STATE OF LOCAL REVITALIZATION IN PROVINCIAL CITIES FROM THE VIEWPOINTS OF NUMBER OF BOOKSTORES AND POPULATION SIZE

In this study, with the aim of understanding the role of bookstores in local revitalization, authors analyzed the relationships between the number of bookstores and the three local revitalization factors of “Liveliness,” “Connection with the community,” and “New businesses,” from both objective and subjective perspectives in provincial cities across Japan. The objective evaluation revealed a certain relationship between the number of bookstores and local revitalization factors, while the subjective evaluation revealed that the ancillary functions of bookstores and the tendency to use them can influence the evaluation of the local communities.