【今日の放送の英語文字起こし】
Hello, this is Stage Director Backstage.

Today's theme is "Bookstores."

Why this topic? Well, yesterday, I spent a truly wonderful day in a beautiful space in Osaka, and I’d love to share my experience with you.

**Content**

To get straight to the point:

If you’ve got a day off, Umeda’s Tsutaya Bookstore is simply the best!

Those of us in the theater industry are often involved in nationwide tours.

Starting in Tokyo, we’ll travel to cities like Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Hokkaido, etc. Sometimes we’ll visit other regions, but we tend to focus on the major cities, which means we stay for a bit longer in each place.

For example, we might be in Osaka for three weeks or in Fukuoka for a month.

So, we often have a free day in these cities.

When I was younger, I used to go sightseeing on these days off—visiting places like Dazaifu, shrines, or trying local delicacies.

But after some time, especially when you’ve been to cities like Osaka so often, you start running out of things to do. You find yourself thinking, “Hmm, a day off...what should I do? Maybe catch a movie?”

I know myself well enough to admit that if I stay cooped up in my hotel room trying to work or do something productive, I’ll just end up lazing around.

I’d like to do something worthwhile, but doing it alone can feel dull, and inviting colleagues feels like it might be an imposition.

Then, yesterday, I finally found the perfect spot.

Tsutaya Bookstore at Umeda, directly connected to Osaka Station, located on the 9th floor of the Lucua building.

I’ve known about this place for a while and often visit, but this time, I discovered their **Shared Lounge**.

Those familiar with Tsutaya Bookstore know they’re often paired with Starbucks, creating a chic atmosphere. But these spaces tend to get crowded, and since everyone stays for a long time, the seating is somewhat tight, and time limits may apply.

The Shared Lounge solves this problem. It’s in the same space but offers more spacious seating, complete with Wi-Fi, power outlets, and complimentary snacks and drinks.

The selection is amazing:

- Coffee, of course, but also ginger ale, cola, fruit juice, and vegetable juice in cartons.
- Snacks like high-end mixed nuts (the kind you’d find in a department store basement), ice cream, and biscuits.

I personally ate a ton of konjac jelly. I think you can eat as much of that stuff as you want and never gain weight, right?

Once you check in, you get a pass to wear around your neck, and you can borrow up to three books from the Tsutaya Bookstore at a time. You can browse through trending books or dive into themed collections, or just snack and relax—it’s your choice.

It was heavenly!

Wait, doesn’t that cost money?

Yes, of course. It’s ¥1,100 for the first hour, and ¥1,540 if you want alcohol. After that, it’s about ¥500 for every additional 30 minutes.

You might think that’s expensive, but here’s the secret: There’s an **all-day pass** for ¥3,850. If you’re staying for around four hours, this becomes a great deal.

I arrived at 9 a.m., worked and did some research in the morning, read a few books, and then headed downstairs to the Lucua basement for lunch. After that, I took a nap back at my hotel.

By 3 p.m., I returned, strolled around the bookstore, grabbed more books, snacked on nuts, sipped coffee, and before I knew it, it was 9 p.m.—closing time.

It was well worth the price, and the stress-free environment was the best part.

When working or studying at a regular café, especially in big cities, I always feel a bit conscious of overstaying. Especially as an adult, it’s hard to shake the feeling of “Am I taking up too much space?”

So having the *right* to stay all day without worry is a huge relief.

In fact, there was a guy who had been there all day sipping canned green tea. By the end, he had about eight cans lined up on the table, and it looked like some kind of ritual!

Another thing about the Shared Lounge: it’s inspiring.

Everyone around you is working or studying, and since they’ve paid to be there, there’s a certain atmosphere of productivity.

I’ve always been the kind of person who needs to be seen by others to get things done. In school, I’d study at shared desks in the library or in the living room at home.

Private booths? I’d fall asleep. My own room? Forget it. I’d end up reading manga. If smartphones had existed back then, I’d have been doomed.

So being in a space where everyone is working or studying gave me a great boost of motivation.

Most of the people there were women, likely due to the convenient location right at Osaka Station, and they seemed to be working professionals. There were some men, but most of them were there for meetings, not spending the whole day like I was.

While Umeda is my personal favorite, there are Tsutaya Shared Lounges in other cities, including Tokyo, so I highly recommend checking one out!