The room looks like an art gallery as others have commented. I can remember seeing displays of the catalogue for an exhibition in art galleries - a large array of a single book. The arithmetic implies some form of subsidy, and that room looks lovely. There is a street view here...<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.takram.com&#x2F;projects&#x2F;a-single-room-with-a-single-book-morioka-shoten&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.takram.com&#x2F;projects&#x2F;a-single-room-with-a-single-b...</a><p>...looks to be an exercise in branding&#x2F;design.<p>I&#x27;m wondering if a community will form around the 50 or so titles stocked in a year. A book per week is a reasonable reading target for most educated people. If so, then a coffee shop model becomes possible: a coffee shop stocking one title per week and <i>encouraging discussion</i> while continuing to sell their coffee and food to pay the rent.