Sharing the magic of pop-up books: Interview with shop owner Mori Mutsuko
This is the first time I’ve seen so many pop-up books!
What made you decide to open a specialty pop-up bookshop?
Mori
Originally, the family I married into ran a bookstore in Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture.
At its peak, they operated about three stores, but the bookstore eventually had to close, so I moved back to Kurashiki, returning to my hometown from elsewhere.
My children were in middle and elementary school at the time.
And soon after that, you opened a pop-up bookshop?
Mori
No, no! It wasn’t like that at all.
I was struggling just to make ends meet, so I put my qualifications to use and worked as a nursery school teacher and kindergarten teacher, then at a hospital daycare center.
Back then, we were so short of money that even putting food on the table was difficult. I worked for the money, but I barely had any time for my children or family…
I started wondering, “What am I working for?”
Even when you’re working for the money, it can be a difficult situation.
Mori
So I thought I couldn’t go on like that, and got a job at a shop where I had more time to myself.
But then I ran into trouble with people there, something like bullying…
These days, I suppose you’d call it depression.
That’s awful. You’d just changed jobs, too. That must have been hard.
Mori
At the time, I couldn’t even read, and all I wanted was to stay inside and not see anyone.
The only thing I could bring myself to open and look at was a pop-up book.
When I opened one, somehow it made me feel happy.
The pop-up books helped heal your wounded heart.
Mori
That’s right.
At the same time, something suddenly came back to me.
When I was a nursery school teacher, there was a child with low vision. I was always thinking about how I could make that child smile.
One day, I read a pop-up book to the child, and they were so delighted—it was amazing. Their face lit up with a smile.
That had never happened before, so I cried with the other teachers, and then cried with the child’s parents…
I’m almost in tears just hearing that.
Mori
That was when I thought pop-up books had a kind of magic—a power to make everyone happy and bring them joy.
Remembering that gradually made me want to try opening a specialty pop-up bookshop.
“I’m Mori, and I want to run a pop-up bookshop!” Meeting the startup course
After you decided you wanted to open a shop, what steps did you take?
Mori
I joined a “startup course” run by the city hall for people who wanted to start a business or open a shop.
Though actually, my husband had signed me up without telling me (laughs).
I was still afraid of meeting people, so I agonized over whether to go…
But I decided to go at least once.
We did something like introductions, and when it was my turn, I blurted out, “I’m Mori, and I want to run a pop-up bookshop!”
It’s amazing that it just came out like that! It’s as if your true feelings burst out.
Mori
That’s right (laughs).
I just said it without thinking.
But then the other people in the course were really interested and asked, “What’s a pop-up book?”
That made me so happy. I started bringing pop-up books to the next session, and asking everyone to listen to my plans for the shop. Little by little, I became able to go out again.
You found people who shared your dream of starting a business, and that helped you feel positive again.
Mori
I’m very grateful to the startup course.
Through those connections, I also got to know people at a bank, and everyone encouraged me. It’s thanks to them that this bookshop came to be.
Part of why I run the bookstore is to express my gratitude.
The meaning behind Mori no Kakurenbo and the appeal of pop-up books
Could you tell us how you came up with the name “Mori no Kakurenbo”?
Mori
One reason is simply that my surname is Mori.
But there’s another meaning, too.
It carries the message, “When you come to the shop, there’s sure to be something important to you. There’s bound to be something here, so find it.”
It’s hard to find, isn’t it?
I deliberately chose a back alley, so it would be the kind of shop known only to those in the know—something you wouldn’t find without a bit of searching (laughs).
That’s true. Even locals might find it a little hard to get there without trouble.
Mori
Right? I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve gone to pick people up at JR Kurashiki Station… (laughs)
Finally, what do you think is the greatest appeal of pop-up books?
Mori
It’s that they’re “analog.” I think there are things that can only be conveyed through analog.
You can never understand what makes pop-up books fun digitally.
You have to open one yourself, and see and touch it directly, to be moved by it.
All the mechanisms are made by hand, so they take time to create, and they’re discontinued quickly, too.
That’s why I want to treasure every book in the shop.
I’m so happy that our customers handle them with care, too.
Mori
When you open a picture book, you feel that burst of joy—“Wow!” Right?
Children and adults, men and women alike, can share the joy and surprise of a single book.
Being able to make everyone feel happy may be the appeal—and the magic—of pop-up books.
I, too, was surprised and moved by the pop-up books she showed me one after another, and had a truly happy time.
Thank you very much.
The joy, wonder, and beauty of the analog: Step into the world of pop-up books
When I got home and sorted through the photos, I found myself thinking more and more, “Wait, it wasn’t like this…”
I want to tell people that the real pop-up books were “so much more dynamic, and so much more wonderful and full of surprises.”
Every book I picked up was unique, and each one filled me with fresh joy and wonder.
Next time I visit the shop, I hope I’ll find that one special book just for me.
How lucky we are to have western Japan’s only specialty pop-up bookshop in Kurashiki.
Be sure to visit this forest of pop-up books.
Mori no Kakurenbo, a specialty pop-up bookshop: Information
| Name | Mori no Kakurenbo, specialty pop-up bookshop |
|---|---|
| Address | 1-3-3 Tsurugata, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-424-0696 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Weekdays, Sundays, and holidays: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Thursday |
| Payment methods |
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| Website | Mori no Kakurenbo, specialty pop-up bookshop |
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