Calling itself an “air bookshop,” Ika Bunko is a bookstore without an actual brick-and-mortar storefront. 

Instead of selling its own books, the manager hosts book fairs at bookstores for a fee and sells original items.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Ika Bunko is going strong, earning respect from bookstore operators for its promotional talent.

MAJOR MEDIA PRESENCE

Ika Bunko manager Yuki Kasukawa, 44, appeared on “Asaichi,” Japan Broadcasting Corp. (NHK)’s morning information program, on July 15 to introduce comic books for connoisseurs.

She has appeared on the show at least 10 times.

“The joy of books is that they take you to a new world,” Kasukawa said.

Her main job is borrowing bookshelves at real-life bookstores to host book fairs.

For instance, she selects books dealing with everyday themes such as “Shinjuku” and “travel” and attaches handwritten introductory texts to each book.

While the bookstore receives a payment when the books are sold, Ika Bunko also rakes in planning fees and proceeds from sales of original goods.

Kasukawa has hosted book fairs at large bookstore chains such as Kinokuniya Shoten, Yurindo and at local bookshops and public libraries in Tottori, Yamagata and elsewhere.

Ika Bunko has even graced the pages of a men’s fashion magazine.

When the manager organized an event for both book and music lovers, she lined up a selection of books at a live music club in Tokyo’s Shibuya district.

She said her forte is that she can open Ika Bunko anywhere because it doesn’t need a brick-and-mortar presence. 

But when asked about the disadvantage, Kasukawa said: “I think it is the fact I don’t have a physical store. I’m often asked whether I’m selling books online, and it’s hard to explain.”

Ika Bunko has five staff members, including the manager and part-time workers in and outside Japan.

The staffers run a column series in a magazine, and they frequently take to Twitter (@ika_bunko) to spread information about their favorite books and bookstores, as well as about "ika," which means squid.

TWO-WAY BOOKSELLER

Ika Bunko was the brainchild of book lovers who came up with the idea in the spring of 2012.

It all started when Kasukawa was thinking about what she wanted to name her bookshop if she were to open one.

The shop’s name, which means “squid library,” derives from an iPhone case she was using at the time, which was in the shape of a squid.

The other prospective name was “Yakisoba Bunko,” which means “pan-fried noodle library.”

She asked an acquaintance to create a logo featuring a squid before she started publishing a free newspaper and tweeting on social media every day.

The air bookshop has expanded its activities since then, winning the respect of other bookstores.

“It is amazing to stick to the concept of a nonphysical existence,” said Takeshi Hanamoto, 45, who works at Konno Shoten, a long-established bookstore in Tokyo’s Nishi-Ogikubo district.

He said it is enviable to see Ika Bunko operate without worrying about sales, inventory and rent.

“But we share the same feeling that we want everyone to read books that we love,” he added.

Hiromitsu Kitada, 38, manager of the Umeda Tsutaya Books shop in Osaka, praises Ika Bunko’s efforts, saying it uses a wide range of approaches to expand the scope of bookstore operations and create new book lovers.

“Selling books at a fixed location is not the sole job of booksellers,” he said. “Ika Bunko has shown us that those who convey the joy of books are also called booksellers.”

Kasukawa currently works as a regular employee at a bookstore in Tokyo, living the life of a “two-way bookseller.”

She takes both jobs seriously and doesn’t believe Ika Bunko is a hobby.

Kasukawa never imagined it would continue for 10 years, she said with a smile. 

A children’s play area that opened in Yamagata in April features a collection of 1,000 picture books and children’s books, each of which was selected by the Ika Bunko members, who decided which books should be included.

“I want to keep trying many things like Ika Bunko has always done because I want to convey the fun of books and bookstores, even to those who are not familiar with books,” Kasukawa said.