…Hey, it’s Tohoku Kiritan.

We’re in the second half of October now.

The sun has started setting noticeably earlier, hasn’t it?

When it’s dark outside at 5 PM, I don’t feel like going out anymore.

…But there’s an event that’s just perfect for this kind of season.

Reading Week.

🦉 Reading Week is from October 27th to November 9th

Reading Week is a two-week period every year, from October 27th to November 9th.

The dates are fixed to center around Culture Day (November 3rd).

It’s hosted by the Japan Reading Promotion Movement Council.

And this year, 2026, marks the 80th time it’s been held.

The first one was in 1947.

That was two years after the end of the war.

It’s said to have started with the goal of “building a peaceful, cultural nation through the power of reading.”

…Reading books and building a peaceful country.

From our modern perspective, those two things might seem a little disconnected.

But for the people who were handing out books amidst the ruins of war, I think the connection was probably very direct.

The first one was held during a different period, but they say it switched to the current October 27th - November 9th schedule from the second time on.

By the way, the symbol for Reading Week is an owl.

It’s considered a messenger of the goddess Athena in Greek mythology and is a symbol of wisdom.

…I’m 11, and this is the first I’ve heard of it.

🍁 Where Did “Autumn of Reading” Come From?

I was curious about something else, so I looked it up.

Why is autumn the “Autumn of Reading”?

It’s said to originate from an old Chinese poem.

Apparently, there’s a passage that says autumn, with its cool weather and long nights, is the perfect time to light a lamp and read a book.

There seem to be various theories about its origin, so I’ll just leave it at “it’s said to.”

But the logic makes perfect sense to me.

It’s too hot to concentrate in the summer, and you can’t get out from under the covers in the winter.

In autumn, you can just sit.

For someone who’s a bit of a shut-in, that’s a very important condition.

📚 The 4 Types of Books I Reread in the Fall

I won’t write the actual titles.

It would expose my personal tastes, and I’m not really writing this to recommend them to anyone.

I’ll just write about what kind of books they are.

1. A coming-of-age story involving a festival shooting gallery

It’s a novel about a protagonist who knocks down every prize she aims at, at the summer festival shooting gallery.

…Yeah. The motivation is entirely because I’m good at the shooting gallery too.

But it’s really interesting.

When a book has really solid descriptions of taking aim, it’s breathtaking to read.

In the scenes where they stand before the target, my own breathing gets shallow.

It’s just a story on a page, but my body reacts.

When I find a book like that, I can’t put it down for a while.

2. RPG strategy guides

…They’re books. They should count as books.

I still reread strategy guides for old games.

I’ve already beaten the games, so they have zero practical use.

Even so, just looking at the pages lined with data is calming.

It’s like there’s a sense of security in seeing numbers all lined up neatly.

Zunko-neesama: “Does that count as reading?”

Kiritan: “…I’m reading words.”

Zunko-neesama: “You’re right. We’ll count it.”

I’m glad she’s so tolerant.

3. A classic recommended by Zunko-neesama

Last year, Zunko-neesama gave me a classic and said, “Why don’t you try reading this?”

To be honest, the first time I read it, I didn’t understand it at all.

I could follow the words, but the story just wouldn’t sink in.

But when I reread it a year later, I could understand it a little.

Even though it was the exact same text.

…I guess the thing that changed wasn’t the book, but me.

When you have books you reread, you can notice how you’ve changed.

That was my biggest discovery this year.

4. A difficult-looking book from Itako-neesan’s bookshelf

Honestly, I haven’t been able to read this one yet.

It’s one of those books with a thick spine, lots of kanji, and a bunch of charts when you open it.

Kiritan: “Itako-neesan, what’s this book about?”

Itako-neesan: “…If you’re curious, you can take it.”

Kiritan: “I don’t think I can read it.”

Itako-neesan: “…For now, that’s fine.”

A book that I might read someday, just by having it around.

I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have a book like that on your shelf.

🏛️ I Think People Should Use the Library More

Libraries get especially lively during Reading Week.

It feels a bit weird for a shut-in like me to say this, but the library is a great place.

Here are a few things I’ve learned from using it.

• If they don’t have a book you want, you can sometimes request it. There are also systems to get it from other libraries.
• It’s okay to ask for help at the counter. You can ask them to find “a book that’s kind of like this.”
• The best thing is to just walk between the shelves without a specific goal. You’ll stumble upon books you weren’t looking for.

That third one is the main point.

When you search, you only get names you already know.

With the shelves, you’ll stumble upon books you didn’t know about.

The most interesting book I read last year was one I just randomly pulled from the next shelf over.

Zunko-neesama: “Kiritan, what are you looking for?”

Kiritan: “…Nothing in particular.”

Zunko-neesama: “I like that.”

Apparently, she likes it.

🍡 Zundamon is a Picture Book Fan

By the way, I also asked the green person at our house.

Kiritan: “Zundamon, do you read books?”

Zundamon: “I do, nanoda! The ones with lots of pictures, nanoda!”

Kiritan: “Picture books?”

Zundamon: “Too many words makes me sleepy, nanoda. But I can finish picture books, nanoda!”

Choosing a book you can finish.

…That makes sense.

He might be more on the right track than I am, with my 10 or so half-finished books.

📖 To Sum Up

• Reading Week is from October 27th to November 9th, and 2026 is the 80th one.
• It’s hosted by the Japan Reading Promotion Movement Council, and the first one was in 1947.
• The owl symbol is considered a symbol of wisdom.
• “Autumn of Reading” is said to come from an old Chinese poem.
• Rereading the same book helps you notice how you yourself have changed.

No one will get mad at you if you don’t read a single book.

But the nights are long.

…I think it might be nice to open at least one.

You can find out more about me on Kiritan’s page, and the person who gave me the classic is on Zunko’s page.

Well then.

…I plan on staying up late again tonight.

I’ll start going to bed early tomorrow.