Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books in Kuala Lumpur, which opens on July 7, will be the Japanese bookstore chain’s first outlet in South-East Asia. Photo: Handout
Tsutaya Books, Japan’s largest bookstore chain, has announced it will officially open its first bookstore outlet in Malaysia at Pavilion Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur on July 7 at 3pm.
Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books will also be the chain’s first outpost store in South-East Asia, described in a media statement as "a large-scale bookstore complex that is based on the concept 'Cultivate Lifestyle & Culture,' offering curated lifestyle inspiration."
Famously known as “one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores”, the renowned Japanese chain will pull out all the stops to ensure Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books is the talk of the town when its doors open next month.
Designed as an Insta-worthy destination, Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books will offer 31,000sq feet (2,880sq m) of space comprising the bookstore, with more than 264,000 books, a wide range of stationery, art and gifts on display, and a cafe.
“A modern Japanese cafe will be the cornerstone of our bookstore, a space to flip through books while sipping on freshly brewed coffee and relishing a light bite,” reads a social media posting from Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books.
The books available in the store will be in English, Japanese, Mandarin and Bahasa Malaysia.
In January this year, Nikkei Asia news portal reported that Culture Convenience Club (CCC), the operator of the Tsutaya chain in Japan, targets to have 55 bookstore locations operating in Malaysia by the early 2030s.
Bukit Jalil Tsutaya Books, the first bookstore in CCC's expansion plan in this region, is franchised through a deal between a local property outfit Global Oriental Berhad and a joint venture with Japanese trading house Sojitz.
Eslite Spectrum Corp, a major bookstore chain in Taiwan, is also scheduled to open a bookstore at The Starhill luxury mall in Kuala Lumpur later this year as part of its strategy to expand its network outside of Taiwan.
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