Takano Kotarou
| When did this store first open, and how did you become manager of this bookstore? What is your history of involvement in the Kinokuniya chain? |
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は じめは、日本の紀伊国屋で仕事をしていた。大学に行って、法人営業(ほうじんえいぎょう）をしていました。2013年、シカゴにお店をオープンするため に、初めてアメリカに来ました。シカゴのお店がオープンしたあと、店長（ストアマネージャー）として、NYのお店に来ることになりました。2008 年に紀伊国屋で働きはじめました。大学院で勉強していたので、アカデミックな場所である大学に行って、本を売る仕事にきょうみがありまし た。それから、シカゴに行ってくださいと会社に言われました。外国に行ってみたかったので、今、外国で働けて、よかったです。1981年からロックフェ ラーセンターに紀伊国屋がありましたが、2007年に今のところにきました。 Initially, I was working in a Kinokuniya in Japan, especially since when I was in college I was in corporate business. In 2013, I came to America for the first time because a new Kinokuniya in Chicago had just opened. After the Chicago store opened, I decided to come to New York to take a position as the manager. I started working at Kinokuniya [in Japan] in 2008. Since I was studying in graduate school, I wanted to be in an academic place and had an interest in selling books [so Kinokuniya was a good fit]. The company then told me to go to Chicago, but I really wanted to go to a foreign country anyways, so now that I work here, I am happy. [As for the store itself] it was originally in Rockefeller Center starting in 1981, but in 2007 it moved it the current location [1073 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10018]. |
| How are you able to get all the Japanese books to your store? How do you chose which books to bring to America? |
| 日 本語の本は、週に1回ずつ、航空便（こうくうびん）と船便（ふなびん）で届きます。日本の出版社と話して、新しい本の情報をもらいながら、オーダーしてい ます。スペシャルオーダー（リクエスト）も受けています。日本人も日本人じゃない人からもいろいろなスペシャルオーダーを受けています。日本人じゃない人 からは、アニメ・コミックやアートの本などのオーダーをよく受けます。日本のお店でどんな本が売（う）れているかなどの情報をもらっています。アメリカで は、どんな本が売れているかなどの情報も交換（こうかん）していま す。 The Japanese books reach us once a week by either airmail or overseas shipping. If I receive information about a new book while talking with Japanese publishers, I tend to order it. We also take special orders and requests. Many special orders and requests come from both Japanese and non-Japanese people, although non-Japanese people mainly order anime, comics, and art books. Our books are chosen based on those sold in Japan. We receive information from Japanese shops, like the kinds of books sold there. Within America as well, we share information about what kinds of books are sold. |
| How are books organized in the store? |
| 日本の出版社（しゅっぱんしゃ）から情報をもらって、それを見ながらオーダーしていきます。料理の本や子供の本など、いろいろなカテゴリーで担当者がいます。NYのマーケットでどんな本が売れそうか考える。ばらばらに本があると探しにくいので、カテゴリーでまとめています。メインフロアでは、小説を1番前に持ってきています。 I usually receive information from Japanese publishers as well, and then decide which ones I’d like to see [in the store] before ordering them. There are people in charge of the various categories such as cooking and children’s books. I learn about what kind of books would be bought in the NY market. Since it might be difficult [in terms of organization] to find books scattered in parts, they are organized in categories. For example, the best novels are brought to the main floor. |
| What are the most popular books you have in your store? What do customers usually come to the store for? Do you notice a difference in what Japanese people ask for versus foreigners? |
| 日本とアメリカで人気がある本は、同じだと思います。日本とアメリカで人気がある本は、同じだと思います。村上春樹（Haruki Murakami)の本が人気がある。村上春樹の英語になっている本も、とても人気がある。日本人じゃない人でも、日本語の村上春樹の本を買っていく人もいる。アメリカのベストセラーを買いに来る人もいる。アニメ・まんがを買いに来る人、ステーショナリーも人気があります。日本人は、だいたい1番新しいざっしや新しい本を買いに来る人がおおい。日本人じゃない人は、ステーショナリーやアニメグッズを買いに来る人もおおい。 I think the books that are popular in Japan and America are similar, [but at the same time] even though there are books that are popular in Japan, they are not always as popular in America. Haruki Murakami’s books are popular. Actually, now that his books have been translated to English, they have become even more popular. Even non-Japanese people have bought Murakami’s books. There are also people who come for just American bestsellers as well. People come for anime, manga—and stationary is also very popular. For a lot of Japanese people, the number one reason for coming is to buy new magazines. Non-Japanese people tend to come for stationary or anime goods. |
| Do you feel that the Japanese community that comes here is large? Have you noticed a change in the population of people that come here over the years? |
| 日本人のお客さんもおおいですが、日本人じゃないお客さんもどんどん増えています。日本人じゃない人のほうがいい。最近、日本人の駐在員は若い人が多いので、若い人はあまりお金がないので、あまり買わなくなったかもしれない。かわってきました。旅行者（りょこうしゃ）がおおい。日本からの旅行者だけではなく、ヨーロッパからの旅行者もおおい。去年の12月は、今までで1番の売り上げ（うりあげ）があった。 There has always been a large amount of Japanese customers, but little by little, the number of non-Japanese customers has been increasing. The more non-Japanese people the better [I think]. [This is because] recently there are a lot of Japanese residents coming who are young and do not have much money, so they do not really buy anything. The population has changed. There are also a lot of tourists. These tourists are not only from Japan, but also many from Europe. From last December, until now, the most sales have come from tourists. |
| How do you feel about the growth of the store in the future? |
| 日本人だけではなくて、アメリカの人や旅行者の人にももっと利用（りよう）してもらいたい。日本の書店（しょてん）としてだけではなくて、地元感（じもとかん）がでてほしい。今のところ、NYにあたらしいお店をオープンする予定はない。でも、テキサスに新しいお店がオープンする。トヨタなど日本の大きい会社がテキサスにできて、日本人がたくさんいるので。 I would like not only Japanese people but also more Americans [non-Japanese] and tourists to come to the store. Also, I want this store to not be just another bookstore but also relay a sense of Japanese culture and locality to the city. Although I don’t think there are plans to open another store in NY right now, there is a new store opening in Texas. Since a big Japanese company, Toyota, has opened there, a lot of Japanese people are in Texas, so there is interest in opening Kinokuniya. |
—Special Credit to Miki Kaihara for assisting in Japanese transcription
