An elderly couple wearing masks walked past a used bookstore with the shutters closed

Old couple walking side by side wearing masks

It is said that Jimbocho in Tokyo became the world's largest book town because a number of universities opened in the area after the Meiji era. Although some universities, such as Hitotsubashi University and Chuo University, have relocated, many universities still have campuses near Jimbocho, and many students still roam the streets. Jimbocho is also a student town.

It is universal that there are many bookstores where there are students, so if you are not sure where to find a bookstore, just go to the student town or near a university. I like to visit bookstores on my travels even if I don't have any books to read, so that's how I looked for bookstores. In most cases, bookstores are not listed in guidebooks.

In Tehran, Iran, I had no idea where to find a bookstore, so I went to a place near the University of Tehran and easily found one. When I entered the bookstore, I found only Farsi books. I wondered if there were any books in English, and to my surprise, there were many. But all of them were books on learning English. It was interesting to see that the government is so hostile to the U.S., yet the need for English education seems to be loudly shouted in the educational field. I was looking for something to read in English to pass the time, and I left the bookstore empty-handed, thinking to myself, "I see what you mean."

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