Photo/Illutration Students at Hanno High School in Saitama Prefecture can borrow “Books That Protect You”--a curated selection on sex, pregnancy, mental health, suicide and other sensitive topics–without checking them out. (Miki Kobayashi)

HANNO, Saitama Prefecture–In a quiet corner in the Hanno High School library here, a bookshelf holds about 100 titles that students can borrow without filling out a form, scanning a barcode or even taking to a librarian.

They can simply remove a book from the premises and return it when they’re finished--no questions asked.

This unconventional system, dubbed “Books That Protect You,” is part of a growing movement in Japanese schools to make sensitive reading materials more accessible to students who may be struggling in silence.

The shelf includes books on dating violence, pregnancy, bullying, self-harm and suicide--titles that many teens may feel uncomfortable checking out through traditional means.

The initiative began in 2016 under then-librarian Yasuhiro Yukawa, who transformed the school’s out-of-the-way library into a welcoming space called the “Sumikko (little corner) Library.”

Yukawa added cozy features such as "kotatsu"–low tables covered with quilts and heated underneath–along with hammocks and board games. He also allowed quiet conversations to make the space feel less institutional and more like a refuge.

“If a book just sits on a shelf unread, it’s as good as not being there at all,” Yukawa said. “Even if it never is returned, if it helps just one student, it’s worth it.”

Remarkably, not a single book has gone missing since the program began. Though there are no checkout records kept, it’s clear the books are being read–-titles are often found in different spots on the shelf.

The current librarian, Hideto Takahashi, has expanded the collection to include graphic memoirs on toxic parents and books about psychiatric disorders.

“It’s also a way for adults at school to say, ‘We care about you,’” Yukawa added.

The idea has quietly spread. Kawagoe Nishi High School and Misato Kita High School in the prefecture have instituted similar shelves.

At Shiraume Gakuen University and College in Tokyo, librarian Fumi Hiruma introduced the concept in 2024 after learning about Hanno High School’s approach.

With most of her library users aged 18 and above, she curated titles on exploitative part-time jobs and financial scams.

“Books offer structured knowledge,” Hiruma said. “Even if they just stir curiosity, they’ve already made a difference.”

Experts are taking note.

Yoshikazu Hinata, a professor of library and information science at Tsuru University in Yamanashi Prefecture, praised the initiative.

“This approach prioritizes getting books into the hands of those who need them,” Hinata said. “It’s a successful model that should be more widely adopted.”

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