Those who have witnessed the ongoing tragedy unfold in Japan cannot fail to be moved by the terrible loss of life, homes and businesses. Booklovers have also been saddened by the destruction of bookstores and libraries.

I have recently learned from Mr. Yoshishige Onuma of Bunsei Shoin Booksellers in Tokyo about the ongoing struggle of booksellers, especially antiquarian and secondhand dealers, to cope with the disaster. Along with the destroyed and damaged bookshops, the continuing electricity outages and fuel shortages have severely limited operations. Moreover, under the current circumstances, Japanese book purchasing has been greatly reduced.

As the manager of the Japanese Association of Old Book Dealers, Mr. Onuma has suggested that bibliophiles around the world can support Japan’s booksellers by making purchases online. He acknowledges that there may be limited interest in Japanese language books, but suggests that art books, pictoral books, children’s books and Manga would be attractive to international book buyers.

The Association of Dealers maintain a database of 900 booksellers with millions of titles at the website “Nihon no Furuhon-ya”. Book buyers can access an English language page at the site for purchases.