Comic Takaoka

[2] The store was founded by Yasutarou Takaoka and Torajiro Takaoka, two brothers who moved to Tokyo from Gifu Prefecture; the brothers later entered the publishing industry, where they focused on publishing reference books by mathematician Taketaro Akiyama [ja] and scientist Ayao Kuwaki [ja].

[2] The store closed during the Second World War before re-opening as a joint-stock company in 1948, and after beginning to sell manga exclusively in 1979, changed its name to Comic Takaoka.

[3] Upon re-establishing itself as Comic Takaoka, the store became one of the first specialty manga bookstores in Japan.

[6] At its peak of popularity in the mid-1980s, Comic Takaoka reported selling 1,700 books per day.

[7] The Japanese publishing recession [ja], the proliferation of e-books, and the rising cost of rent in Jinbōchō were cited as causes for the closure.