Tokyo: World Antiquarian Book Plaza - The Ultimate Destination for Bibliophiles on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day 2015!

Is there a place in the world where booklovers find rare and beautiful books, manuscripts, autographs, atlases and prints from all parts of the world and offered by some of the world’s best booksellers? Is there an antiquarian bookshop somewhere in the world where you can browse the shelves filled with modern firsts from the United States, incunabula from Europe, woodcut books from Asia, and children’s books, first editions, illustrated books, precious bindings or rare travel accounts from Australia, the United Kingdom, the Americas, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Austria and the Netherlands? Yes, there is such a place - in Tokyo.

The World Antiquarian Book Plaza – a joint venture of Yushodo Ltd. and Michael Steinbach Rare Books - is located in Tokyo’s city centre, only five minutes away from the central station and the famous Ginza. The elegant rooms of this very special bookshop on the third floor of Maruzen is open to visitors 364 days a year. It is the ultimate destination for bibliophiles where antiquarian booksellers from 11 countries offer rare books and manuscripts on all subjects and from all periods of book and art history – an amazing venture which combines Western and Asian arts, culture and history through the cooperation of antiquarian booksellers from all parts of the world. “It’s a kind of paradise for booklovers”, says Michael Steinbach, “right in the centre of one of the world’s most fascinating cities.”

This bookish paradise will be the place for an ILAB Pop Up Book Fair on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day! Japanese rare book dealers, organized in the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of Japan (ABAJ), will welcome all who are interested in books, prints and manuscripts all over the day to browse the real bookshelves and to fill a “symbolic bookcase” by donating money for the UNESCO literacy projects in South Sudan.

Remember: A donation of 3 US $ will send one book to a child in South Sudan, 15 US $ purchase a set of 12 school books for a classroom, and 500 US $ provide 45 school book collections for a rural community in Africa. Support UNESCO’s work by filling the “empty bookcase” with symbolic books which will be turned into real books for schools in Africa!

More details to be confirmed.

CELEBRATE UNESCO WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY AT THE WORLD ANTIQUARIAN BOOK PLZA IN TOKYO!

THURSDAY 23 APRIL - 10 am to 8 pm

World Antiquarian Book Plaza

Nihonbashi 2-3-10, Chuo-ku
Tokyo 103-8245
JAPAN

>>> Learn more about the World Antiquarian Book Plaza

LET’S PUT THE R A R E IN THE UNESCO WORLD BOOK & COPYRIGHT DAY!

>>> Learn more

AUSTRALIA - JAPAN - SOUTH AFRICA - RUSSIA - HUNGARY - AUSTRIA - GERMANY - ITALY - SPAIN - NETHERLANDS - UNITED KINGDOM - USA ...

>>> ... and anywhere else in the world where you decide to be a part of it!

SCHOOLS NEED BOOKS - Help UNESCO to realize the vision of a literate world for all!

>>> Support literacy and fill the bookcases on UNESCO World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April 2015

(Pictures: World Antiquarian Book Plaza, UNESCO, ILAB)