「書店」倒産が急減、「脱書籍」ビジネス広がるBankruptcies of Bookstores Rapidly Decrease, 'Book-Free' Business Expands

Episode 46/5/2025

Transcript
Sakura

皆さん、こんにちは、Sakuraです。

Peter

こんにちは、Peterです。今日はどんな話をしますか?

Sakura

今日は「書店」倒産が急減、「脱書籍」ビジネス広がるという記事を元に、日本の書店業界の現状について話すよ。特に、「活字離れ」と「ビジネスモデルの転換」の2つのフレーズを中心にね。

Peter

"Bookstore bankruptcies are rapidly decreasing, and 'non-book' business is spreading" is the topic today. We'll focus on the phrases "moving away from printed words" and "transformation of a business model", right?

Sakura

その通り!まず、「活字離れ」は文字通り、印刷された文字から離れるという意味だよ。つまり、日本社会が紙の本や新聞などの読書から徐々に興味を失っていることを表しているんだ。

Peter

So, "katsuji-banare" literally means people are losing interest in reading printed material, like books and newspapers. It's often used when discussing the shift from print to digital sources in Japan, right?

Sakura

そう、ピーター。それに対して、「ビジネスモデルの転換」は、企業がどのように価値を創出、提供、取得するかという基本的な方法を根本的に変える過程を指す言葉だよ。特に、市場条件、技術的変革、顧客ニーズの進化に対応して、企業が収益源、ターゲットマーケット、または業務方法を再構築する戦略的変化を示すときに使われるよ。

Peter

"Business model transformation", or "bijinesu moderu no tenkan", refers to fundamentally changing how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value. It's especially used when companies change their revenue streams, target markets, or operations to adapt to changes in the market, technology, or customer needs, right?

Sakura

うん、その通り!それでは、この記事の内容について話してみよう。記事によると、書店の倒産は減っているけど、それは「活字離れ」やインターネット書店の台頭、電子書籍の普及などにより、書店が「ビジネスモデルの転換」を進めているからなんだ。

Peter

According to the article, although bookstore bankruptcies are decreasing, it's because bookstores are undergoing a "business model transformation" in response to "katsuji-banare", the rise of online bookstores, and the spread of e-books, right?

Sakura

そうなんだ。書店はただの販売店ではなく、交流拠点や休憩施設としての役割を果たすようになってきたんだよ。その一環として、文具や雑貨の取り扱いを強化したり、カフェを併設したりする書店も増えてきているんだ。

Peter

So, bookstores are no longer just sales outlets, but are serving as community hubs and rest areas, right? As part of this, many bookstores are expanding their handling of stationary and miscellaneous goods, or even incorporating cafes.

Sakura

そう、ピーター。それに、学習塾などと共同で学生向けの販売サービスを展開するなど、書籍販売のスタイルをより深耕させる経営戦略もみられるよ。

Peter

In addition to that, there are also management strategies to deepen the style of book sales, such as developing sales services for students in cooperation with cram schools, right?

Sakura

その通り!それで、書店のビジネスモデルが転換し、活字離れに対応しているというわけさ。

Peter

So that's how bookstores are transforming their business models and responding to the trend of moving away from printed words.

Sakura

そうだね。簡単な例を挙げてみよう。例えば、「活字離れ」は、「最近、活字離れが進んで、電子書籍の利用者が増えているね」という文脈で使われるよ。

Peter

For example, the phrase "katsuji-banare" could be used in a sentence like "Recently, more people are moving away from printed words and the use of e-books is increasing."

Sakura

うん、それだけじゃなく、「ビジネスモデルの転換」は、「この会社はビジネスモデルの転換を進め、新たな市場に挑戦しているよ」というように使うことができるよ。

Peter

And the phrase "bijinesu moderu no tenkan" could be used like "This company is undergoing a business model transformation and challenging new markets."

Sakura

今日は「活字離れ」と「ビジネスモデルの転換」について話しましたが、皆さんはどう思った?新しい言葉や文化を理解するのは難しいかもしれないけど、一緒に学ぶことで日本語の理解を深めていきましょう。

Peter

We talked about "katsuji-banare" and "bijinesu moderu no tenkan" today. How did you all find it? Understanding new words and cultures can be difficult, but let's deepen our understanding of Japanese together.

Sakura

今日もリスナーのみなさんと一緒に学べて、Sakuraは嬉しいよ。次回もお楽しみに!

Peter

I'm glad I got to learn with all our listeners today. Stay tuned for the next episode!

Sakura

それでは、また次回!さようなら!

Peter

See you next time! Goodbye!

About This Episode

Join Sakura and Peter in this episode as they delve into the changing landscape of Japan's bookstore industry. Explore the concepts of "katsuji-banare" (moving away from printed words) and "bijinesu moderu no tenkan" (business model transformation), uncovering insights into societal shifts towards digital sources and strategic adaptations in the face of evolving customer needs. Discover how these trends are shaping the future of bookstores in Japan.

Featured Key Phrases:

活字離れ
This phrase literally translates to "moving away from printed words", and is used to describe the Japanese society's diminishing interest in reading printed material like books and newspapers.
ビジネスモデルの転換
This term can be translated literally as "transformation of a business model" and refers to the process of fundamentally changing how an organization creates, delivers, and captures value in the marketplace. It is especially used to denote strategic pivots where companies restructure their revenue streams, target markets, or operational methods in response to changing market conditions, technological disruption, or evolving customer needs.