In May 2021, a small bookstore opened just steps from the sea in Kojima, Kurashiki City.
Its name is “aru.”
The Seto Inland Sea is visible through the windows, and time seems to pass peacefully here.
Reading is truly wonderful.
It can broaden your knowledge, nurture your imagination, and introduce you to new perspectives.
A book you happen to come across may lead to an unexpected discovery.
Here’s a look at aru, a bookstore where you can feel, “What a lovely thing it is to stumble upon a book by chance.”
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in September 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What kind of bookstore is aru?
aru is a small bookstore offering new and used books—including essays, novels, poetry collections, and photo books—chosen by its owner, Akashi Yuka, because she wants people to “read them in a peaceful place.”
At the time of our visit in August 2021, about 60 percent of the books were used and 40 percent were new.
The shop opens irregularly, for about six days a month.
Check its official Instagram for opening days.
The sea is so close that you can reach it in just a few minutes on foot, and the view from in front of the shop is wonderful.
You can also look out over the Seto Inland Sea through the shop’s windows!
The shop is also at the foot of the scenic Ojigadake Hill, in a location where you can feel the richness of the mountains.
Apparently, a fox cub has even appeared outside the window.
Cherry blossoms bloom in the garden in spring.
During our August visit, we spotted wild balloon flowers.
There are chairs inside, so you can sit and take your time choosing a book as you read.
You take off your shoes to enter, so it’s also fine to sit on the floor.
It’s a place where you can feel the sea and mountains and spend some peaceful time.
Owner Akashi Yuka is a writer and editor who lives between two locations
The owner, Akashi Yuka, is a writer and editor.
Originally from Kyoto, she says she fell in love with books after discovering a bookstore where she worked part-time as a university student.
She moved to Tokyo when she started her career.
For five years, she worked on planning and editing projects related to branding at a major IT company.
She went independent in April 2020 and now works as a freelance writer and editor, pursuing a range of writing-related activities.
In the summer of 2020, she began living between Tokyo and Okayama.
She opened aru in May 2021 and now spends about 10 days a month living in Okayama.
For the writer, Akashi has been an admired writer for several years.
A small shop renovated from an old Japanese house
There aren’t all that many books at aru.
The spacious, uncluttered interior felt like it could loosen up a mind that tends to grow tense from being overwhelmed by information.
You can take in every book cover and spine on the shelves.
And sometimes a book you wouldn’t normally notice catches your eye.
It’s a bookstore where it’s easy to enjoy “stumbling upon a book by chance.”
The building is a renovated old Japanese house.
The work was mostly done by a local construction company, but Akashi and her friends took on tasks such as painting the wooden floorboards and applying mortar to the counter.
The table in the middle is made from a single slab of cherry wood.
It was chosen to match the cherry tree at the shop entrance, and its warmth and strength were striking.
Even the little decorative touches are lovely. Apparently, the former residents left behind this humorous mask.
“I originally thought we’d take it down once the construction was finished, but somehow I grew attached to it, so it’s still here (laughs),” says Akashi.
What kinds of books are there?
What kinds of books can you find at aru?
Here are a few examples.
“Nichijo”
This annual magazine is published by the Japan Machiyado Association.
Its concept is to interview people and inns that serve as gateways to various towns across Japan, and explore ways to rediscover everyday life in each community.
People who love traveling or are interested in regional Japan are often drawn to the magazine’s concept and pick it up, Akashi says.
The cover illustrations are lovely, and each one is different.
“Giving a Book”
Books are made with the help of many different people.
Authors, editors, proofreaders, book designers, printers, bookbinders, salespeople, distributors, booksellers, and bookstore owners.
“Giving a Book” is a collection of essays by people in 10 professions involved in books, from writers to sellers.
The cover has a fabric-like texture, with delicate illustrations and a foil-stamped title that catches the eye.
Akashi introduced it this way:
“The cover of ‘Giving a Book’ is a different color for each edition. The shop currently has two versions: the green second edition and the orange third edition. I love Sanrinsha’s books because so many of them are beautiful both in content and design.”
The Color Books series
You can also come across books that are hard to find in bookstores that only carry new titles.
Hoikusha’s Color Books series consists of 909 pocket-sized books published between 1962 and 1999.
These guidebooks cover a wide range of subjects, including gardening, wine, temples, and pottery, and made extensive use of color photographs, which were unusual at the time.
“They’re like little encyclopedias you can hold in your hands. Whenever I see a Color Book, I can’t help buying it. I have lots of them at home, too.”
Akashi says this with a smile.
There were also all kinds of other books, including photo collections that make you chuckle, books about Snoopy, and acclaimed classics of foreign literature.
How did aru come about? We spoke with Akashi Yuka.
aru details
| Name | aru |
|---|---|
| Address | 1421-18 Karakoto-cho, Kojima, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Parking | Available Free municipal parking for about 40 cars nearby |
| Hours | Irregular opening days and hours *Check the official Instagram |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Website | Official Instagram |
What would you like to know about Kurashiki?
Enter a search term to find articles on this site
