To Defy Amazon, Kinokuniya Plans to Monopolize More Titles

In the wake of the positive response to its direct purchase of Haruki Murakami’s latest book, asiaone.com reports that the Japanese bookstore chain Kinokuniya “plans to increase direct purchases of books from publishers – as opposed to the conventional practice of buying them through wholesale booksellers.”

As we reported last month, Kinokuniya purchased 90,000 copies (out of 100,000 copies printed) of Murakami’s Shokugyo toshite no Shosetsuka (Novel Writing as a Profession) direct from Switch Publishing Co. when the book was released on September 10.