Taiwanese bookstore chain Eslite is planning to expand into Japan.

The prominent bookstore business is using the move to build its international profile, and has announced its plans as amounting to a “new starting point for cross-culture ventures”. Eslite’s Japanese partner has yet to be named.

The firm’s long-term plan is to expand into Southeast Asia, and it has been contacted by multiple potential partners, according to chairperson Mercy Wu. It is currently considering potential different modes of partnership.

Eslite is a prominent name in the books industry in Taiwan, with 42 stores nationwide, as well as an additional three in Hong Kong and one in Suzhou.