Go Tokyo Your Experience
In many physical books, we often see a promotional addition called a “book jacket.” It is a thin strip of paper wrapped around the outer side of the book cover, usually printed with information such as a summary of the book, awards received, or celebrity endorsements. Recently, a heated debate has arisen among Japanese netizens regarding whether to keep or remove the book jacket.
For some people, the book jacket is merely an advertising item, so they immediately discard it after buying the book;
Some people regard book jackets as a part of the book and believe that discarding them will affect the book’s collectible value, so they take care to preserve them. Let’s take a look at what Japanese netizens think about this.
A Japanese manga artist named あまいろ (Amairo) recently shared a comic on social media that reflects the differing views people have on the importance of book jackets. Through the comic, it’s depicted that there are significant differences in how people handle book jackets…
After A bought a new book, friend B requested to borrow it.
A found the book’s belly band bothersome, so he casually tore it off and crumpled it up, causing B’s surprise and dissatisfaction.
This rude behavior has also sparked heated discussions among netizens online.
The work “Hana-chan, let me smell you” by Amairo.
Some people, like A, think that book jackets are useless and throw them away immediately after unwrapping. On the other hand, some people, like B, believe that book jackets have a high collectible value and take care to preserve them.
However, more netizens pointed out that how to handle book jackets is a personal choice, but treating other people’s belongings like A does seems to lack politeness and respect.
Reactions of Japanese netizens
“If someone treats my new book like this, I will definitely demand compensation and will never lend them a book again.” A netizen expressed vehemently.
They believe that in story situations like “Detective Conan,” such behavior could even trigger a “murder incident.”
Another netizen said, “I will be careful to tuck the book jacket inside the cover, to hide it for preservation.”
Overall, the way of handling book jackets varies from person to person. Some internet users unceremoniously throw away the book jackets, believing it is no different from leaving a movie theater before the credits finish rolling.
On the other hand, some internet users pay attention to the content on the book jacket and assess whether it is worth keeping. Furthermore, there are others who carefully tuck the book jacket inside the book to prevent it from being lost.
Some netizens shared that they even collect complete versions of book covers for their beloved books like “Mr. Despair,” considering them as precious collectibles.
Other netizens lamented that after lending out books, they found the book covers “nowhere to be found,” which raised their awareness, and they chose to protect their books with transparent book covers after buying them, keeping the book covers and special items neatly tucked inside.
Whether using a transparent book cover or discarding the book band, these methods reflect people’s different attitudes and preferences towards books. Regardless of the choice, it is especially important to respect others’ ways of handling books.
