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© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Bookstore Kinokuniya buys 90% of new Murakami release
By ELAINE KURTENBACH TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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Yubaru
In todays world of Amazon and the declining numbers of people actually going to book stores to buy books it's a smart move by the ownership to get people into their stores.
Wouldnt surprise me one bit if bidding wars start for popular new books prior to public release.
Aly Rustom
Kinokuniya has some excellent materials for studying Japanese
gabrial888
The latter half of this article seems to be just pitching Murakami as a writer. An effort to padding the article? I suspect the whole thing is a plug for Kinokuniya.
Sensato
Although I love bookstores, I am no fan of Kinokuniya or Japan's English-language book distribution system — and this buy-up of the lions share of the Murakami books seems like a last ditch strategic effort for their survival.
Before the days of Amazon and the Internet, there was serious price gouging taking place with English language books in Japan, under a system where the distributor aggressively shut out competition. But, if we wanted an English book we had no choice but to pay the exorbitant prices.
I am glad to see these unscrupulous companies finally get their just deserts.
Kobe White Bar Owner
"to ensure online booksellers don’t shut them out of the sales"
Nice idea but in the long run it will not work, the store based retail world is dying a slow death everywhere and places like book shops and travel agent will be the first to go i.m.o
smithinjapan
I can wait.
nandakandamanda
Just deserts sounds better than just desserts anyway Sensato.