TOKYO - Libraries across Japan are evolving far beyond traditional places for reading and study, adding everything from 3D printers and children's play areas to health-check equipment, music studios and towering bookshelves as they seek to become new centers for their communities.
The number of libraries nationwide has increased by about 650 over the past 20 years to around 3,400, and many are expanding their roles as free or low-cost places where people of all ages can spend time, particularly during the summer heat.
Bunkyo University professor and library specialist, who has visited more than 100 libraries around the world and even travels specifically to see libraries, selected seven facilities offering unusual experiences for visitors this summer.
At No. 7 is the Kadokawa Culture Museum in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, about a 10-minute walk from Higashi-Tokorozawa Station. The massive rock-like building was designed under the supervision of architect Kengo Kuma, who also worked on the National Stadium.
One of its main attractions is Edit Town, where visitors can browse about 25,000 books along Book Street. Books are arranged vertically and horizontally and grouped through related themes, encouraging visitors to move naturally from one subject to another and discover books they may not otherwise have encountered.
The museum's best-known feature is its Bookshelf Theater, where shelves rise about 8 meters to the ceiling and surround visitors with books. Projection mapping using the giant shelves as a screen is shown about once every 20 minutes, creating an experience intended to go beyond conventional reading.
At No. 6 is Micca, the Library with Words and Pictures, located on the seventh floor of a building directly in front of Kameari Station in Tokyo.
Admission is free for elementary school children and younger, while adults pay 200 yen. Children and parents can freely read picture books and children's books, while events include storytelling accompanied by professional musicians playing instruments such as violin and guitar.
A neighboring cafe serves items including curry and shaved ice connected with the world of children's books, while three types of seasonal craft kits are also available free of charge.
At No. 5 is Setagaya City Umegaoka Library, a five-minute walk from Umegaoka Station on the Odakyu Line in Tokyo.
What appears at first to be an ordinary public library has three 3D printers that visitors can use free of charge. Children can combine different designs to produce their own creations, including personalized key chains, giving them an opportunity to experiment with technology while visiting the library.
At No. 4 is Yui no Mori Arakawa, about a seven-minute walk from Machiya Station in Tokyo.
One popular service allows children to keep a library "bankbook" recording the books they have borrowed, including the title and author's name. Families can later use the record to remember books they enjoyed and borrow them again.
The library also offers childcare services, allowing parents to leave young children in a nursery inside the facility while they read or study.
One mother of twins, who works as a nurse and is currently on childcare leave, used the service while reading specialist medical books to prepare for her eventual return to work.
The childcare service is available only to Arakawa Ward residents, costing 500 yen per hour for up to four hours.
At No. 3 is the International Library of Children's Literature, National Diet Library, in Tokyo's Ueno Park.
The facility houses about 500,000 children's books published in Japan and admission is free. It also holds children's books from around 120 countries and regions, allowing visitors to compare Japanese favorites with editions in other languages.
Popular Japanese children's books can be found in languages including Dutch, French, Korean, Arabic and Chinese, giving visitors a chance to encounter other cultures through familiar stories.
At No. 2 is Yamato City Cultural Creation Center Sirius in Kanagawa Prefecture, one of Japan's most heavily visited library complexes with around 3 million visitors a year.
Library facilities are spread across the first through fifth floors. The fourth floor, which focuses on health, includes equipment allowing visitors to measure indicators such as vascular age, skin age and blood pressure while visiting the library.
The third floor is dedicated largely to children and contains around 60,000 picture books and children's titles.
Farther inside is an indoor play area that looks unlike anything normally associated with a library, featuring equipment including a large rotating Cyber Wheel and a ball pit filled with about 20,000 balls.
Children up to the second grade of elementary school who live in the city can use the play area for 200 yen for two hours.
Parents said indoor facilities have become particularly valuable during periods of extreme heat because children can exercise and play without the same concern over heatstroke outdoors.
Taking the No. 1 position is Musashino Place, located directly in front of Musashi-Sakai Station in Musashino, western Tokyo.
The facility was selected for the role it plays not only as a library but also as a community gathering place, particularly for teenagers.
Its second basement floor houses the Teens Studio, where young people can study, talk with friends, prepare for school festivals and spend time away from both school and home.
Activities including bouldering and table tennis are also available, creating what users describe as a valuable "third place" where teenagers can spend time safely and comfortably.
Teenagers said conventional libraries often require silence, while Musashino Place allows them to combine studying with socializing and recreation.
Staff members, including younger employees who can more easily relate to teenage visitors, are stationed on the floor and are available to talk with young people about concerns ranging from relationships to everyday problems. They may also recommend books connected with issues visitors are facing.
The underground area even includes a fully equipped sound studio, installed after strong demand emerged in surveys conducted when the facility was being planned.
For users aged 19 or younger, one studio can be rented for two and a half hours for just 200 yen, making it a popular place for young musicians to practice.
The facility hopes the space will give young people opportunities to discover new interests and eventually become adults who participate actively in their local community.
With libraries increasingly combining books with technology, recreation, childcare, health services and places for young people to gather, the traditional neighborhood library is taking on a broader role as an accessible community destination where visitors can read, learn, play and escape the summer heat.
Source: TBS
