ANOTHER SIDE OF JIMBOCHO | 神保町的另一面

A Belated Merry Christmas 2025 to all Hivers! On our last day in Tokyo, we managed to pay a visit to a beautiful park in Shinjuku before taking the subway to Jimbocho. At the time, only one bookshop in Jimbocho was lightly decorated with Christmas decorations. Jimbocho as depicted in the famous fictional book entitled, “Days at the Morisaki Bookshop,” is known as the secondhand book town. However, most bloggers or writers hardly show another side of it. There is a co-working space with a café, a book hotel, and a restaurant within a bookstore located in the area too. Strolling through Jimbocho, especially on a cloudy day with occasional light drizzling, has a unique charm.

As an ex-librarian, Jimbocho has very special place in my heart. The atmosphere there is so much more casual compared to a library or bookstores offering new books. From precious hard cover secondhand books that’s difficult to come by these days to young mothers carrying their crying toddlers and everything in between. Jimbocho is a rich mix of humble inclusivity yet diversely fascinating. It truly felt like people as well as books are all given second chances both in life and in love. There are numerous gems I fell in love with at the Kitazawa Bookstore. It’s heaven to literature lovers. The soundproofing is excellent because just one floor below, in another bookstore, there were screaming toddlers. The stark contrast was unbelievable.

At times, while savoring our lunch at the bookstore restaurant, it crossed my mind that Jimbocho would have been a wonderful escapade. I get to have all the extramarital affairs I wanted with books at the book hotel. The smell of slightly used but well-maintained books is intoxicating. If one day I have an argument with my better half and decided to run away from home, Jimbocho will definitely be my number one choice. In the hustle and bustle of city life, the secondhand book industry offers such a comforting balance. Before coming to Tokyo, it was hard to imagine that the secondhand book industry would develop into such a thriving sector. Tokyo truly has plenty to offer for all walks of life, even encompassing everything imaginable.

Life sometimes seemed a little jaded to a person like me who has been through a lot. But somehow, I do see a glimmer of hope. Many experts think that Japan is sinking due to a rapidly aging population but still Japanese people are very respectful to elderly people. For example, there are special automated counters accepting cash and returning the balance in most shops. It’s comforting to know that some people reach an awareness that they’ll grow old too someday. Life can indeed become more and more challenging to everyday common civilians if we choose the path of recklessness, extremism and intolerance toward others.

Thank you for reading! 💗

IN CHINESE

祝所有蜂巢朋友们2025年圣诞快乐！在东京的最后一天，我们先去了新宿一个美丽的公园，然后搭乘地铁前往神保町。当时，神保町只有一家书店挂上了淡淡的圣诞装饰。神保町因著名小说《森崎书店的日子》而闻名，是二手书之都。然而，大多数博主或作家很少提及它的另一面。这里还有一家带咖啡馆的联合办公空间、一家书店酒店，以及一家书店餐厅。尤其是在阴天偶尔下起小雨的时候，在神保町漫步更是别有一番风味。

作为一名前图书管理员，神保町在我心中有着特殊的地位。与图书馆或出售新书的书店相比，这里的氛围更加轻松随意。从如今难觅踪迹的珍贵精装二手书，到抱着哭闹幼儿的年轻妈妈，以及介于两者之间的一切，神保町都展现出一种谦逊包容却又多元迷人的风貌。在这里，人们和书籍仿佛都获得了重生的机会，无论是在生活还是爱情中。我在北泽书店邂逅了许多心仪的珍宝，这里简直是文学爱好者的天堂。书店的隔音效果极佳，因为就在楼下另一家书店里，传来的是幼儿的尖叫声。这种鲜明的对比令人难以置信。

有时，在书店餐厅享用午餐时，我会突然想到，如果能去神保町来一次浪漫的冒险之旅该有多棒。在这家“书香旅馆”，我可以尽情享受与书籍的“婚外情”。那些略有使用痕迹但保养良好的书籍散发出的香气令人陶醉。如果有一天我和另一半吵架，决定离家出走，神保町绝对是我的首选。在喧嚣繁华的都市生活中，二手书行业却能带来如此令人慰藉的平衡。来东京之前，很难想象二手书行业会发展成如此繁荣的产业。对于社会各阶层而言，东京的确应有尽有，甚至可以说是包罗万象。

对于像我这样经历过很多事情的人来说，生活有时似乎有些疲惫。但不知为何，我依然能看到一丝希望。许多专家认为，由于人口老龄化加剧，日本正在走向衰落，但日本人仍然非常尊重老年人。例如，大多数商店都设有自动收银机，可以收取现金并找零。得知有些人意识到自己终有一天也会变老，这令人感到欣慰。如果我们选择鲁莽、极端和不宽容的道路，普通民众的生活确实会变得越来越艰难。

感谢阅读！💗

[//]:# ([//]:# (!worldmappin 35.69576 lat 139.75626 long Book House Cafe, Jimbocho d3scr))