To a bookstore in Yamatokoriyama, the castle town of goldfish: In search of a 'bookmark' from a fellow noter

On this day, a slightly cold breeze blew amidst the scent of plum blossoms.
I headed toward Yamato-Saidaiji on the Kintetsu Nara Line.
From there, I transferred to the Kashihara Line.

It is a line I am not very familiar with.

Looking at the map, I thought,

Toshodai-ji Temple is here!
Yakushi-ji Temple too!

As I was making such a fuss in my heart, I arrived at
Kintetsu-Koriyama Station about 10 minutes after leaving Saidaiji.

This is my first time getting off at this station.

I proceed through the shopping street.

Old townscapes.
There are also scattered shops that feel new and renovated.
Yet, they do not stand out from the townscape; they harmonize naturally and create a calm atmosphere.

I arrived at my destination about 10 minutes from the station.

The shop, 'Bookstore Tohon'.

Tohon... three hiragana characters.

When I say the word slowly, that sensation comes back—the feeling of quietly sinking to the bottom of the sea while reading a book, leaving reality behind and being enveloped in the world of the book.
It feels as if my mind is soaking into a sea of books.

According to the official website,

—it says.

My first visit.
As I nervously passed through the noren curtain...

A wonderful atmosphere and selection of books.

Honestly, I couldn't just stand there blankly.

I want to read this too!
A book like this!

Every time I moved to a new shelf, there were books I was curious about here and there.

Instead of a fish swimming slowly in the deep sea,
I became a butterfly fluttering from bookshelf to bookshelf.
('Butterfly' is quite a self-beautification, though 😂)

By the way, I learned about Tohon after reading an article by a certain noter.

A noter whose work I have been reading for a while and to whom I have given 'likes,' but with whom I have no direct interaction.

🐻Kuma no Muffin-san🍩

A noter who expresses a world of soft, gentle illustrations and words that, when read, seem to wrap even a lonely night in warm dreams.

I went there because they had exhibited at Tohon'sBookmark Exhibitionand I really wanted to see them.

The words on the official website for the Bookmark Exhibition are also wonderful.
A bookmark.
It might be the boundary between the sea of books and reality, and something that connects them safely.

This Bookmark Exhibition is the 12th one, and I heard that 38 artists have exhibited their work this time. (It has already ended.)

Since I had looked at the list of exhibitors posted on the Tohon website in advance,
when I saw the bookmarks lined up on the table

This is something I've been curious about!
Oh, and this is something I thought I liked too!

And so, my heart is restless again 😂

Even amidst all that, Kuma no Muffin's work naturally catches my eye right away.

It's just wonderful!

The silver embroidery, which looked flat on my device screen, has a three-dimensional quality to each piece,
and the warmth that spreads in my heart, thinking, 'Ah, Kuma no Muffin stitched this,' is truly special.

I really struggled with what to buy, but I ended up welcoming two of Kuma no Muffin's pieces.

I don't feel like I can fully convey their beauty when I take photos of them at home myself 💦

Kuma no Muffin also introduces the bookmark-making process on their note, so please take a look there 🙇

I wanted this book and that book too, but I narrowed it down to just one.

This was my first time visiting Yamatokoriyama and the bookstore 'Tohon'.
It was an unfamiliar area, but it only takes about an hour from my parents' house even when taking it slow at each station.

Yes, I was fluttering between the bookshelves wanting this and that, but halfway through,
'I can just come back again, can't I?'
was the voice in my heart 😆

Thanks to Kuma no Muffin, I was able to discover a wonderful bookstore, and I am truly grateful ⭐

Yamatokoriyama City is known as a famous production area for goldfish.

It is also known as a town that retains the atmosphere of a castle town.

I visited on February 24th.
The 'Yamato Hina Festival' event was being held.

The 'Yamato Hina Festival' runs until March 3rd🌸

This time, I went solely for the purpose of visiting the bookstore, so I returned without really experiencing the charm of Yamatokoriyama.

I would love to visit again to soak in the atmosphere of the castle town and also check out the Koriyama Castle Ruins Park near the station.

The number of places I want to visit again has increased♪

(Date of visit: February 24, 2026)

Both Kuma no Muffin-san and the others who wrote about this bookmark exhibition on note have such gentle and quiet worldviews.
While I admire that kind of world, the chatter in my head is always so noisy—or rather, the Osaka person inside me just won't stay quiet😂

This is business as usual for my note, but I delivered this with a slightly higher level of excitement than usual.
My actions (probably) aren't noisy, so it's fine(?)... I think... I'd like to think so😅

By the way, time flies, and today is February 28th.
March starts tomorrow!
I am planning to stay in Tokyo next week.
I'd like to experience spring in Tokyo too, but I have no plans yet.
I tend to overpack my schedule, but it's also fun to plan out where to go and what to see.

Because of that, updates to this note are even more uncertain than usual, but I would be happy if you came back to check on me♪

Thank you for reading today as well⭐
Likes and follows are very encouraging!

The 'Like' button is a bit like a little fortune slip, you know😊

My daily diary is being updated on my B-side (separate) account.

🔷 B-side account for diaries

🔶 This article is included in the magazine below.