In many urban areas of Japan, people were recently urged to stay home for weeks on in the fight to contain the spread of COVID-19. Most big bookstores in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto were closed through the end of the Golden Week holidays, making it difficult to buy books.

As adults were told to work from home and children to study at home, many of them had more free time than they knew what to do with. Many of the adults are said to have recalled the joy of reading, and spent their time in seclusion reading.

People living in suburban communities were able to buy books at large stores that remained open, but those in big metropolitan areas had no choice but to order books online since most bookstores were closed.