Bookshop
Documentary film
Story
Wander along a downtown shopping street in the west of Japan, and on the corner you’ll find a small bookshop run by the Kobayashi family—Yumiko, Masahiro, and their daughter, Ai.
Faced with the rise of online shopping, falling readership amongst the young, and a publishing industry in crisis, bookshops continue to struggle with ever-tougher conditions.
Still, folk trek from afar to buy their books from the Kobayashis.Still, folk eagerly wait for Yumiko’s recommended book to drop through their letterboxes each month.Step foot into Kobayashi Books, and you’ll find books—and something more.And it’s that “something more” which draws people to Kobayashi Books.
This film tells the tale of an enduring love felt for books and for people alike.
This is both Economical and love story.
-Publisher employee
Kobayashi Books
Founded in 1952 by Yumiko Kobayashi's parents in Amagasaki City. Yumiko, who has seen the difficulty of doing business since childhood, decided not to open a bookstore, but decided to take over the store with a word from her husband, Masahiro, who is an office worker.
In December 2020, a novel "I learned everything important in my work from a small book in Amagasaki" (written by Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd./Tetsuya Kawakami), which was born from the true story of Kobayashi Bookstore, was released.
A message from Director
In 2015, I met Kobayashi Bookstore when I was recommended by an employee of a publishing company called an enthusiastic Kobayashi Bookstore fan to listen to a lecture given by Yumiko.
While introducing the harsh current situation of a small bookstore, the main topic is "There are things that can be done because it is a small store." The time passed quickly for a powerful, warm and humorous story. I was deeply moved and wanted to shoot a movie intuitively, but I couldn't make the cut because of my gender.
So, I decided to go to Kobayashi Bookstore near JR Tachibana Station. I was a little confused because I was imagining the inside of the store, which was crowded with few customers, probably because the time was bad. Yumiko asked me, "Is the time okay?" And then told me how she took over the store from her parents and how she started selling umbrellas after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. It has the same amount of heat as the lecture. I bought the recommended book and had a very satisfying time.
After that, after several years of attendance, I decided to make a movie and wrote a letter asking for cooperation in shooting. The shooting period is from the summer of 2019 to the end of the year. The time was very enjoyable and fulfilling, I thought a lot and noticed. For me, the theme of the editing was to make a movie that would give me a simulated experience of time like a treasure.
I want to buy a book without thinking that Yumiko would recommend it. The reason is that he analyzes the contents of the book as speaking, like what happened in the neighborhood, like a familiar small talk. Therefore, the scene where Yumiko introduced the book was lengthened in the movie. How do you feel?
By the way, "I know a lot of bookstores who like books better than Yumiko, but I don't know bookstores who like people better than Yumiko," is the words of a publisher employee who gave me the opportunity to make this movie. I am deeply grateful to Kobayashi Bookstore, my wife, and everyone who cooperated with the shooting, not to mention that person. Thank you very much.
Director Naoki Ooda
After graduating from the Department of Imaging, Osaka University of Arts, directed a TV documentary program. This is the first directorial work of a documentary film.
上映劇場
2022/2/3 更新
上映イベント
2024/3/11 更新
Comment
#1 特別支援学校教員 三浦千尋さん
私が、子供の頃に小林さんと出会っていたらきっと本が好きになったんじゃないか…映画を観ていて、小林書店の近くに住んでいる方々がうらやましくなりました。本を通して、人と人がどんどん繋がっていく様子、チャキチャキの奥様を静かに優しく支える素敵なご主人とのユーモラスな掛け合い、本屋なのに傘を売っている理由とそこに至るストーリー…おもしろい！小さい町の本屋さんが業界を変えてる！すごい！何より小林さんが語る「小さい町の本屋さん」としてのプライドがまたカッコいい！この映画の中には、今こんな状況だからこそ思い出したい前向きな気持ちや、人との絆がたくさん散りばめられていました。この状況が落ち着いたら、絶対小林書店に行きたいと思います！
#2 講談社 販売局 吉田俊輔さん
街の人たちに愛され、街の人たちを優しく包み込む本屋さん。この街には無くてはならない小林書店が、こうして日本中に紹介されることは地元のお客さんはもとより､古くからご主人と奥様の人となりに接して来た私たち出版に携わる者にとっても大変嬉しく、また誇らしい気持ちになります。是非ご覧下さい、ほっこりしますよ。
#3 ポプラ社 一般書事業局
大塩大(まさる)さん
いっけん何のへんてつもないまちの本屋の日常だが、そこには、喜び・悲しみ・苦悩・楽しさなど、生きていくうえで誰もが直面するすべてが詰まっている。本と人間が好きな人にはぜひ観てほしい作品。
大塩大さん
映画の舞台、小林書店を題材にしたビジネス小説「仕事で大切なことはすべて尼崎の小さな本屋で学んだ」の編集担当。
#4 共同通信社 編集委員室 藤原聡さん
小さな本屋の日々の営みを淡々と追ったドキュメンタリーが、心の奥深くに響くのはなぜだろう。大量生産、大量消費が常態となった現代社会。書店も例外ではない。大規模書店が、地域の「知の拠点」である町の本屋を次々とのみ込み、消していく。そんな中、人と人とのつながりを大切にする小林書店の姿は、荒れ野に咲く可憐な花のようにみえるのだ‥‥。ぜひ、多くの人に見てもらいたいと思っています。
#5 コピーライター 川上徹也さん
まちの本屋の日常を淡々と映しているだけなのに、波瀾万丈なストーリーがある映画のように、まったく飽きることなく食い入るように観てしまったのはなぜだろう? その秘密をさぐりに、大阪でもう一度観たいと思います。
川上徹也さん
映画の舞台、小林書店を題材にしたビジネス小説「仕事で大切なことはすべて尼崎の小さな本屋で学んだ」や最新作「文章の鬼100則」など著書多数。
#6 絵本・応援プロジェクト 事務局 池水秀徳さん
この映画は、小林由美子さんが主役の映画なんですが、登場される場面は少ないのに、ご主人の存在感がとても大きい。サラリーマンを辞めて、本屋の跡継ぎの妻のバックアップをライフワークにとした決意と、「実務」とはどうあるべきかと言う確固たる信念を、数少ない映像から感じます。アクティブで愛想があって、努力家で負けず嫌いの女店主の店を守ろうとする奮闘ビジネスドキュメントと、その人のパートナーとして、裏方に徹して寄り添うご主人が、淡々とお互いを大切に思いながら生きる静かなラブストーリーだと思います。