Short Story Dispensers to Appear Around Japan; Creating Unexpected Encounters with Stories
Short story dispensers set to be installed at train stations, tourist information centers, event venues and the like will make their debut in Japan as early as this summer.
At the push of a button, short stories that can be read in a few minutes will be printed out on a long receipt-like srip of paper. Although the machines are called 'dispensers,' the content is delivered free of charge.
This service, to be launched as part of an initiative to revitalize Japan's characters and print culture, will be implemented by Tohan Corp., a leading book wholesaler, with the support of the Cultural Affairs Agency.
The aim is to get people who usually do not read books to discover the joy of reading them.
Launched by a French company, the machines, called short story dispensers, have been installed at train stations, airports, hospitals and companies in Europe, the United States and elsewhere.
In Japan, several dispensers are scheduled to be installed in various locations, starting in or around August. The development of Japan-version dispensers is also being considered.
It is envisaged that the stories printed out will be the beginning or part of a story that takes place in the location where the dispenser is installed. Standing in the spot where a memorable scene was created will enable people to feel close to the world of the story.
Another idea under consideration is an excerpt from a fine piece of literature written by a great author who has some connection with the locations.
The number of stories will be increased one by one, with poems, haiku and even newly published works to be added to the list in future.
Multiple stories will be made available at each dispenser. As the content printed out will be chosen at random, people can enjoy an unexpected encounter with a story.
The scheme is also an attempt to encourage people to read the rest of the story in an actual book.
This initiative has recently been selected as a new project implemented by the Cultural Affairs Agency to revitalize Japan's print culture, to which end the agency is supporting collaborations among bookstores, literary museums and local governments.
The agency will provide approximately ¥6.5 million in support. As the relevant expenses are to be borne by local municipalities and the companies that install the dispensers, the service is to be offered free of charge.
Why take the trouble to install dispensers with stories printed on paper at a time when many stories can be read for free just by searching on a smartphone? Koichi Saito, manager in charge of new businesses at Tohan, said: 'We believe that holding a story that comes out by coincidence and reading it at that particular location will create a different value for readers. We want to increase the points of contact between people and books.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Legendary pie shop Anna Miller's is returning to Tokyo, bringing iconic waitress uniforms with it
By Casey Baseel, SoraNews24 August 31, 2022 was a sad day for sweets fans in Japan. It was on that day that Anna Miller's, one of Japan's first pie specialty restaurants, closed its Takanawa branch in Tokyo, which was its last location in Japan. Anna Miller's started out in Hawaii, but in 1973 Japanese confectionary company Imuraya struck a deal to bring the chain to Japan. At its peak, Anna Miller's had 25 restaurants in the Tokyo area, with the Takanawa branch, located just outside of Tokyo's Shinagawa Station, becoming a local landmark. Alas, a Takanawa redevelopment project forced Anna Miller's and the other tenants out of the building. ▼ When news broke that the Takanawa Anna Miller's was closing, huge lines of fans going back for one last slice of pie stated forming (this photo was taken roughly 10 weeks before the shutdown). Image: SoraNews24 Since then, Anna Miller's has existed only as an online-sales bakery that very occasionally has very brief pop-up shop events. So great rejoicing met Imuraya's announcement that Tokyo will once again have a permanent Anna Miller's restaurant, and it'll be open before the year is over. Image: PR Times For its comeback, Anna Miller's is returning to its Tokyo roots. The new branch will be located in Tokyo's Minami Aoyama, the same section of the city where the first in-Japan Anna Miller's opened in 1973. ▼ The original Minami Aoyama Anna Miller's Image: PR Times ▼ An Anna Miller's pie Image: SoraNews24 The new branch will occupy the first and second floors of the Seizan II building, a one-minute walk away from Gaienmae Station on the Tokyo Metro's Ginza Line. In addition to a takeout counter for those ordering pie to-go, there will be approximately 30 seats for eat-in customers. Its pies and American-style entrees aren't the only things Anna Miller's is famous for, however. The restaurant's iconic jumper dress-esque uniforms hold an iconic status within Japanese pop culture, and it's likely for that reason that Imuraya makes a special mention of them within the reopening announcement, saying that the distinctive outfits will be returning as well, and sure enough, they can be seen in the preview images. Image: PR Times The new Anna Miller's is slated to open in early December. Source: Imuraya via Sankei Shimbun Read more stories from SoraNews24. -- Legendary pie shop Anna Miller's returns to Tokyo with station popup shop【Taste test】 -- End of the line for Japan's absolute favorite waitress uniform and one of its favorite pie places -- Anna Miller's announces closure, immediately becomes Tokyo's top must-visit cafe External Link © SoraNews24
Yomiuri Shimbun
a day ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Short Story Dispensers to Appear Around Japan; Creating Unexpected Encounters with Stories
Short story dispensers set to be installed at train stations, tourist information centers, event venues and the like will make their debut in Japan as early as this summer. At the push of a button, short stories that can be read in a few minutes will be printed out on a long receipt-like srip of paper. Although the machines are called 'dispensers,' the content is delivered free of charge. This service, to be launched as part of an initiative to revitalize Japan's characters and print culture, will be implemented by Tohan Corp., a leading book wholesaler, with the support of the Cultural Affairs Agency. The aim is to get people who usually do not read books to discover the joy of reading them. Launched by a French company, the machines, called short story dispensers, have been installed at train stations, airports, hospitals and companies in Europe, the United States and elsewhere. In Japan, several dispensers are scheduled to be installed in various locations, starting in or around August. The development of Japan-version dispensers is also being considered. It is envisaged that the stories printed out will be the beginning or part of a story that takes place in the location where the dispenser is installed. Standing in the spot where a memorable scene was created will enable people to feel close to the world of the story. Another idea under consideration is an excerpt from a fine piece of literature written by a great author who has some connection with the locations. The number of stories will be increased one by one, with poems, haiku and even newly published works to be added to the list in future. Multiple stories will be made available at each dispenser. As the content printed out will be chosen at random, people can enjoy an unexpected encounter with a story. The scheme is also an attempt to encourage people to read the rest of the story in an actual book. This initiative has recently been selected as a new project implemented by the Cultural Affairs Agency to revitalize Japan's print culture, to which end the agency is supporting collaborations among bookstores, literary museums and local governments. The agency will provide approximately ¥6.5 million in support. As the relevant expenses are to be borne by local municipalities and the companies that install the dispensers, the service is to be offered free of charge. Why take the trouble to install dispensers with stories printed on paper at a time when many stories can be read for free just by searching on a smartphone? Koichi Saito, manager in charge of new businesses at Tohan, said: 'We believe that holding a story that comes out by coincidence and reading it at that particular location will create a different value for readers. We want to increase the points of contact between people and books.'
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Cats, dogs, meerkats, goats: Interpets trade fair draws furry hordes
In the bustling city of Osaka, you might not expect to find an event with hundreds of animals running around — and not just cats and dogs, mind you. For the Interpets trade show, held this year from June 19 to 21, Kansai-area pet owners brought their rabbits, goats and even a meerkat or two to taste wares and try out new products from some of Japan's largest pet supply businesses. Inside the Intex Osaka convention center, 300 exhibitors showed off mostly new preparations of pet foods to assembled attendees, but cutting-edge products and live events also drew attention. Owners tucked their pets into walk-in showers and dryers for individual animals, while professional groomers raced against a clock and each other to perfect new styles on volunteer (or volunteered) pets. One such walk-in drier from South Korea-based Spacepet was particularly popular, with models in yellow, orange and white large enough to fit most cats and dogs around the size of toy poodles or Shiba inu (no such luck for Siberian husky owners like myself). The Intex Osaka convention center hosted the Interpets trade fair from June 19 to 21. | SHAWN B. SWINGER However, food was the main draw of Interpets. Aside from free samples of raw meat and jerky readily snapped up by hungry pets, a smorgasbord of conventional pet food was on offer alongside a swath of exhibitors selling organic sustenance, some like Okayama Prefecture-based Inaka no Ippin Honpo included animal products (deer ears, rabbit feet and emu eggs, to name a few) — that they claimed were hunted and processed by themselves. When all the excitement grew too much, there were 'manner corners' where animals could freely relieve themselves. Of the hundreds of dogs, cats and other animals witnessed, The Japan Times can report that no interspecies skirmishes occurred. Kumiko and Toshiko Suji, residents of Kyoto, attended Interpets with their pet goat, Mucca Ducati. Mucca (Italian for 'cow') is terrified of dogs, Kumiko said, so she had to wait in the convention center's food court with Mucca while she and her partner took turns perusing the booths to bring back treats. Kumiko was particularly interested in what kind of rabbit food was on sale, since she said that is Mucca's favorite. Mucca the goat's Kyoto-based owners brought her to Interpets so she would have a chance to try new food directly. | SHAWN B. SWINGER 'Mucca is very special to us, and we just want to give her the best life,' Kumiko said. The Sujis live in Kyoto but made the two-hour drive out to Osaka so that Mucca, who has her own Instagram page, can taste food and give her approval in real time. An Osaka resident, Tanue (he declined to provide his last name) brought his four dogs to the trade show: a Shetland sheepdog, two pit bulls and a Siberian husky, all of them under two years old. Tanue said he wants his dogs to have the best quality meat sourced directly from hunters, and the standout of the event for him was the booth from the online merchant FooDog selling food products from hunted deer. Tanue brought his four dogs to the Interpets convention, where he said he was on the hunt for 'the best' food products on offer. | SHAWN B. SWINGER The FooDog had brought three Doberman pinschers to munch on deer bones as a show of how much dogs would love their wares (indeed, these Dobermans were so calm that they barely gave any notice to the thousands of people and other dogs who walked inches away from them). 'My dogs deserve the best,' Tanue said of attending Interpets, 'so we came to give them the best.'
