Fantasy Bookstore 39: A New System Inspired by 'Toyama Medicine Chests' and 'Milk Delivery'
I am currently working on a project where a part-time bookstore clerk gathers 1,000 followers to propose a plan to headquarters!
Here is this project's concept.
Things like 'Toyama medicine chests' and 'milk delivery' used to be in every home. While some people still use them, demand is lower than before, and the younger generation may not be familiar with them.
■ Toyama Medicine Chests
A system of medicine placement that has continued since the Edo period. Toyama had many medicinal herbs around the Tateyama mountain range, and it began when the Toyama Domain promoted the manufacture and sale of medicine to overcome a severe financial crisis. It is a system where a medicine chest is placed in the home in advance, and you pay only for what you use. A salesperson visits periodically to replenish the used medicine and collect payment.
■ Milk Delivery
A system where local distributors deliver milk and dairy products on fixed days of the week. There is a dedicated box at the front door, so you can receive them without face-to-face contact even if you are away. Empty bottles are placed in the same box and collected during the next delivery.
Later, I will introduce a new bookstore system inspired by this.
But before that... I would like you to hear why I thought about this.
Always have one book you are currently reading on hand.
My child is now in junior high school.
I tell him to always have one book he is currently reading. Right now, he is reading 'Lonely Castle in the Mirror' (Poplar Publishing, Children's Library Kiminovel), originally by Mizuki Tsujimura, which won the Japan Booksellers' Award in 2018. He says it is very interesting.
This rule of 'keeping one book on hand' sounds simple, but it is not. Even though he gets absorbed in reading once he starts, he is an adolescent boy I cannot easily take to a bookstore with me.
He is busy with cram school and club activities, and it is awkward for him to go out with his parent.
For now, I am just buying books selected by his mother and giving them to him, hoping for the best.
Unable to go to a bookstore for various reasons
I cannot take him to a bookstore.
I don't think I am the only one. If I broaden my perspective, there must be a certain number of people who cannot go to a bookstore themselves.
Elderly people, those in hospitals, those who have circumstances that prevent them from leaving home, those raising small children, etc.
There are many people for whom going out is a burden in itself.
I suspect there are more people who cannot come to a bookstore than we think.
I have written about bookstore delivery before.
It was about whether we could do delivery or home shipping like the local liquor store.
This time, I will dig deeper from a different perspective.
A system where you pay later for what you read
Five books will be delivered to a dedicated box on a specified day every month.
You can open the bag and read only the books you want from among them, and if you do not open a book, you can return it to the dedicated box on the next specified day, and there will be no charge. It is a system where you pay only for what you have opened.
It is a hybrid of 'Toyama medicine chests' and 'milk delivery'.
Just like a salesperson knowledgeable about medicine who replenishes your supply,
a bookstore that comes to replenish you with the perfect books.
And it is a system that can be done without face-to-face contact.
It must be a community-based bookstore
The reason I am focusing on an old system now is that I feel the importance of being 'community-based.' While working as a bookstore clerk and raising children in my real life, I feel the flow of people and the changes in the bookstore's position firsthand. That is why I believe that now, more than ever, differentiation through community engagement is necessary to survive.
What happens in the case of my adolescent son?
If this system existed, I could have five books selected for my adolescent son, and he could start reading from the ones he wants. Even if the book selection misses the mark, it won't cost anything, which helps the household budget.
The more you continue, the more it knows you
If you provide information to the AI in advance, it will be possible to select books accordingly. The range of the five books is where the skill lies. Favorite authors, related titles, bestsellers, new genres yet to be explored, etc.
The more you continue, the more the person's preferences and reading history will accumulate, and the better it will understand them.
Apart from those five books, delivery of subscriptions or requested books is also possible.
How about this fantasy of a new system?
Considering the risk of books getting damaged and the price, I sometimes think used books might be better. Regarding bookstore delivery, please let me know your various opinions, including whether there is demand for such a service or not ✨
Since this is an idea at the concept stage that hasn't been fully fleshed out, I would be happy to hear a wide range of opinions ❣️
I will keep proposing this until I reach 1,000 followers!
Please support me by following and liking.
Other projects are compiled in the magazine.
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