Abstract: one of the quite successful fields belongs to the management of books for the application of RFID in Japan. We have the chance to learn that one children’s bookstore in Japan Tokyo has applied the RFID technology so as to let this field of bookstore that originally aims to promote cultural development be added with much more knowledge and fun. The staff reporter has interviewed this bookstore on the spot and has learned about the revolution status of Japanese book publication and issue from the president of this bookstore, Mr. Otake Prog.

One of the quite successful fields belongs to the management of books for the application of RFID in Japan. We have the chance to learn that one children’s bookstore in Japan Tokyo has applied the RFID technology so as to let this field of bookstore that originally aims to promote cultural development be added with much more knowledge and fun. The staff reporter has interviewed this bookstore on the spot and has learned about the revolution status of Japanese book publication and issue from the president of this bookstore, Mr. Otake Prog.

This bookstore is named Jimbocho Bookstore, which is a bookstore run by Showa Book Joint Stock Corporation. This bookstore is located at Jimbocho, Tokyo and is not far from the famous Kanda bookstore street where big and small bookstores are opened. As there are some universities near the Jimbocho, Kanda, there are many university students living here before the war. Most of the textbooks and reference material required by them are bought from these bookstores. When we interviewed the President Otake, he told us kindly: the founding premier of China, Zhou Enlai, once went to school around here, and there is his trace until now. This indicates that this place full of culture atmosphere is impressed with the deep friendship of the Chinese and Japanese people.

Reporter: “Mr. Otake, how did you think about applying RFID technology in such bookstore?”

Otake: “Our bookstore was established in October 2005 and most of the customers were the preschool children and the parents taking them along. When we are told that some libraries and bookstores have utilized RFID tag in book management to prevent the books from loosing and the effect is quite good, we decide to try out the RFID. The past mean utilized for avoiding robbery was that the tag that is made from magnetic medium was adopted onto the book. When the customer walked to the gate without payment, the magnetic sensor set beside the gate would make a sound to remind the customer that this book was not paid. However, we don’t simply replace the magnetic alarm device by RFID, but utilizes it to let the children be interested in the bookstore and enlighten the habit of the children to love reading.”

Reporter: “What methods have you adopted to achieve this target?”

Otake: “In the central part of this bookstore, we set a small world for the reading and entertainment of children. It is isolated by the surrounding bookshelves (as Fig. 2). The exit is set with a RFID reader. Because each book has RFID, once the children come here, the toy bird that is connected with the reader beside the entrance will sing and then the curious children will feel very funny.”

In addition, we have placed a toy bear in this small world and the extended two hands of the bear can rightly be placed with a book (Fig. 3). We have matched some small stories for the book. As long as the children put the book on the hands of the bear, the bear will start to tell a story for the children according to the content recorded by RFID on the book.

Then we begin to be interested in the RFID put into the book. President Otake takes out the RFID in the book to show us (Fig. 4).

Reporter: “At present, do you use RFID to manage the books?”

Otake: “We manage the books by jointly using the bar code and RFID. Currently, we use RFID to record and manage such information as name of the book, content and summary and use bar code to manage the price, which is to say that our payment collection is still carried out by bar code.”

Reporter: “Whether is it quite complex in registration by simultaneously using the two methods?”

Otake: “Through several months’ actual use, we don’t feel complex in procedures.”

When we are talking, the shop assistant starts to demonstrate how they make the accession of books. The reader for accession is a handheld bar code and compatible RFID reader (Fig. 5). When the reading head part of the reader is aimed at the bar code, the recorded information when the books are published will be red into the reader. When the reading head approaches the RFID, the translated bar code content is immediately written into the RFID. Such repeated operation can transform the book information that needs to be registered into the information of RFID. Then the reader is placed n the transmission mechanism that is connected with the computer so that the registered information will immediately enter into the computer and then be added into the database for book management (Fig. 6). If necessary, append the information that needs to be registered to the computer (Fig. 7).

Fig. 5 Transfer the information in bar code into RFID Tag

Fig. 6 The data is stored into the computer by the reader

Fig. 7 The shop assistant registers the relevant content

Reporter: “We are heard that the pricing for books also can be realized by RFID. Will you unite the two methods of bar code and RFID in the future or solely use RFID?”

Otake: “So we think. After the books are printed, they are published and then delivered to the bookstores through big and small wholesales. This is a supply chain that is always used until now. The recorded data is still transmitted by traditional bar code. If completely using RFID, we need to upgrade the technology in upstream part and carry on the RFID technology. In such case, the operation for the information transferred from the bar code to RFID is not needed any more when the books arrive at the bookstore. The pricing directly by means of RFID could not be better. Currently, we solely set this kind of technological upgrading in the bookstore. Although this is a kind of attempt, we have gained a lot. Except increasing the children’s reading interest, we also utilize RFID to search the books (Fig. 8), thereby bringing convenience for the customers and the bookstore. What we need to do in the future is to promote the RFID revolution in terms of the books’ publication, issue and retail, increase the management level, reduce the cost and make both the consumer and the operator gain benefits.”

It is still winter in Tokyo at the earlier month and winter is the coldest season in one year. When we walk out of the bookstore, we feel a kind of warmness that spring comes and we sincerely hope that the publication, issue and retail of the books can realize the revolution in such kind of technological management just as the president Otake says. Actually, the revolution of such kind of technological management will promote the substantial change of the books’ circulation. Japan has always adopted the pricing mode to sell the books for many years. Once the price of the books is confirmed and written on the book, the price is fixed and the price reduction is not allowed. However, in recent years, this kind of management mode begins to change. The selling price of the books has already properly fluctuated. However, what kind of fluctuation won’t affect the book market? This demands to utilize the high-efficient means of RFID to increase the electronic information management of books.

As we walked along, we still relieved the words President Otake told us that everyone known the Silk Road but was not quite interested in Book Road. Actually, China is a civilized ancient country that had invented paper making and printing. Hundreds of years and even thousands of years ago, a Book Road existed from China to Japan via Korean Peninsula, which once played an important role in promoting the development of Japanese culture and technology.

Of course, it is the time we should think of the Japan science and technology in a modest mind. Although RFID technology applied in the bookstore doesn’t mean much, its function cannot be neglected. We should find out the places that need to be improved in our daily life and try to change it, thereby enabling our society to be more advanced and harmonious and people’s life to be happier.