In the first part of the interview, we spoke with Yasunori Nakatake, owner of the used bookstore "magnif," about the classic Ivy League book "TAKE IVY" and the biographical photo collection of John Lennon, "IMAGINE."
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the store, which opened in the summer of 2009. In the second part of this interview, we asked Mr. Nakatake about the current state of Jimbocho and the changing trends he observes at the store, sharing stories only he could tell.

---

---

Old magazines really did contain information that was "gathered on the ground."

Shibata : This is the 10th summer since Magnif opened, but have there been any changes in Jimbocho since then?

Nakatake is a lively town with many old buildings still standing, and I think it's a great place. New shops and restaurants are also thriving, so I think the town is really coming alive.

Mr. Shibata Nakatake always seems so busy. Whenever I go to his shop, it feels like he's always being interviewed by someone...

Nakatake : I can't rest easy unless I do everything myself, from start to finish... I handle everything from in-store buybacks to buybacks sent in from other regions, so it's difficult to come up with new ideas.

Shibata, having on-the-ground experience is really important, isn't it? But I'd also love to see a new version of "Magnif"!

Nakatake: Customers sometimes say things like, "Since there are so many fashion magazines, you should sell clothes too," but it requires space, and we don't have the time, so it's quite difficult... (laughs wryly)

Shibata: Leave that to us! (laughs)
By the way, what are your thoughts on current fashion magazines?



I mainly read magazines that are available at local convenience stores and small bookstores, rather than those that are only sold at large bookstores like Nakatake .

The biggest thing I notice while reading is how different the number of people involved in magazine production is now compared to the past. Magazines of the past truly contained information gathered through on-the-ground research, but now they seem to be produced efficiently with as few people as possible. Perhaps magazines where everyone works together collaboratively and enjoys the process are becoming less common…

But because it's possible to create magazines in that way, I think we're seeing an increase in very personal and artistic magazines.

Observing the cycles of fashion trends while in stores | Page 2