Author Nozomu Hayashi's New Book 'Enjoying Books' Argues for Paper Books Amidst Declining Sales and Digital Textbook Adoption.

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Nozomu Hayashi's new book, 'Enjoying Books: The Reason to Read Paper Books Now,' was released by Asahi Shimbun Publications on April 13, 2026. Hayashi addresses the declining paper publication market, which fell from approximately 2.6 trillion yen in 1996 to 964.7 billion yen in 2025. He also comments on the Japanese government's cabinet decision on April 7, 2026, to revise laws to officially recognize digital textbooks for free distribution in elementary and junior high schools. Hayashi advocates for the value of paper books, expressing concerns that digital textbooks could lead to the 'dumbing down' of society and hinder the appreciation of Japanese classical literature.