A Sanctuary Nestled in Itō, Shizuoka: An interview with Tsugumi Book & Music Shop’s owner Naho
Nestled in Shizuoka Prefecture is a bookstore and record shop called Tsugumi. This is where Nagisa Murakami and Maya Akechi held an in store performance for their book/CD Gentle Connection. Taking the train in from Fujisawa, the scenery changed as the area opened up to the sea. As the train became less crowded the pace seemed to slow down. When exiting the small station it felt like a small town in America, the people walking around were friendly and welcoming. While the city is more crowded in the summer time, in early December it carried a tranquil air of a community quietly going about its day.
The in-store performance was informal and relaxed, much like a gig at a coffee shop in the states. The record shop felt more like a cafe at that moment and felt unintrusive; Murakami and Akechi essentially recreated the entire Gentle Connection album live. Tsugumi provided the perfect intimate atmosphere for the two voices and two guitars to fill the room with vulnerability mixed with placid waves of understanding from a trusted friend. It’s almost like Nagisa and Maya had this shop in mind when recording the album, which is a testament to this sanctuary in Shizuoka. The record shop is curated from the albums, books, and performers; a visitor is less a customer and more a guest in a portion of Naho’s life and interests. While they obviously stock items from and support Japanese artists like Murakami and Akechi, as well as carry great releases including the wonderful recent EP from Yuransen and Ålborg, and stuff from artists like Mafune Towa, Tsugumi also stocks music from overseas, including many from Teppen favs like Emily A. Sprague, Free Cake for Every Creature, and LVL UP. The shop is a cozy nook where you are introduced to the art and creativity that has recently piqued Naho’s curiosity. The shop serves as an extension of the owner, reflecting their favorite things.
We highly recommend checking out Tsugumi if you’re near Shizuoka, or are looking for a unique and welcoming place to visit while in Japan. Click here to open up the location in Google Maps. Or here for Apple Maps. And if you’re looking for interesting places to visit nearby, the shop has shared this list of interesting spots in Itō. Check it out here! Their webstore also supports overseas shipping via a proxy conveniently built into the site! If you want to support Tsugumi directly from overseas, check it out!
The store is owned and operated by Naho, who was kind enough to discuss with Teppen her journey to running a record store that hosts intimate performances for Japan’s vibrant and varied music scene.
This interview is available in both English and Japanese. You can click here to read in English, or here to read in Japanese.
このインタビューは英語と日本語の両方でご覧いただけます。英語で読むにはこちらをクリックしてください。日本語で読むにはこちらをクリックしてください。
First, we’ll let her introduce herself:
My Name: Naho
Shop Name：本と音楽の店 つぐみ (Hon To Ongaku No Mise Tsugumi / Tsugumi Book and Music Shop)
The shop name, “Tsugumi” comes from the title of a song by Spitz, my favorite Japanese band.
Note: The shop also uses 293 as shorthand for their name, which is an example of goroawase, or Japanese wordplay using numbers, as 293 could phonetically be pronounced as Tsugumi.
Jeff (Teppen): What made you decide to open up a bookstore? You said on your website you’ve never run a bookstore or record store prior.
Naho: I moved to Ito City, Shizuoka Prefecture, in 2020. I had lived in Tokyo for a long time, but I had begun to feel stifled by city life.
I was 27 at the time and was seriously thinking about how I wanted to live the rest of my life.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic was underway, I spent a lot of time alone at home, which naturally led to more time spent reading. While music had always been a part of my life since childhood, I hadn’t really read books since my student days.
Although there were already bookstores in the area, there wasn’t a single record shop. I thought it would be wonderful to open a place where people could take their time enjoying books and music amidst such rich natural surroundings, so I opened the shop in September 2022.
Teppen: How do you choose the artists whose merchandise you carry? The selection in the shop is varied and eclectic.
Naho: I stock works by artists and bands that I personally like. I have a few favorite record labels, so I always make sure to check out the music of the artists signed to them.
When it comes to books, I select titles with the current zeitgeist in mind. Recently, I have been intentionally choosing books that address topics such as gender, politics, and ways of working.
Teppen: How do you decide upon who to have in-store performances?
Naho:
・Artists who perform as singer-songwriters
・Artists with whom we already have a connection
・Whether the artist’s music matches the shop’s atmosphere
For the live show we held this past January featuring Kaoru Hashimoto (Helsinki Lambda Club), he actually reached out to us saying, “I’d really love to perform here.” Since I was a fan of his work, I agreed without hesitation.
Teppen: How the in-store performance by Nagisa and Maya came about?
Nagisa had visited the shop previously, and at that time, I asked if she would be willing to perform a live show someday.
Later, around the time Yawarakai En (Gentle Connection) was released, Nagisa reached out to us about holding a performance.
Teppen: What makes their book and album so special?
Naho: I think it’s because they are conveying their voices so directly.
Speaking up about things that feel wrong takes a great deal of courage. Yet, they faced their pasts and traumas, refusing to give up on making their voices heard through their writing and music. I believe that is what brings a sense of salvation to others.
I also felt that their music really suited the atmosphere of the shop!
Teppen: Their music is a perfect fit for your stores’ welcoming and comfortable atmosphere. What are your goals for the shop going forward?
Naho: My goal is to remain here for the long haul—to keep the business going steadily over time.
I also hope to use this place as a base to travel and deliver books and records to people.
Thank you for reading this far.
If anything has piqued your interest, please feel free to get in touch!
… This might have been intended as an internal message to Teppen but those last few sentences are a perfect personal touch, so please give Naho and Tsugumi a follow at these links:
website / webstore / insta / x
Shop Name：本と音楽の店 つぐみ
My Name：Naho
＊ 店名の「つぐみ」は、私が大好きな日本のバンド、スピッツの曲のタイトルに由来しています。
Teppen: 書店を開こうと決めたきっかけは何だったのですか？ウェブサイトには、それまで書店やレコード店を経営した経験は一度もないと書かれていましたよね。
Naho: 私は2020年に静岡県伊東市に移住しました。長いこと東京で暮らしていましたが、都会での生活に息苦しさを感じるようになったからです。
当時私は27歳で、これから先の人生をどう生きていきたいかということを真剣に考えていました。
コロナウイルスが流行っていた時期なので、家でひとりで過ごす時間も多く、自然と本を読む時間が増えました。音楽は幼い頃からずっと身近な存在でしたが、読書は学生の時以来でした。
この街にはすでに本屋さんはありましたが、レコードショップは一軒も無かったため、「この自然豊かな土地で、ゆっくり本と音楽を楽しめるお店を開いてみたい」と思い、2022年9月にお店をオープンしました。
Teppen: 取り扱うグッズのアーティストは、どのように選んでいるのですか？ショップの品揃えは実に多彩で、ユニークな顔ぶれですね。
Naho: 自分の好きなアーティストやバンドの作品を置いています。お気に入りのレコードレーベルがいくつかあるので、そのレーベルに所属しているアーティストの音楽は必ずチェックします。
本に関しては、時代性も考慮して選んでいます。最近はジェンダー、政治、働き方に関する本を意識して選んでいます。
Teppen: お店で誰が演奏するかは、どのように決めているのですか？
Naho:
・弾き語りで活動しているアーティスト
・すでに交流のあるアーティスト
・その人の音楽がお店の雰囲気に合っているか
今年の1月に開催した橋本薫さん（Helsinki Lambda Club）のライブは、橋本さんから「ぜひライブしたいです」と連絡がありました。好きな方だったので迷わずOKしました。
Teppen: 店内で開催された、なぎささんとマヤさんのライブは、どのような経緯で実現したのですか？
Naho: 以前なぎささんがお店に来てくれたことがあり、その時に「いつかライブしてほしいです」とオファーしました。
その後、『柔らかい縁（gentle connection）』が発売されるタイミングで、なぎささんからライブの打診がありました。
Teppen: なぎささんとマヤさんの本やアルバムが、それほどまでに特別なのはなぜなのでしょうか？
Naho: 彼女達が自分の声をまっすぐ届けているからだと思います。
違和感を感じることについて、声を挙げることはとても勇気の要ることです。でも彼女達は自身の過去やトラウマに向き合い、文章と音楽を通して声を挙げることを諦めなかった。それが誰かにとっての救いになっているからだと思います。
私も彼女たちの音楽がお店の雰囲気に合っていると感じました！
Teppen: 彼らの音楽は、貴店の温かく居心地の良い雰囲気にぴったりです。
本と音楽の店 つぐみの今後の目標や夢について教えていただけますか？
Naho: 細く長く、この場所に在り続けることです。
またこの場所を拠点に、旅をしながら本やレコードを届けることもしてみたいです。
ここまでお読み頂きありがとうございます。
