by TMR / pic courtesy of Tsutaya Books

ONE of Japan’s largest and most acclaimed lifestyle bookstore chains, Tsutaya Books, will be opening its first store in South-East Asia at Pavilion Bukit Jalil in the first quarter of the year (1Q22).

Famously named as “one of the world’s most beautiful bookstores”, Tsutaya Books at Pavilion Bukit Jalil aims to inspire and transform lifestyle with the store’s concept of “Cultivate Culture & Lifestyle” — offering a conducive environment for developing characters, fostering relationships and strengthening community bonds.

The 31,000 sq ft of space will house a bookstore, café, specialised merchandise and activity areas which will be a curated lifestyle destination.

“We look forward to launching our first South-East Asia bookstore at Pavilion Bukit Jalil and we cannot wait for Malaysians to experience the Tsutaya brand for the first time,” Tsutaya Books Malaysia head Hideyuki Uemoto said in a statement.

“In line with our vision to cultivate culture and lifestyle, we hope to create a space for families and children who love books, design, and art to grow, explore and thrive together at Tsutaya Books,” he added.

Created to be the brand epitome of “Tsutaya”, each Tsutaya Books carries a distinct personality, offering a unique concept in elite areas where no two stores are alike, such as the iconic T-Site at Daikanyama, Shibuya, and Ginza Six in Tokyo. Since then, both “Tsutaya” and Tsutaya Books have become an all-encompassing Japanese pop culture platform, operating in more than 1,400 branches around the world.

“It is an honour to have Tsutaya Books opening their first-ever South-East Asia store in Pavilion Bukit Jalil, it has surely elevated our offerings from our current solid tenant line-up for the mall,” Kuala Lumpur Pavilion Sdn Bhd CEO of Retail and Pavilion Bukit Jalil retail planner Datuk Joyce Yap said.

Besides having one of the largest varieties of literary materials on-site, Tsutaya Books will be staffed by a team of expert concierges offering visitors personalised recommendations and assistance in genre-specific areas of interest.

Beyond Tsutaya Books’ offerings, Pavilion Bukit Jalil’s retail mix includes international brands who have selected Pavilion Bukit Jalil as their first entry into the Malaysian retail market such as Absolute Siam Store, Ecotopia and ICONCRAFT brought in by Thailand’s leading world-class retail developer Siam Piwat, award-winning Taiwanese pottery brand LOHAS, China’s leading tea company TianYue Tea Joy, among others.