Fridae

Check the opening information before taking the train to Loneliness Books in Tokyo. Its About page gives directions to its Higashi-Nakano base, but no regular weekly timetable. Look at the shop’s current notices and its linked map before you set off.

You’re looking for platform3, a space shared by Loneliness Books and (TT)press. The shop points visitors to Higashi-Nakano station on the JR Sōbu or Ōedo lines. For the JR route, it names the west exit and the stairs on the left.

The reason to make the trip is the selection. Loneliness Books is a bookstore and publishing label focused on books and zines from Asia about queer lives, gender, feminism, loneliness and solidarity. That is a useful starting point if you want your Tokyo browsing to take you beyond Japan alone.

Give the individual book a little attention before buying. What language is it in? Is it mostly pictures or a long read? Check the format and price, and ask before photographing pages. If a friend comes along, pick a subject each and compare your finds afterwards. Leave other customers out of your photographs.