Hirakata was where rental chain Tsutaya set up its first bookstore way back in the day, and that history was brought to life in spectacular fashion with the opening of Hirakata T-Site in 2016.
Centred on the kind of book emporium that bibliophiles in most other countries can only dream of, the company’s third T-Site location – after the original in Tokyo’s Daikanyama and its first offshoot in sunny Shonan – is a glittering nine-storey complex offering the latest in food, fashion and beauty, all seamlessly connected to the Hirakatashi railway station.
The building’s Insta-famous seven-metre bookshelf is on the fourth floor, while the restaurants on the eighth floor all have terrace seating overlooking the city.