Heiwado to Install Nagahama City Library Book Return Boxes at 7 Stores in Shiga Prefecture

Heiwado Co., Ltd. (Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture; President and CEO Masatsugu Hiramatsu) will launch a demonstration experiment on Tuesday, April 28, by installing Nagahama City Library return boxes at seven Heiwado stores in Nagahama City. This initiative to permanently install library return boxes within a commercial facility during business hours is a first in Shiga Prefecture.

Since 2024, Heiwado has been providing shopping support (mobile sales) in seven districts within Nagahama City. In 2025, it launched a service allowing residents to return books borrowed from Nagahama City Library via these mobile sales vehicles. Now, to further enhance convenience for the local community, library return boxes have been installed in seven Heiwado stores, enabling customers to return books while they shop.

Heiwado will continue to leverage its physical locations—which are part of people's daily routines—to transform its stores into not just shopping destinations but also gathering and exchange hubs for local residents, expanding various services that align with their lifestyles.

■ Implementation Details

・Period: Tuesday, April 28, 2026, to Wednesday, September 30, 2026 (Scheduled)

・Stores: Al Plaza Nagahama, Friend Mart Nagahama Gion, Friend Mart Nagahama Hirakata, Friend Mart Nagahama Ekimae, Friend Mart Kohoku, Friend Mart Azai, Kinomoto Store

・Method: No prior application required, free of charge. Simply drop the items into the return box (can be returned in a bag).
*Available only during store operating hours.

End of Release