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Futaba Books Launches 24-Hour Unmanned Operations, Hiroshima Electric Railway Revives Charter Bus Service After 30 Years — A Quiet Turning Point in Hiroshima’s ‘System-Driven’ Approach

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At 1 AM in a bookstore, there are no staff present. No one stands at the register. Yet the lights are on, and books line the shelves —.

The “Futaba Books TSUTAYA MEGA Nakasu Store” in Asaminami Ward, Hiroshima City, has created such a scene since it began 24-hour unmanned operations on October 1. Around the same time, Hiroshima Electric Railway revived its charter bus service for the first time in 30 years, starting operations with six new vehicles affectionately named “Yoritori Midori.”

A bookstore and a streetcar company. The industries are completely different. However, when we juxtapose the movements of both, a common question emerges: “If there aren’t enough people, we can change the system” — reading the quiet turning point of structural change in the city of Hiroshima.

An Unmanned Bookstore Supporting Someone’s Night

Futaba Books’ unmanned operations can be succinctly described as “a system that allows the store to remain open during hours when staff are unavailable.” During the late-night to early-morning hours, entry is authenticated via a smartphone app or membership card, and payment for products is completed at self-service registers. The design seamlessly connects staffed hours and unmanned hours through a combination of remote monitoring via security cameras and sensors.

It’s important to note the discrepancy between the impression of the term “unmanned” and the reality. During daytime hours, staff are present as usual, handling customer service, organizing shelves, and creating recommendation displays — tasks that are meaningful precisely because they are performed by people. In other words, this is not about eliminating people from the store. By creating hours that can operate without staff, the density of hours with staff is increased — this is the design philosophy.

Futaba Books has operated multiple stores primarily in Hiroshima Prefecture, but in recent years, it has faced a double whammy of industry-wide contraction and labor shortages. Unable to fill late-night shifts, they shortened operating hours; shortening hours led to decreased sales, and decreased sales meant they couldn’t hire staff — this negative loop is an attempt to break from the side of the system.

In drafts, figures such as an initial investment of approximately 5 million yen and a 20% reduction in labor costs were mentioned, but these figures have not been confirmed as official announcements at this time. It’s necessary to separate fact from speculation here. What can be confirmed is the fact that the introduction of unmanned operations has enabled 24-hour service, and reports suggest that Futaba Books is considering expanding this system to other stores.

Rather, what deserves attention is the question of “who benefits from this system.” Store managers searching for staff to fill late-night shifts. Residents who had no bookstore to stop by after work. Students who were hesitating in front of shelves while worrying about closing times. There are specific faces behind where this system reaches.

Filling the 30-Year Gap with ‘Yoritori Midori’

Hiroshima Electric Railway withdrew from the charter bus business in the mid-1990s. This was a time marked by intensified competition due to deregulation and a decline in group travel demand following the bursting of the economic bubble. The decision to concentrate management resources on the core businesses of streetcars and bus routes was a rational one at the time.

So, why now?

The backdrop is the rapid recovery of inbound demand. Hiroshima boasts two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Atomic Bomb Dome and Itsukushima Shrine, and it had been a popular destination for foreign tourists even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 2023, the number of foreign visitors to Japan has been recovering at a pace that exceeds pre-pandemic levels, and visible increases in demand for group travel in Hiroshima have been noted.

The six charter buses introduced by Hiroshima Electric Railway, affectionately named “Yoritori Midori.” This name plays on the words “yoritori” (selecting freely) and “midori” (green, which is Hiroshima Electric Railway’s corporate color). The name combines the freedom of tourist routes with affection for the Hiroshima Electric Railway brand — even in naming, the intentions of the system’s designers are transparent.

Importantly, Hiroshima Electric Railway positions this business not as a standalone new venture but as an extension of its existing transportation network. Streetcars, route buses, and charter buses. The operational management know-how, vehicle maintenance systems, and driver training programs that public transport operators already possess are existing assets within the company, and the charter bus service is established as a “reallocation” of those assets. The risk structure is fundamentally different from that of a startup launched from scratch.

Drafts mentioned an investment of approximately 100 million yen and a projected 30% increase in annual sales, but again, no official confirmation of these figures has been found. What can be confirmed as fact is the introduction of six new vehicles, the establishment of a system for attracting customers through collaboration with travel agencies and accommodation facilities, and that Hiroshima Electric Railway positions this business as “part of the region’s tourism infrastructure.”

Where the Two Cases Overlap

The unmanned bookstore and the revival of the charter bus service by a transportation operator. At first glance, these two movements, seemingly unrelated, are occurring in the same city at the same time, prompting a moment of reflection.

What they share is the idea that “if we cannot increase the number of people, we can move the system.” Futaba Books filled the hours without staff with technology. Hiroshima Electric Railway reallocated existing assets for different purposes. Both are creating new value by changing the arrangement of what already exists rather than sourcing new resources from outside.

And another point — both start from “someone’s inconvenience.” There are people who want to buy books late at night. There are tourists who want to explore Hiroshima in groups. That inconvenience could not be structurally resolved by the existing systems. Therefore, it was necessary to change the system itself.

When discussing the economy of regional cities, words like “population decline,” “aging,” and “labor shortages” often serve as introductory phrases. That is a fact. However, whether one stops in front of that fact or moves the system can dramatically change the landscape.

Questions for the Future

What will happen when Futaba Books’ unmanned operations expand to other stores? As sales data from late-night hours accumulates, new insights into “what books sell at night” will emerge. This could change the inventory, alter the audience, and even update the very meaning of the bookstore as a place.

If Hiroshima Electric Railway’s charter bus service gains traction, it will become possible to design a “Hiroshima travel experience” as a package in combination with streetcars. Transportation operators designing the very flow of tourism — this structure could serve as a reference model for other regional cities.

However, it is premature to speak of “success” too hastily here. There remain many questions to resolve: the security risks of unmanned operations, whether the number of users during late-night hours will reach profitability, securing drivers for charter buses, and the sustainability of inbound demand — many questions still need to be addressed. A system is not completed at the moment of design; it is refined through operation.

Even so, these two movements hold value that should be recorded. There are people who have transformed the reality of labor shortages into blueprints rather than lamentations. The fact that the lights continue to shine in the late-night bookstore and that buses named “Yoritori Midori” have started running for the first time in 30 years — this is evidence of seeing the lives of people beyond the systems.