan's largest bookstore chains, leading Japan's reading culture since its establishment in 1927. It has also been long cherished as a place for encountering books in the community. Bookstores, where children can actually pick up books, feel their weight and binding with all five senses, and search for "a book they want to read," have a value that cannot be replaced online.
By combining the strengths of both companies, we will expand reading opportunities for children and deliver an environment for fostering lifelong reading skills nationwide.
(*2) ...As of the service launch in December 2020, it was the first "online reading education service" in Japan (according to our own research).
(*3) ...Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: "National Assessment of Academic Ability and Learning Status (National Academic Achievement Test)"
(*4) ...Benesse Educational Research Institute: "7-year follow-up survey on children's reading" (2023)
(*5) ...Japan School Library Association: "70th School Reading Survey" (announced in 2025)
Partnership Details
1. Permanent installation of level-specific book selection shelves utilizing "Yondemy Level"
Based on Yondemy's proprietary index "Yondemy Level," which indicates the difficulty of books, we will install book selection shelves categorized by difficulty. This will support children in choosing books that match their individual reading ability, rather than their age or grade level.
2. Creating hubs for experiencing the joy of reading
Utilizing the unique physical space of bookstores, we will create places where children can experience reading.
This partnership aims to address children's declining interest in reading and build new revenue models in the bookstore industry. To provide children with the experience of feeling "books are fun" in the physical space of bookstores, we will install level-specific book selection shelves using Yondemy's proprietary index, "Yondemy Level" (*1), which indicates the difficulty of books. This will enable children to encounter books that match their reading ability. In addition, both companies will develop experiential events, such as lessons on how to read, to foster familiarity with books. Through these initiatives, we aim to create opportunities for children who have not been familiar with books to visit bookstores and provide them with the experience of enjoying reading. Concurrently, by introducing a revenue-sharing mechanism, we will promote the establishment of new revenue models in the bookstore industry.
Both companies plan to hold regular events and implement measures in the future.
As the first phase, an event to help children develop reading habits will be held at Kinokuniya Bookstore Musashi Kosugi store on Monday, May 4, 2026 (holiday).
(*1) ...PR TIMES: "Yondemy's proprietary index 'Yondemy Level,' which measures children's reading ability, obtains patent."
Background of this initiative
Yondemy's mission is "to deliver rich reading experiences to children across Japan." We address the social issue of children's declining interest in reading by providing "Yondemy," Japan's first online reading education service (*2). In the national academic achievement test for elementary and junior high school students conducted in 2025, the percentage of students who "like reading" recorded an all-time low (*3). Furthermore, in the national "Longitudinal Analysis Survey" (2024 fiscal year), the average scores in all subjects significantly decreased, making the decline in children's learning ability a serious social issue. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, time spent on games and smartphones has increased, while reading and study time has been squeezed, further exacerbating the decline in reading comprehension.
One of the factors accelerating this decline in reading is the current situation where the transition from "read-alaloud" in early childhood to "independent reading" of children's books is not smooth. A survey by Benesse Educational Research Institute (*4) shows that while read-aloud was frequent before school entry, it tends to decrease sharply after elementary school entry. While parents let go, thinking "they can read by themselves now," it is not uncommon for children to lack the skills to read text-heavy books independently. Furthermore, the reality that the "non-reading rate" (the percentage of children who do not read a single book in a month) increases with grade level (*5) has also become clear.
On the other hand, many Yondemy participants have shown cases where children who encountered a book that matched their reading ability and preferences subsequently continued to read spontaneously.
"Yondemy" is characterized by its AI-powered book selection function tailored to each child's reading ability and preferences, and mini-lessons that allow them to learn how to read while having fun, creating opportunities for children to discover the joy of reading.
Kinokuniya Bookstore, which is now starting this partnership, is one of Japan's largest bookstore chains, leading Japan's reading culture since its establishment in 1927. It has also been long cherished as a place for encountering books in the community. Bookstores, where children can actually pick up books, feel their weight and binding with all five senses, and search for "a book they want to read," have a value that cannot be replaced online.
By combining the strengths of both companies, we will expand reading opportunities for children and deliver an environment for fostering lifelong reading skills nationwide.
(*2) ...As of the service launch in December 2020, it was the first "online reading education service" in Japan (according to our own research).
(*3) ...Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology: "National Assessment of Academic Ability and Learning Status (National Academic Achievement Test)"
(*4) ...Benesse Educational Research Institute: "7-year follow-up survey on children's reading" (2023)
(*5) ...Japan School Library Association: "70th School Reading Survey" (announced in 2025)
Partnership Details
1. Permanent installation of level-specific book selection shelves utilizing "Yondemy Level"
Based on Yondemy's proprietary index "Yondemy Level," which indicates the difficulty of books, we will install book selection shelves categorized by difficulty. This will support children in choosing books that match their individual reading ability, rather than their age or grade level.
2. Creating hubs for experiencing the joy of reading
Utilizing the unique physical space of bookstores, we will create places where children can experience reading.