The Amazing Story Behind the Japanese Book Nook
When you speak with anyone about bookshelf inserts, the usual reaction is one of intrigue. Whoever thought of that? They’re gorgeous… So unique, creative and oh, so cute! Do you know the story of the Japanese book nook? That it’s the original conception of one person, a Japanese artist, and it was designed as a Japanese back alley bookshelf accessory? Of a back alley in Tokyo to be specific.
The Origins of Bookshelf Dioramas
Image courtesy: Monde (Twitter / X).
For centuries, Japanese artists have been creating dioramas. Most of the designs are based on scenography - realistic scenes - you could use for historical pieces of art. They show what you would see, only in miniature form. They were usually table top designs. Not a miniature world inside a book. That was a new design concept that can be credited to a Japanese artist, only known to the internet as “Monde”. In an interview with Buzzfeed News Japan , Monde explains how he came up with the design.
“For the past two years, I have been creating works based on the theme of 'Tokyo on shelves.' I thought it would be interesting to create a back alley in the gaps between bookshelves, and that's how I came up with this piece."
When he said he ‘thought it would be interesting’ he was not wrong. The designs that caught attention online were ones of Tokyo that were exhibited at the 2018 Design Festa in Tokyo, Japan. Prior to that, the themes being worked on were of “Kabukicho in Shinjukum and skyscrapers”. Tokyo is his hometown so that’s where he knows most about the scenes to replicate. The materials you can expect to see in a back alley in Tokyo - The concrete, the neon lighting, and the buildings. For those who don’t know, dioramas in Japan are generally replicas using scenography - not the ficitional designs these have become known for. The original designs were for the artists personal display.
The first bookshelf dioramas were exhibited at the Design Festa in 2018, with the photos being shared on Twitter, and that’s when the interest gained massive momentum. People began instantly asking “are you selling these?”, “how can I buy one in Barcelona?” “Do you have a shop? This is amazing”. “Please tell me if they’re for sale and where?” “Where can I buy this?”. Suffice to say, he began taking orders for custom bookshelf dioramas of back alley bookshelf accessories for 25,000 Yen. That’s where the term Japanese book nook originates from. The original designs were based on back alley scenes in Tokyo.
Given these are articulate art pieces made with precision, it takes time to make them. Selling anything handmade is difficult to scale as a business. Soon after Monde opened for commissioned back alley bookshelf designs, crafters were putting their minds and hands to work making unique bookshelf inserts and selling them on the worlds biggest online marketplace for handmade items. Etsy! A new craft was born.
The Shift from Bookshelf Dioramas to DIY Book Nook Kits
Image courtesy: Brandon & Kristen Merritt (FlickR.com).
Given the artistic nature of Japanese Back Alley designs, not everyone had the skills or knowledge of materials needed to make these. Crafters loved the idea, and began building their own unique designs and sharing them online, many of them in a subreddit group: /r/booknooks. The trouble was, doing them from scratch is hard for people new to miniature modelling. Without the creative ability for scratch-building (building from scratch), people struggled. Some to the extent that they’d ask: “why can't we buy booknooks outside Etsy? Why is no big manufacturer creating these?”
That calling was answered. Among the first designs to be mass-produced at scale was the Wizard miniAlley booknook in early 2020, for a fully assembled model. That model was crowdfunded using a Kickstarter campaign with 100% of funding reached within an hour. The demand for these was obvious. That same year is when two large manufacturers of 3D puzzles began designing book nook kits in puzzle form. Rolife and Cutebee.
The Emergence of DIY Book Nook Kits
The release of book nook kits opened up the activity of making bookshelf inserts to a market of puzzle makers and crafters. With ease, people could assemble a bookshelf insert and make minor customizations to them if they wanted. Change the color, the decor, sew some miniature curtains, change the colors of LED bulbs, add accessories and many other customizations. It’s easier to customize a book nook from a kit than it is to start from scratch.
Similar to what happened when Monde first revealed his miniature marvels of Japanese Back Alley bookshelf designs, when the puzzle forms were released, a new novel item became available - on Etsy again. The files to make book nooks using laser cutters instead of cutting thin boards with a craft knife. Now though, the book nook kit themes were no longer scenography. They were fictional creations, bringing the imaginary scenery you’d think of when reading a book to life within the book in miniature forms. Magic alleyways, Diagon Alley (a Harry Potter themed book nook kit), numerous fantasy themed book nook kits, and alley designs from around the world. You can now curate a collection and travel the world from your bookshelf.
Rather than manufacture a puzzle, people with graphic design skills would use programs like Blender or Adobe Illustrator, then they’d sell the SVG files for laser cutting, which is how the puzzle kits are made. The SVG files are what’s used for blank book nook kits. Blank kits are okay if you want to paint everything by hand. The higher quality book nook kits that include colored pieces also need DFX files, which are made with CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software. Using a combination of SVG and DFX files with high quality raw materials is a process we used to create our exclusive Tokyo Alley book nook kit.
The Future of the Book Nook Hobby
Image courtesy: Manga sized bookshelf insert by Monde via x.com, 2021.
Many a creative endeavor gains traction fast online then fades away just as quick as it started. Book nooks are not one. The miniature 3D worlds in the shape of a book are popular among various groups of people. Craft groups share their designs, puzzle enthusiasts assemble them from kits, readers decorate bookshelves with book nooks, and they’re emerging as unique bookshelf accessories for home decor, and in home offices. There’s even some DIY bookend designs being more akin to desktop miniatures complete with a pen holder.
To a degree, book nooks have expanded beyond a craft market as they are quirky bookshelf decor pieces, and they are in two markets. As home decor, people can (and do) buy fully assembled bookshelf inserts. The first sales were made by commissioning an artist to make these. Then artists designed the book nooks and sold them fully assembled. Then it became more accessible when the designs were assembly only. Now, there’s DIY book nook kits for every level of experience. From DIY book nook kits for beginners to more complex kits for experienced hobbyists.
From the initial conception of a Japanese book nook, there’s now markets for bookshelf inserts (the fully assembled models), DIY book nook kits (the puzzles), and book nook files for crafters with access to laser cutting machines. There’s now so many themes of DIY book nook kits that’s it’s possible readers of any genre to personalize their bookshelves with designs that resonate with the titles displayed alongside the designs.