Stoking The Embers Of Love In A Bookshop
February in Japan is a difficult month to plan romantic outdoor adventures. Typically the coldest month of the year, even unseasonably warm days cannot be trusted. A well-prepared love interest wanting to build a healthy relationship might pack an additional fluffy scarf or knee rug to wrap their date in, should chilly weather roll in. Choosing a cosy indoor dating destination avoids the elements altogether, and where better to experience a rom-com worthy meet-cute but a bookstore?
Good for:
- Cold or wet days
- Bookworms
- Low pressure exploration of personal preferences
Quick points:
- Coffee and light meals
- Instagrammable
- Bilingual book options
- Focus on Kyoto and Hirakata
Browsing For Love
Maruzen Bookshop, B2, Bal department store, Kyoto
While the Osaka branch devotes the entire 6th floor to English books, within the bottom-most basement of Bal resides an abundant, even surprisingly diverse, selection of titles. Nonfiction books run from hard mathematics to the works of French philosopher Michel Foucault, from phrase books on Kansai dialect to the latest Trevor Noah biography. Multiple shelves of fiction run the gamut of classic literature to contemporary and genre sections including mystery, adventure, and, of course, romance. Even fantasy and science fiction are given space, with the foundational works of Asimov and Bradbury alongside the newer works of Gaiman and Sanderson. There is also a generous amount of translated manga for those working up to reading in the original Japanese. A cafe sits conveniently close to the English quarter of the store, where weary couples can compare their discoveries over coffee and cakes.
Taking up over a quarter of the store, couples can enjoy wandering through the book stacks, comparing favourite authors and sharing stories of well-loved tomes.
Bal, is itself a fun destination to explore. Described as one of the most beautiful department stores, at least in Kyoto, there are touches of an old-world style, with warm wooden panelling inside the elevators and lamps lining the escalator shafts. Yet the airy shop floors, exposed ducts coiling in the ceilings, and scents of organic fragrances wafting from one of the many hipster retailers results in an industrial chic meets art gallery aesthetic. Even the Starbucks here has an avant garde flair.
Mirrors in the bathrooms feel like they belong in the backstage dressing room of an indie art house theatre.
A photo gallery slides in seamlessly with the other artistic stores.
A unique and even slightly creepy iteration of Starbucks.
Tsutaya, 2F & 3F, Hirakata T-site, Hirakata
Indulge your Beauty And The Beast library romance fantasies at this very Instagrammable spot.
A little off the beaten track, but only two minutes from Hirakata’s Keihan station, is the glass cube creation, Hirakata T-site. Insta-famous for floor to ceiling walls of books, there is an emphasis on literature in everyday spaces throughout the building. Book shelves run alongside the escalators and hang over rows of pop-up shops on the ground floor. While boasting a glorious array of novels, magazines and literature adjacent stationery to peruse, sadly the Hirakata T-site Tsutaya has very little to offer for English readers apart from feeding aspirational fantasies of an impressive home library.
Sadly misleading, this section is for non-Japanese works that have been translated.
Though popular on Instagram, the main photo area was surprisingly quiet.
What it lacks in bilingual book choices, Hirakata T-site makes up for in comfy spots to sit. Tsutaya shares its space with a plant-filled indoor terrace, umbrella covered picnic tables, and cafes. Counter benches line large glass walls that let in natural light for readers and loving couples sharing notes or swapping bites of their shared brownie. On rainy days the effect is calm and diffused, perfect for quiet conversations over coffee.
The spacious cafe section provides plenty of places to sit, no time limits and the opportunity for both people watching and story swapping.
T-site also has breakfast options for early birds with Grounds Baker opens from 7am, with a morning set until 11. Apart from the typical toast and salad sets, there is a diverse range of bakery goods, including a New York style of sweet loaf called Babka, made out of local Hirakata ingredients. The cafe is also known for mixing mochi with a croissant, resulting in a sticky treat that comes in three flavours.
Wake-up over fresh bakery goods before hitting the bookstore.
Promising to be fruity and sweet, try this Valentine’s Day hued “ruby chocolate” drink as an alternative to coffee.
A flower shop and an international grocery store, also on the ground floor, provide opportunities to surprise and delight your date.
Book Themed Cafes
With a focus more on consuming coffee than character arcs, Kyoto has several cafe options for literary couples looking for a bookish ambience.
Cafe Bibliotic Hello!
Couples can share insights and background information over cakes, hot chai, sandwiches or the house salad.
No need to read alone when on a date through Marriage Matching.
Cafe OyOy vege and books
Nurturing True Love With A Cosy Bookshop
Winter and rainy days need not spell doom for loving couples seeking romantic dates as their relationship builds. Curl up on a couch together with a favourite novel, or wander hand in hand through the book shelves, searching for the next bestseller while nurturing that spirit of true love with your potential life partner.