I remember my first visit to a Tsutaya Books branch—a slightly dim, warehouse-like space with minimal natural light, brown tile floors, and black metal shelving. Alongside the books, rows of rental CDs and DVDs beckoned, but without knowledge of Japanese, navigating them proved challenging. Equally perplexing was signing up for the T-Point Card, a loyalty card that also served as a membership needed for borrowing items.

This experience was a few years before the opening of Daikanyama T-Site in 2011, an event that would stabilise the fortunes of Tsutaya Books' parent company, Culture Convenience Club. Since its founding in 1983 in Osaka, the shop’s core business had centred on rentals. Yet, the growing popularity of online streaming services was putting increasing pressure on the traditional rental market.

Culture Convenience Club took on a new venture with Daikanyama T-Site. Situated on a historic site in the Daikanyama neighbourhood, the complex was designed as a "Library in the Woods" with a campus-like layout. It consists of three interconnected wings, anchored by Magazine Street, a 55-metre-long corridor running through the ground floor. From this central artery, six specialised book departments branch off, each focused on a different category. The site also houses a café and the Share Lounge, a high-grade co-working space located on the first floor.

Investing heavily in an elaborate physical location may seem counterintuitive for a company aiming to compete with online rivals, especially as brick-and-mortar bookshops are in decline, with many predicting their eventual disappearance. But the brilliance of this strategy lies not in reinforcing book retail but in expanding Tsutaya as a cultural centre, emphasising placemaking and incorporating cafés, restaurants, open spaces, co-working, and events into its design.

Daikanyama T-Site's placemaking was executed precisely, sparing no expense in gathering the right talent. The striking white façade, a lattice-like design incorporating the letter 'T,' was designed by Klein Dytham Architecture, selected from 80 competing firms. Kenya Hara developed the communication design, while Tomoko Ikegai led the creative direction. At the centre of it all, a gleaming new branch of Tsutaya Books, which earned a spot as the sole Japanese entry in Flavorpill's 20 Most Beautiful Bookstores in the World.

People may not always visit T-Site to buy a book, and book sales are not necessarily its primary source of revenue, but they are central to its identity—without them, T-Site would be just another leisure complex in Tokyo. The ability to stroll, enjoy coffee, or work while surrounded by books, embodying craft and knowledge, creates a distinctive atmosphere that draws a particular crowd. The internet can deliver a book to your door or device, offering the convenience of ownership, but a day at T-Site transcends that, allowing you to live the book lover’s life in every aspect.

Another of my favourite, more understated spots for browsing and reading is Bunkitsu in Roppongi. It presents a unique concept: a bookshop with a ¥1,500 entrance fee that grants access to over 30,000 carefully curated titles and unlimited coffee or green tea. It is more reminiscent of a private library than a typical bookstore, merging the aesthetics of a startup, boutique hotel, and gallery. You can wander through themed sections—from philosophy to design—or retreat to the glass-enclosed 'Laboratory' for uninterrupted reading.