October 28th and 29th ｜ Shinobazu Pond Book Cafe “Book Road by the Pond”
For two days, October 28th (Saturday) and October 29th (Sunday), a book cafe event will be held on the banks of Shinobazu Pond, with book, miscellaneous goods, and cafe stalls set up.
It was planned in collaboration with local volunteers who advocate “urban development that lives alongside Shinobazu Pond'' and the University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Urban Design Laboratory. Shinobazu Street, which is adjacent to the park, will also be partially restricted from vehicles in an attempt to create an attractive parkside space that connects the city and the park. Although this is the first time, 21 vendors who agree with the concept are scheduled to participate, and various "book cafe stalls" will be lively by the pond.
The first day, Saturday the 28th, opens at 3pm and ends at 8pm. At night, the trees along the pond are lit up and alcohol is served, creating a book bar atmosphere. The event will be held on the following Sunday, the 29th, from 10am to 3pm. The information desk will be located near the entrance of the Ueno Park Outdoor Stage (Water Concert Hall). An experimental effort to create a new way to enjoy the shores of a pond is attracting attention.
“The path of books by the pond'' where activities ooze out from the pond to the town
■Books, miscellaneous goods, drinks, and more
The Shinobazu Pond area is associated with many great literary figures, including Ogai Mori and Shotaro Ikenami. A book cafe event called “Ike no Bori no Honmichi'' will be held in the Shinobazu area for two days on October 28th and 29th.
On both days, various “book cafe stalls'' will appear on the south side of Shinobazu Pond, just like an open sky book cafe. The second-hand bookstore closest to Shinobazu Pond, “Secondhand Book Horou,'' will also be selling a picture book called “Panda's Bakery,'' which features Ueno's long-established shops as motifs. In addition to other popular bookstores, the store not only sells books, but also has a variety of unique food, drinks, miscellaneous goods, and experiences centered around the culture of the Shinobazu area.
The symbol of the venue is the book bus set up by the pond. In the workshop space, set up on a grassy lawn in the shade of a tree, there will be events that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to the elderly, such as a live-style picture book reading program, a tatami-style game called Tosenkyo that can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages, and an original picture-story show that will help you learn more about bees. .
The venue will also consist of three areas: the “Pondside Zone'', “Shadow Zone by the Plantation Zone'', and “Shinobazu Street Roadway Usage Zone'', with various reading and eating spaces planned to be set up between the food stalls and tents. On the day of the event, we hope you will find your own comfortable place by the pond.
Upcycled manufacturing and Mamemoto workshops are also available.
Lighting by the pond
■Partial use of Shinobazu Street roadway
What is noteworthy is that during the exhibition period, the shore of the pond becomes as if it were wide. Now, with permission from the police, it has been decided that traffic will be restricted in part of Shinobazu Street and a book cafe area will be opened from the pond to the roadside.
The three planning teams, the Ikenohata Nakamachi Shopping Association, the Ueno Motokuromoncho Association, and the Shinobazu Ikemachi Research Group, are working together to develop a town based on the concept of “connecting the pond and the town.'' The three parties are aiming for a more pedestrian-friendly Shinobazu Street and a more war-like Ueno/Shinobazu area, and are positioning this project as “an experimental event that will be the first step toward that vision.'' Residents along the road are also looking forward to seeing what kind of scenery will unfold.
Maho Hirano (2nd year master's student at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Urban Design), who is in charge of the venue's design, says, “You can actually try out the future image of the town that you have been thinking about with local people using models and illustrations. "This is a valuable opportunity. I hope it will be a meaningful two days where you can discover new possibilities for this place."
One lane of Shinobazu Street near the park will be added to the venue.
■Bring your own bookshelf project
Many “potluck bookshelves'' will be set up at the venue. Not only can you pick up and read the books on this bookshelf, but you can also bring your own books, exchange them, and take them home. Why not bring a book from home that you would like someone to read or a book that you no longer read?
There is also a project where you can freely take out and exchange books.
■Basic information
Shinobazu Pond Book Cafe 2023 “Book path by the pond”
Dates: 2023/10/28 Sat 15:00-20:00, 10/29 Sun 10:00-15:00
Location: South side of Shinobazu Pond + Shinobazu Street (near Water Concert Hall/2 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo)
Official website: https://www.ikenohata-nakacho.com/shinobazu-bookcafe-2023
*Free admission
*May be postponed due to rain
*This event will be held with permission from the police to use the road.
Held in the south area of Shinobazu Pond
■ List of exhibitors
<Bookstore/Publisher>
・Fournet Co., Ltd. + Ehon Mori Co., Ltd.…Book bus, picture books, children’s books ・Kin no Hoshisha…Picture books and old books found Asakusabashi…Used books, books (only on the 28th)
・Tokyo Kawaraban…Entertainment information magazine, Tenugui, Pochibukuro ・Books & Coffee Yanaka TAKIBI…Books, coffee beans, Old books enamel…Used books and things are good…Novel fortune book, YATAI BOOKS…Used books, new books, miscellaneous goods, Saint Jordi… books, flowers
<Food and beverages/miscellaneous goods>
・Uguisudani Honey Lab…Honey, Usagiya CAFÉ…Japanese sweets, tea, night school bar…Books, alcohol, coffee ・BAR LEON…Cider, snacks ・Shinobazu Japanese Tour…Japanese miscellaneous goods ・NIR IDENTITY & BOOK…Reading accessories (28 day only)
・Rinne.bar / Rinne Bar…Craft experience, drinks ・LE PETIT PARISIEN…Western binding history ・Koikeya…Japanese miscellaneous goods (29th only)
・Shinoba's Brewery Sheep Ice…Beer, sheep dishes
<Workshop planning>
・Miyako Akai's handmade book sales & miniature book WS/Miyako Akai (Kototsubo)
・Tosenkyo experience session/Kaori Oshima (29th only)
・Papa's Picture Book Live/Books & Coffee TAKIBI Yanaka (29th only)
・“Honey Secret” Kamishibai Live/Uguisudani Honey Lab Inocchi (28th only)
21 vendors decorate the banks of the pond
Unique projects such as “Novel Fortune”
■Organizer information
Sponsored by: Ikenohata Nakamachi Shopping Association
Supervised by: Ueno Motokuromon Town Association/Shinobazu Ikemachi Research Group
Cooperation: University of Tokyo Graduate School of Urban Design Laboratory
Sponsored by: Ueno Tourism Federation/Taito Ward
Sponsored by: Nippon Steel Kowa Real Estate Co., Ltd. / Sekisui House Co., Ltd. / Asanuma Gumi Co., Ltd. / Tokyu Sekkei Consultants Co., Ltd. / Izu Sakae / Western Cuisine Kurofunetei / Kimono Ikenohata Fujii / Shinobaz Brewery Sheep Ice / Shitamachi Bar Nagaokaya / Ju Sanya Kushiten/Yushoku Kumihimo Michiaki
