Readers devour tragedies, comics, an author or two
The custom is called tachi-yomi, literally standing-reading. The Japanese practice it on commuter trains, buses, street corners and in stores. Especially bookstores. With almost 100% literacy and book sales of more than $3 billion a year, Japan may have the world's most voracious readership.
The national appetite cannot be satisfied at libraries: there are only 1,300 public libraries in the country, and they account for only 1% of annual book sales. Instead, most readers head for the bibliophile's paradise, Tokyo's Kanda district, which houses hundreds of...
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