"RAYARD Hisaya-odori Park" in Sakae, Nagoya City, combines a park and commercial facilities. Zone 1, the northernmost area of the park, is crowded with people relaxing on the lawn on sunny days. At the northernmost tip of the park, at the end of the entire park, you will find the Tenroin Bookstore.

There may be some people in Nagoya who say, "This is the first time I've heard of this bookstore," but as a bookstore with a concept that doesn't fit the mold of traditional bookstores, it has a passionate following nationwide. Let's explore the charm of such a unique bookstore, Tenroin Bookstore.

Providing not only books but also “experiences”

Terrace seats of the cafe overlooking the park and the TV tower in front of you. I think I will stay longer with my favorite book.

Tenroin Bookstore (hereinafter Tenroin) opened in Ikebukuro, Tokyo in 2013, and since then has expanded nationwide to Fukuoka and Kyoto, with Nagoya being the ninth store.

According to Mr. Matsushita, the store manager in Nagoya, Tenroin has continued to evolve like IPS cells, but the core theme is the new lifestyle of READING LIFE.

In addition to buying books, this bookstore offers a café where you can relax, events by authors, club activities such as "Photo Club" and "Design Club," and seminars where you can learn various skills. The idea is to provide an "experience" that goes beyond reading a book.

And the point is that each experience is filled with Tenroin's unique attention to detail. At first glance, the store may look like a stylish book café, but there are many tricks hidden inside. Let us introduce you to some of the "special points" that will make you grin when you find them.

Special point 1: There is a "secret book".

A book wrapped in a mysterious black cover is placed on a shelf and piled up on a flat shelf as soon as you enter the store. I couldn't help but pick it up, wondering what on earth it was. This is a "secret book," a book that Takanori Miura, the owner of Tenroin, has chosen not to share with others.

 ・Title is confidential.
 ・No returns.
 ・Please do not tell anyone else.

The book is sold under the condition that the book is sold under those conditions. This is the owner's unique idea to add new entertainment value to the way we encounter books. Incidentally, the current "secret books" are the 10th generation, and the books up to the 6th generation have been "unveiled" (spoiled), so it is exciting just to look at the titles to see what kind of books have been selected.

All the secret books are selected by the owner, but there is also an extra book selected by Shigesato Itoi. He revived an out-of-print classic and sold 1,000 copies in 30 hours. This one has already been "unveiled".

Special point 2 "New Face" and Nagoya book

In addition to general magazines and books, TENROHIN also has a wide selection of books for creators in the fields of photography, cameras, and design, which is typical of TENROHIN's strong culture focus. Business book lovers in particular should check out the New Face shelves displayed on the wall of the event space to the left of the store.

This is a shelf of new business books selected by the owner, Mr. Miura, who also writes serial articles for business magazines (Weekly Diamond, Nikkei Business), through regular meetings with publishers. Come here, and you will find the new face of business books that you should read now. It is a real bookstore where you can see a list of books selected by reliable eyes and directly hold them in your hands, which is a pleasure you can only experience in a real bookstore.

New Face is updated in real time every time a new book arrives. If you think, "There are so many business books that I don't know what to read," please check this shelf.

Takanori Miura, the store owner who is also a writer, writes "Marketing for Hitters"

Also unique to the Nagoya store are the shelves of Nagoya-related books, including history and warlords, Nagoya culture, and local history.

Also shelves of picture books and children's books for children who come to play in the park. Have you found your favorite?

Special point 3 There is a kotatsu seat

You will forget that you are in a bookstore and feel so at home.

Open terrace seating. As a person who has a dog, I am glad that dogs are allowed!

The attached café space can be used as a second office, with seating available with an order of one drink, Wi-Fi, and power supply. The open-air terrace is great, but the space at the far end of the café is a must-see. It is a "kotatsu" table.

Reading your favorite book snuggly under the kotatsu while drinking tea is the best situation for the coming season, isn't it? By the way, it seems that it will be a "chilled kotatsu (!)" in the summer.

Special point 4 There is a story in each menu

Tenrouin's cafe menu offers not only drinks but also food. Among them, there is a menu with names that you will never forget once you hear it.

"Ex-boyfriend's favorite Butter Chicken Curry 800 yen". Mild, easy to eat, and never boring.

"Yarisugi Tonjiru (too much pork miso soup) 800 yen". Add yuzu pepper if you like. Along with salty rice balls, you can relax your mind and body.

"Ex-boyfriend's favorite butter chicken curry" (commonly known as "ex-curry") is a recipe that a female staff member made to grab his ex-boyfriend's stomach. Also, when developing the menu, "Yarisugi Tonjiru" is a tonjiru with a lot of ingredients.

It's fun to think about the story of how each menu was created while enjoying the delicious flavors.

The sweet and sour taste of the fruit itself, which soaks into the body. Satoyama Jucho mandarin orange juice/apple juice: 480 yen

The recommended drinks on the menu are organic mandarin orange juice and apple juice from "Satoyama Jucho". Jiyujin, the publisher of "Jiyujin" magazine, renovated an old hot spring inn in Uonuma, Niigata, and reborn it as a supreme organic and detox inn. Tenroin's "Travel Club" has visited the inn twice in the past and held private events there.

There is also a lunch menu. To-go is also possible.

Special point 5 There are events and seminars by authors and professionals in the field

In the event space at the back left of the store, various events and seminars are held where you can learn book-reading knowledge in a practical way. You can learn about topics such as cameras, writing, design, video, branding, marketing, and time management techniques directly from the authors of related books and professionals who are active in the front lines of their fields.

For example, the instructor in charge of the "Self-Branding Full Strength Class" seminar is photographer Hiroki Aoyama, a leading expert in photographing actors, models, and idols. Incidentally, Mr. Aoyama happens to be from Nagoya, which gives us a sense of familiarity.

A 191-inch screen is used in the event space, and there is also a seminar that connects stores.

In addition, as an event project unique to the Nagoya store, a book reading and photo session under the blue sky using the park space will also be held.

On Saturday, November 7th, the “Aozora Fanatic Reading Party” will be held for the first time. It is a meeting to talk about your favorite books on the lawn square in front of the store.

Shooting notebook 3,200 yen (excluding tax)

While Tenroin offers a full range of writing and camera-related seminars, it also sells notebooks for camera enthusiasts. Tenloin also runs a publishing business called "Sea Publishing House," and the "Shooting Notebook" published by the company is a notebook that allows you to record data and reflections on how to take the best shot in your history. With its horizontal opening and emphasis on easy-to-write-on paper, this is a book that will be of interest to stationery lovers as well.

How to enjoy it is up to you.
"The Bookstore That Will Change Your Life"

This time, we introduced the unique points of Tenroin.

Get your favorite book, relax in the café, experience seminars and events, and find new pals. Depending on yourself, you can enjoy and utilize Tenroin in many different ways.

"We want to create a place where adults can have serious fun. We want people to have a life-changing experience here," said Mr. Matsushita, manager of the Nagoya store.
We hope you will experience the fun of READING LIFE, which starts with books.