The Dazzling World of Old Books at World Antiquarian Book Plaza

2023.12.21

In the area of Yaesu, Nihonbashi and Kyobashi, you can find many adults who know genuineness in various fields ranging from food, clothing, and housing to hobbies and jobs. This is an illustrated essay expressing the “taste” of those towns, created by illustrator Chie Sasaki.
For the first episode, I visited the World Antiquarian Book Plaza, which dealt in Western old books, located on the third floor of Maruzen Nihonbashi Bookshop to learn about how to enjoy old books.

To come right to the point, despite taking more than two hours for the interview, I felt like hearing more about the stories!

This space made me feel so.

 

I visited a shop with old books collected from all over the world as it was named, located on the 3rd floor of Maruzen Nihonbashi Bookstore.

 

The day before, I had felt a little anxious about how I was going to have an interview as I was neither a particular bookworm nor an individual familiar with old books.

Oh, my gosh! It is fun and deep enough to forget the interview.…

 

He had terabytes of memory!  As Mr. Seki explained each item in detail like a walking encyclopedia, I felt as if I could have discovered stories from each piece of paper though I had little knowledge about it, and so I wanted to ask him about all the pieces.

In addition to the above, all the other books, including the DOME which was a British art magazine in the 19th century, one of a limited edition of 425 illustrated books based on Tsuguharu Fujita’s watercolors, and the 1930s’ issues of the magazine The New Yorker and ones issued after that period were also valuable and eye-pleasing. My happiness-o-meter went off the scale all the time.

 

Above all, it was more amazing that a luxury reprint of the most luxurious and expensive edition of Les Belles Heures du Duc de Berry (The Beautiful Hours of the Duke of Berry) from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, limited to 980 copies, was on sale at an in-stock special price of 1,000,000 yen!  There were also books that I didn’t know whether they were cheap or expensive at all by which my head was messed up for a moment.

Ms. S, who was in charge of me and accompanied me for this interview, has long been engaged in the publishing and editing industry. As she was looking at those old books that were not only luxury items but also craftworks, she seemed to be filled with something passionate.

 

What professionals make in earnest strike us. For professional creators, it may be necessary to arouse such enthusiasm on a routine basis.

 

And here in Nihonbashi, without visiting rural world heritages or countries across the sea that you have never been to, you can experience such enthusiasm!

Superficially, the word of old books had seemed difficult.

 

However, this shop deals in any and all old books from old maps to picture books for souvenirs and bookplates you can get for \1,000s, and so I think adults of all genres, including design, fashion, editing, tourism, and art, may be able to encounter what is sure to impress them.

 

Since all the old books sold at this World Antiquarian Book Plaza are imported ones, they are primarily written in foreign languages. So, it may be difficult to understand the contents, but you can love the beauty of bookbinding, enjoy book illustrations drawn by famous artists, or touch rare paper to feel the texture!

 

I found that this place would make us revel in the senses fully enough to spend rich time like enjoying art.

 

I am not a heroine of a movie, but I may be able to get various ideas and tips here.

  • World Antiquarian Book Plaza

    Address: Maruzen Nihonbashi Bookshop 3F, 2-3-10, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

    Tel: 81-70-3607-5462

    Business hours: 11:00–20:00

    Closed: Open seven days a week (January 1 is closed)

    Official website: https://www.facebook.com/WorldAntiquarianBookPlaza

    *You can see new arrivals.

Chie Sasaki
Illustrator

Chie Sasaki is popular for her illustrated essays with the uniquely loose touch and sharp viewpoints, working extensively in magazines, advertising, and Web media. She likes travelling enough to publish an all-illustration guide to Taiwan titled LOVE Tainan~Taiwan no Kyoto de Tabeasobi ~ (LOVE Tainan ~ foods and activities in the Kyoto-like area of Taiwan~) (Shodensha Publishing Co., Ltd.) in 2017. Other writings of hers include Kozure Souru (Travel to Seoul with My Children) and Jiji Tsure Meido no Miyagetabi in Pari (A trip with elderly men in Paris as a golden memory for them) (both from Shodensha Publishing Co., Ltd.)

X:@sasakichie

Instagram:chie_sasa