Taiwan’s Eslite bookstore chain is set to launch its first outlet in Tokyo this week.

The store opening marks Eslite Spectrum Corp’s 30th anniversary as well as the first time for the firm to start up business in a territory where Chinese is not spoken. The 50th Eslite location, it will trade in books and other merchandise sourced from Taiwan and Japan.

The late Robert C.Y. Wu, who founded the bookstore, is on record as hoping the store would become a “warm venue for people to meet and connect”.

Eslite has stores in Hong Kong.