Dipping Feet in New Waters

For me personally, this was my first actual exposure to the Japanese life and culture. I have only experienced the culture through a few episodes of anime, and a quick look at manga art, but I have never quite appreciated or understood the art of it before stepping into Kinokuniya. Kinokuniya was more than a bookstore, it was an experience of the Japanese culture right at the heart of New York City. From the cafe, to the manner of the manager and employees at the store, it was clear that the Japanese culture of not intruding and remaining quite elusive was evident. It was very interesting to observe the variety of factors that went into this bookstore — there truly is no bookstore like Kinokuniya. Not only do they have Japanese anime books, and books of Japanese languages, they also have self-care English books, English novels, magazines, children’s books translated in Japanese, self-teaching Japanese books, and more. It was also interesting to see how they had classic American children’s books, such as “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” in Japanese translations. We saw this as a great blend of cultures. The atmosphere is extremely friendly and uplifting, and you look forward to checking out every aspect of the store.