Number of Bookstores in Japan Drops Below 10,000, Now 40% of Peak Level

(CNA, Tokyo, 7th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) According to a survey, as of the end of March this year, there were 9,993 bookstores nationwide in Japan, a number that has fallen below 10,000. This shows that despite efforts by both the Japanese government and the private sector to promote them, it remains difficult to stop the decline of physical bookstores amidst the ongoing slump in the print publishing market.

Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported today that the Japan Publishing Infrastructure Center (JPO) compiled the above figures, also noting that for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026 (FY2025), the number of bookstores decreased by 424 from 10,417 in FY2024.

Since statistics began in fiscal 1994, the number of bookstores nationwide in Japan peaked in fiscal 1998 at 24,237, before beginning to decline. In the wave of internet popularization and the growth of online bookstores, the number of bookstores has now dwindled to just over 40% of its peak.

Furthermore, last year's sales of print publications in Japan are estimated to have fallen below 1 trillion yen (approximately NT$200 billion).

The Japanese government announced a plan last June to promote bookstores, encouraging operators to use more efficient shelving methods like IC tags and to improve operational efficiency, with some businesses responding to the call.

The report notes that the aforementioned survey may not have included some independent bookstores and others. (Translator: Yang Wei-ching) 1150607