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Town Bookstores
The 1951 Photographed by an American Military Doctor
Mar. 18th, 2018
Translation by Stefan Ramos
This author remembers the Tanshobo book store on Omachidori (his route to school) and the Kinkodoshoten book store (formerly the Suzukishoten book store) on the south side of the road.
The large signboard reading “Lady’s Living” and the banners in the photo really give the store some impact. “Lady’s Living” was launched in May of 1947 (Showa 22) and was followed by pioneer womens’ magazines like “Housewife and Life” in 1951, “The Housewife’s Friend” in 1952, and “Lady’s Club.” They made an effort at advertising like through the burden of creating a signboard, and apparently it had a tremendous impact on publicity.
Speaking of stores where a child could go by him or herself, within the town there were a few like Tanakoya or Tosukeya, the Omochaya toy store, the book-lending shop, or the stationary store, but parents would accompany children to the Marumitsu department store, the movie theatre and the hire boat spot, and the roller skating rink. The bookstore therein was a shop you could stop at by yourself.
Both bookstores had narrow fronts but went far back, and were laid out in a configuration where bookshelves encircled a center island. The store was poorly lit and had dirt floors. I remember the payment area being towards the back. I probably felt that the store was so big because I was small.
The postwar juvenile magazine “Elementary School __ Grader” was reissued in 1946 (Showa 21), and was followed in quick succession by new publications like “Manga Boys” in ’47, “The Adventure King” in ’49, “The Girl Student’s Friend” in ’50, “Good Friends” in ’54, “Ribbon” in ’55, “Boy’s Magazine Weekly” and “We Are the Boys Club” in ’60. Special editions of monthly magazines was also something everyone enjoyed.
I couldn’t buy them with my own money, but it was worth it to just look at the magazines. I'd read while standing, flipping through the pages, just looking. Kinkodo moved from Omachi to Tachimachodori Street. At the corner of Tachimachi and the road in front of the station there was a Yamatoshoten book store, so I would read a bit at one store then move to the next and read a bit more until I had finished the story.
Another memory I have of the book store is textbook sales. In the Ishinomaki Elementary school auditorium there was a textbook book fair. The memory is vague, but I think afterwards I would head into town and buy textbooks there. (Local Historian, Seiji Henmi)
<Please let us know if you have any information>
You can browse the published photos on the photographer’s eldest son, Alan Butler’s, website “Miyagi 1951”. https://www.miyagi1951.com/
Please feel free to contribute any information regarding these photos to Mr. Henmi at 090(4317)7706.
米軍医が撮った1951、石巻地方＜９＞ 町の書店筆者の通学路の大町通りには耽書房と、南側に金港堂書店（前身は鈴木書店）があったと記憶しています。
写真の「婦人生活」の大看板とのぼりが店舗にインパクトを与えています。「婦人生活」は１９４７（昭和２２）年５月の創刊で、５１年の「主婦と生活」、５２年の「主婦の友」「婦人倶楽部（くらぶ）」など婦人雑誌の草分け。看板作製の負担などのＰＲに努めて、絶大な宣伝効果を上げたようです。
子どもが一人で行ける店と言えば、町内の店子（たなこ）屋とかトスケ屋、おもちゃ屋、貸本屋、文具店などと少なく、丸光デパート、映画館や貸しボート、ローラースケート場は親と同伴でした。その中で本屋は一人で寄れる店でした。
両書店とも間口が狭いが奥行きが深く、島型の中心部の書棚を周囲の棚が囲む配置でした。床は舗装していない土間で、店内は薄暗く、支払いは奥の方と記憶していますが、売り場が広く感じたのは自分が小さかったからでしょうか。
戦後の少年少女向け雑誌として「小学○年生」は４６（昭和２１）年に復刊、「まんが少年」（４７年）、「冒険王」（４９年）、「女学生の友」（５０年）、「なかよし」（５４年）、「りぼん」（５５年）、「週刊少年マガジン」「週刊少年サンデー」（５９年）、「ぼくら・少年クラブ」（６０年）などが相次いで発刊され、月刊雑誌の付録も楽しみの一つでした。
自分のお金では買えませんが、雑誌は見るだけでも値打ちがあってペラペラと立ち読み、ただ見をしたものです。金港堂は、大町から立町通りに移転。立町と駅前通り角にヤマト書店があり、書店のハシゴで完読したものです。
また、本屋の思い出は教科書の販売。石巻小は講堂内に書店が出張販売しました。記憶があいまいですが、後には市内の書店に出向いて購入したように思います。（郷土史家・辺見清二）
※米軍医が撮った1951、石巻地方＜８＞ 大曲閘門
http://ishinomaki.kahoku.co.jp/news/2018/03/20180304t13008.htm
＜情報をお寄せください＞
掲載された写真は、撮影者の長男アラン・バトラー氏のウェブサイト「Ｍｉｙａｇｉ １９５１」で閲覧できます。https://www.miyagi1951.com/
写真に関する情報は辺見氏 ０９０（４３１７）７７０６ にお寄せください。
