by Misato City, Saitama Prefecture, which is working to promote reading among its residents, announced that it has signed a sister city agreement with Yomunaga Town, a town featured in an animated film set in the world of books. The aim is to strengthen its outreach to young people, who are increasingly turning away from reading, through the film, making this a rare sister city agreement with a fictional town.
The film, “The One Who Steals This Book,” released on the 26th and distributed by Kadokawa Animation, is based on the popular novel of the same name by Fuka Midori Nowaki, which was nominated for the 2021 Bookstore Award. It is an adventure fantasy about a book-hating girl who solves mysteries while exploring the world of books with a mysterious girl with dog ears. In 2013, Misato City declared itself “Japan’s No. 1 Reading Town” and has been engaged in various activities, including establishing a small reading spot called “Fureai Bunko” within the city.
This caught the attention of Kadokawa, which approached them in mid-October about the agreement. Misato City has been involved in many reading promotion activities for children and adults, but has struggled to develop a plan for the younger generation, which led them to accept Kadokawa’s proposal.
The agreement between the two parties, dated November 25th, states, “We believe in the infinite possibilities of books, and aim to use books to create bonds between people and enrich people’s hearts through reading activities.” According to the city, this is the second sister-city agreement with a fictional municipality in Japan, following that with Kurayoshi City in Tottori Prefecture. Following the signing of the agreement, the city has begun displaying film posters and distributing flyers in libraries and schools. It has set up a corner in the library to showcase Misato City’s works and encourage young people to read.
The city’s “Japan’s No. 1 Reading Town Promotion Division” expressed the hope that “young people are increasingly turning away from reading, but I believe they used to read picture books when they were little. We hope that the film will remind them of the joy of books and bring them back to reading.”
