Coming of KINDLE

Today, I received an e-mail from Amazon.com to notice that KINDLE Paperwhite will arrive at my home tomorrow. It is good news.

KINDLE is an e-book reader with e-ink provided by Amazon.com.

Amazon.com: KINDLE store

E-ink is easy to read. It does not shine itself, so I can read a long story for a long time without hurt my eyes, different from liquid crystal display.
Indeed, before KINDLE several e-book readers had established in Japan. For example “Librie” was an e-book reader provided by Sony in 2000s. I bought one with glad. But Sony had failed to spread this item all over Japan. It is due to marketing misunderstanding and resistance of the traditional bookstore alliance, I guess.

Librie website by Sony (in Japanese)

Sony abandoned Japan market and started to sell “Reader” a new e-book reader in USA the first. The last year Sony started to sell Reader in Japan.

Sony-Reader

I have already used KINDLE since 2 years ago. This is 3rd generation KINDLE of the international version. Unfortunately, this KINDLE is no use to buy or read Japanese e-books.

Japanese KINDLE is now available. Tomorrow I will get it.
So, will KINDLE change Japanese culture of reading?

The people administering electronic appliance are cautious to KINDLE. If many people who love electronic items start to use KINDLE, they may buy items from Amazon.com, instead of real stores. Yodobashi Cameras, a famous electronic appliance store decided to not deal with KINDLE in their store.

Japanese market of bookstores is also complicated. In Japan, bookstores can return the books that are not sold to wholesale stores. So small bookstores in rural areas could work without risk of holding excess stocks. However, if e-book is generalized, sales of paper books will be decreased. Even the necessity of small bookstore will be lost.

I think e-book is a revolutionary tool. I am very interested in the habit of reading in the next era.

*sequel