Press conference held to commemorate the launch of “Honkore,” a comprehensive book information app featuring approximately 1,500 bookstores
Catalyst Data Partners, Inc. Press Release: October 23, 2025 Press conference held to commemorate the launch of “Honkore,” a comprehensive book information app featuring approximately 1,500 bookstores. “Time to join hands with passion” – Shogo Imamura calls on the publishing industry for collaboration Catalyst Data Partners Inc. (Headquarters: Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture; President and CEO: Yasumasa Tanaka; hereinafter referred to as “CDP”), a company funded by eight companies in the publishing industry (※1) that aims to “change the world through open data,” held a press conference to commemorate the launch of “Honkore,” a comprehensive information app that provides information on books, comics, magazines, and other publications, as well as approximately 1,500 bookstores nationwide (※2), on Thursday, October 23, 2025, at the Publishing Club in Jimbocho, a symbol of bookstore culture. ■ “Book Collection” app From left: Takao Kamei, President and CEO of Sanseido Bookstores; Hiromitsu Kitada, General Manager of Umeda Tsutaya Bookstores; and Naoki Prize-winning author Imamura Shogo, charismatic bookseller Nanako Hanada, and CDP President and CEO Yasumasa Tanaka At the press conference, Nobunobu Noma, President and CEO of Nihon Tosho Fukyu Co., Ltd., delivered a speech read aloud by the moderator, expressing his expectations for “Honkore” and his congratulations. He also introduced his message as one looking toward the future of the publishing industry. Takao Kamei, President and CEO of Sanseido Bookstores, spoke about the significance of collaboration within the publishing industry to revive bookstores. We also held a talk session featuring Naoki Prize-winning author Imamura Shogo, who is widely known for his work connecting local communities with bookstores and continues to work to close the gap between him and his readers; Hanada Nanako, a charismatic bookseller who has written numerous books and is also attracting attention as the owner of the independent bookstore “Kani BOOKS”; and Kitada Hiromitsu, manager of Umeda Tsutaya Books, who also works as the executive committee chairman of the one-man publishing company “Shoshi Kisuiiki” and the Book Fair Championship, in which booksellers from all over Japan compete to plan the most interesting bookstore fair in Japan. ■Major Announcement Topics ・Aiming to create a common platform for the bookstore industry to tackle the challenges facing the publishing industry In response to the shrinking number of bookstores and the publishing market, this is a new initiative to reestablish connections between readers and bookstores. As of October 23, 2025, 1,452 bookstores are participating. The goal is to have 3,000 participating bookstores and 3 million monthly users by fiscal 2028. ・Plans to include over 1,200 stores nationwide by fiscal 2026 and include multiple functions such as inventory search and membership card display Strengthen collaboration with brick-and-mortar stores to achieve both convenience and increased store visits. ・In the future, we will also consider social development, such as education, community collaboration, and cross-bookstore projects. We aim to revitalize reading culture through projects such as “BOOK MEETS NEXT” and “Book Fair Championship.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/84307/7/84307-7-1a4bbf5944fa278c5a8235821b082069-3900×2601.jpg
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/84307/7/84307-7-60a2d27be6bae007403009e0a54392d7-3900×2601.jpg Sanseido Bookstore President and CEO Kamei Dear Mr. Takao, ■Message from Sanseido Bookstore President Kamei on behalf of participating bookstores On behalf of the participating bookstores, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations on the launch of the “HonColle” app. “HonColle” is a very meaningful initiative that provides an opportunity for bookstores to collaborate with each other, and we hope that by collaborating with TSUTAYA’s customer base, it will be a great opportunity to promote the appeal of each bookstore. ■Naoki
Prize-winning author Shogo Imamura, charismatic bookseller Nanako Hanada, and Umeda Tsutaya Bookstore Manager Hiromitsu Kitada Imamura outlined the current state of bookstores, saying, “Bookstores are places of discovery and a place to belong. Amid the ongoing publishing recession, I think the world is unintentionally realizing that bookstores are cultural hubs and infrastructure.” Hanada similarly spoke about the significance of bookstores, saying, “Bookstores are places that remind us that it’s okay to cherish our own inner values.”
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/84307/7/84307-7-41e45aacef1ddb59efa7dfcefa6ed8bb-3900×2601.jpg From left: Umeda Tsutaya Bookstore Manager Hiromitsu Kitada, Naoki Prize-winning author Shogo Imamura, charismatic bookseller Nanako Hanada, Imamura also praised the “Honkore” app, saying, “By connecting bookstores seamlessly, readers can quickly find a place to stop by, which is beneficial for them.” Hanada expressed her hopes for the future of “Honkore,” saying, “I hope to make new connections through the ‘Honkore’ app. It would be great if it could match bookstore job openings with people looking to work.” Imamura then raised the issue, saying, “The publishing recession is at a critical stage, and we need to see the involvement of industries other than publishing. We need to confront this issue not slowly, but with intense passion and by joining hands.” Kitada also emphasized, “Change won’t happen unless we have the desire to change things ourselves. ‘HonColle’ will be that catalyst.” ※1: (In alphabetical order) KADOKAWA Corporation, Culture Convenience Club Co., Ltd., Gakken Holdings Co., Ltd., Kodansha Ltd., Shueisha Inc., Shogakukan Inc., Nippan Group Holdings Co., Ltd., Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd. ※2: (In alphabetical order) Asahi Bookstore, Ayumi BOOKS, Ogawa Bookstore, Orion Shobo, Kani Books, Kinokuniya Bookstore, Kinoshita Book Center, Kumazawa Bookstore, CROSS BOOKS, Keibundo Bookstore, Sagano Bookstore, Sanseido Bookstore, Sanyodo Bookstore, Junkudo Bookstore, Seiwado Bookstore, Sekibunkan Bookstore, Takibook, Tadaya, Da Vinci Store, Chapters Bookstore, TSUTAYA・TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE, Tsutaya Bookstore, Parco Book Center, Futaba Books, BOOKS Emitas, BOOKSHOP TRAVELLER, Bookstand UKARA, BOOK CENTER QUEST, BOOK PARK miyokka!?, Bun’ei-do, Bunkyodo, Page Pharmacy, PAPER WALL, Hontana Coffee, Honmaru, B&B Bookstore, Maruzen, Tanishimaya, Yomu Yomu, LIBRO (1,452 stores in total as of October 23, 2025)
■ Main Functions and Features of the “Honkore” App “Honkore” is a book portal app that connects bookstores and readers nationwide, offering features such as bookstore search and store information display, book inventory search, reviews, recommendations, and rankings, tag-based search and analysis, and bookstore CRM functionality. In the future, we plan to gradually add ranking features as well as advanced marketing support functions for publishers, such as CRM tools and reader analysis. CDP will continue to further collaborate with companies on data and promote open sharing and utilization, paving the way for the future of the publishing and bookstore industries and providing new value to customers. ■Reference materials Catalyst Data Partners Inc. ・Address: 14F Yokohama Connect Square, 3-3-3 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, 220-0012 ・Representative: President and CEO Yasumasa Tanaka ・Corporate website:https://www.cdp-ltd.co.jp/ Business Overview ・Providing AI-powered database SaaS ・Providing demand forecasting services in the publishing industry ・Sale of “CANTERA,” a book purchasing database for bookstores – Sales of TSUTAYA Bookstore’s purchasing database “DB WATCH” – Provision of V-Point service to bookstores – Operation of the “Honkore” app