To preserve and connect the culture of bookstores, where one might casually drop in and encounter a life-changing book, and to add color to the city through these intellectual spaces, Takatsuki City implemented the 'BOTTO Books Campaign' from December 2025 to March 15, 2026 (Sunday). This campaign involved a popularity vote for books recommended by various bookstores within the city. This time, four books, including 'Gin Nikan,' a novel set in Takatsuki, have been selected as winners.

Under the theme 'If you go to Takatsuki City, you can immerse yourself in what you love,' our city is developing 'BOTTO Takatsuki,' a tourism promotion that narrows down one genre from gourmet, history, etc., and deeply promotes it to people who love that field. As our city is a 'city of books' with multiple large bookstores in the city center, we set 'books' as the theme for immersion and implemented the collaborative project 'BOTTO Books Campaign' with four bookstores in the city from December 2025 to March 15, 2026 (Sunday). In the campaign, participating bookstores set up campaign corners featuring their 'recommended books' and unique promotional POPs. Participants voted for their favorite 'recommended book' by scanning a QR code in the store. From the results of everyone's votes, the winning books for four awards, including the 'BOTTO Books Grand Prize,' have now been decided. 'Gin Nikan,' a human-interest story set in Takatsuki about a boy who loses his father in a vendetta and is saved by the owner of a kanten (agar-agar) wholesaler, growing into a merchant, received the 'BOTTO Books Grand Prize.' All winning works are stories connected to Takatsuki, and those who haven't read them yet are sure to discover new charms of Takatsuki. Corners will be progressively set up at participating campaign bookstores, so please do read them.

Additionally, an archive video of the 'BOTTO Book Talk' event, held in conjunction with the campaign, is now available for streaming. The talk features Mr. Yataro Matsuura, former editor-in-chief of 'Kurashi no Techo' and a writer who also runs his own bookstore, and Ms. Miyako Takayama, a model and essayist popular for her fashion and lifestyle, which attracts approximately 290,000 Instagram followers, and her essays that chronicle her everyday life, favorite things, and cherished values. Takatsuki Mayor Takeshi Hamada and bookstore staff from participating campaign bookstores also passionately and enjoyably discuss the appeal of books. Please do watch it.

【'BOTTO Books Campaign' Awarded Books】

BOTTO Books Grand Prize: 'Gin Nikan' (Author: Kaoru Takada)

BOTTO Books Novel Prize: 'Kochira Osaka Neko Jinja' (Author: Kurage Mochizuki)

BOTTO Books History Prize: 'Tanoshiku Manaberu Haniwa Zukan' (Author: Kamiyu History Editorial Department)

BOTTO Books Natural Science Prize: 'Akutagawa no Hon' (Author: Aquapia Akutagawa)

【'BOTTO Books Campaign' Participating Bookstores】

Junku-do Bookstore Matsuzakaya Takatsuki Store (Matsuzakaya Takatsuki Store 4F, Konyamachi 2-1)

Kinokuniya Bookstore Takatsuki Hankyu Square Store (Takatsuki Hankyu Square 5F, Shiroumecho 4-1)

Miraiya Bookstore Takatsuki Store (Haginosho 3-47-2)

Book First Emil Takatsuki Store (Emil Takatsuki 2F, Johokucho 2-1-18)

【Event 'BOTTO Book Talk' Archive Streaming】

Discover the joy of books and bookstores in Takatsuki! 'BOTTO Book Talk'

https://youtu.be/nIxZOadsnis

【Related Homepage】

BOTTO Takatsuki Homepage (Takatsuki City Homepage)

https://www.city.takatsuki.osaka.jp/botto/

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: campaign|award|event