Tsutaya Books marks anniversary with new exhibits, limited collections
The Christmas gift booth at Tsutaya Books
Tsutaya Books in Columbia Circle is celebrating its first anniversary in December. A series of limited products, exhibitions and workshops have been unveiled to mark the celebration, as well as Christmas decorations and special New Year gift sections.
A highlight is a Japanese fortune cat co-designed with Japanese doll brand KAKINUMA TOKO. The patterns on the cat are inspired by the mosaics on the pool attached to the former Navy Club in Columbia Circle. The fortune cat is said to bring flourishing business and good luck in the new year.
The iconic Collins columns of the 98-year-old Columbia Club, where the bookstore is now located, have been incorporated into the design of a tea caddy by Japanese time-honored brand Kaikado. The firm was established in 1875 in Kyoto where it pioneered tinplate canisters using imported tinplate from England.
Art Circle, the brand of the bookstore's art exhibitions, collaborated with the ReReRe Lab, a firm dedicated to reusing and recreating discarded textiles, to launch a new canvas patchwork tote bag made of recycled materials. The bag was put on sale on December 24 as a limited item for the anniversary.
Other new exhibits include deluxe editions of German art book publisher TASCHEN's 40th anniversary and "KUMA Kengo WOOD – Materiality of Architecture" by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma who designed the National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A series of lectures with a "city memories" theme were held in the bookstore in December as part of the anniversary celebrations.
Also, the solo exhibition "Color Universe" by Chinese artist Jiang Miao will be running from December 28 to January 23, 2022. The exhibition showcases Jiang's new 2020 works, alongside her most signature series, as well as a new set of creations.
Venue: Tsutaya Books, Shanghai Columbia Circle
Opening hours: 10am-11pm (bookstore and cafe); 11am-midnight (bar)
Address: Bldg 7, 1262 Yan'an Rd W.
Writers share their stories during a lecture themed on "city memories."
