A municipal library run by the operator of the Tsutaya movie rental and bookshop chain opened Monday in Takeo, Saga Prefecture, featuring a Starbucks cafe, in what is believed to be the first public-private partnership of its kind.
Tsutaya operator Culture Convenience Club Co., which has been tapped by the city to run the renovated library, which features a 50-meter-long open bookshelf, has introduced knowhow gleaned from its running of major bookstores.
Renovation began last November, with CCC footing ¥300 million of the ¥750 million cost for the building, which also combines an outlet selling books and renting music and video software.