Tsutaya Books Shares That They Are Wrapping Their Books As People Have Been Damaging Them
"For those with itchy hands who can't see nice, brand new things, please stop defacing what does not belong to you."
By Wayne Garreth — 06 Jun 2023, 11:23 AM
Japan's largest bookstore chain, Tsutaya Books, made a splash last year when they opened their first outlet in Malaysia at Pavilion Bukit Jalil
Pristine and visually appealing, Tsutaya's interior design immediately jumped off their shelves and piqued our interests since their grand reveal last July.
With a goal and philosophy to cultivate culture and lifestyle, the chain has prided itself on being more than a bookstore, but a space to discover, explore, and cultivate creative pursuits.
As an oasis for bookworms, the single-storey bookstore that takes up 31,000 sq ft is filled with books from over 12 different genres and multiple other sub-groupings including languages such as English, Simplified Chinese, Malay, and Japanese.
Unfortunately for the chain, all good things can't seem to last when it comes to individuals who may not value the worth of books like others.
In a Facebook post on the bookstore's official page, Tsutaya revealed that they will no longer be leaving their books unwrapped and unsealed
Expressing their joy in having opened their doors last July, the post began by the chain mentioning how excited they were to welcome people into the world of books, stationery, and wonder.
"If you've had the lovely opportunity to visit a Tsutaya Books in Japan, though each store's design is unique, you would have observed that books are unwrapped and nestled on shelves waiting to be flipped through, purchased, and brought to their new homes," the Facebook post read.
Intending to bring this vision to Malaysia, Tsutaya continued the post by saying how excited the brand was to open its first store in Southeast Asia. However, the store went on to point out that, over the course of time, more and more books have been wrapped with clear film.
"As book lovers, it really saddens us to do this but we have had no choice. Through the months, our staff have put aside mountains of books that have been damaged, intentionally — with pages ripped, covers torn, children's pop-up books that no longer "pop-up". It's both sad and disappointing," continued the post.
"We would love nothing more than to go back to how it was when we first opened — shelves lined neatly with books as they are"
While the brand did express their disappointment towards having to take this action, they are hopeful to restore the tradition Tsutaya Books has long held close to them — with the help of visitors to their bookstore.
However, the brand also stipulated that should patrons want to view wrapped books, they may do so by asking their sales associates to assist them in the process of opening those sealed items.
"Though we are not a library, our societal role as a bookstore is to encourage reading and promote literacy. For now, should you wish to flip through a book that's been sealed, please do ask any of our sales associates to assist you — they'd be happy to do so. Do handle books with care.
"With your help, we do hope to free our books of being imprisoned in plastic (cringe) wrapping. Not just at our bookstore, but at all bookstores — and libraries too, for that matter," read the post.
Sending a message to the public in hopes for their bookstore to move forward in conjunction with the brand's vision, the chain had this to say:
For those with itchy hands who can’t see nice, brand new things, please stop defacing what does not belong to you. It’s simply unkind.
Receiving more than 1,000 likes on their post, many Malaysians shared their opinions on Tsutaya's decision to wrap their books
An overwhelming amount of commenters expressed their disappointment towards fellow Malaysians, saying that such actions are the cause of why we may not get to experience nice things.
"As a book lover myself, it is disappointing to see irresponsible people destroying books in bookstores," wrote one commenter, while another apologised for Malaysians having "low civic mindedness".
International commenters also left their thoughts in the comments section, with one user who had paid a visit to Tsutaya's store in Japan, comparing how the books are cared for in each store.
"I have visited your stores in Japan and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, so it's saddening to see the books being defaced in my own country. Guess we still have much to learn and to progress as a society," he wrote.
Another Facebook user, who claimed to be living in Australia, stated that wrapping books is considered foreign in their country.
"No one damages the books... this is insane," they wrote.
Nevertheless, some of the most fruitful comments of the bunch came from users who thanked Tsutaya for bringing this issue to light, saying that it's hard to imagine why people would intentionally damage beautiful books.
"We parents should educate the next generation to respect the books and appreciate a good bookstore before they all disappear from this country," penned another user, who emphasised on the importance of taking care of books.
