Bunkitsu bookstore, which opened last December in Tokyo, "is unusual in that patrons can browse the 90 or so magazines in the reception area for free, but must pay 1,500 yen ($14) to peruse its 30,000 or so titles on the second floor, where there is also a café," Kyodo News reported.
The bookstore features elegant glass doors, a spacious entryway, books displayed like exhibits on tables and captioned information on the walls. "That's what we want people to think--that it's an art gallery where they can encounter books," said public relations officer Hikaru Yoshino. "Bunkitsu is a place for hard-core book lovers and, at the same time, it's a place that invites people to walk in and discover books they never thought of reading."
Store manager Akira Ito noted that the entry fee allows the bookstore to stock an eclectic lineup: "It's like buying a gift at a museum shop. People have paid their entry fee so they feel invested in finding a book.... We believe that customers appreciate our passion for books."