Despite its name, Loneliness Books is no place for brooding in solitude. The Nakano Ward, Tokyo, bookstore is a space of encounter — between readers and writers, residents and visitors, the queer community and its allies — that houses thousands of novels, manga, zines, art books and other works by LGBTQ+ creators, in addition to nonfiction and periodicals on gender, politics, the environment and social issues.
Owner Yo Katami says some recently popular titles include a zine by Hiroya, a cast member from the second season of Netflix’s reality TV series “The Boyfriend,” and an essay collection by Osamu Onuma about queer communities in Japan and South Korea.
Katami says he tends to live a solitary life, which prompted artist and activist Akira the Hustler to suggest the name “loneliness” when Katami was establishing his bookstore.
