Is the viral book rave real? We go to the second event to investigate.

In a video, a crowd of young people sit on the carpeted floor of a live house in Shimokitazawa, their heads buried in books as they read silently. A DJ plays mostly ambient music, which gradually becomes more upbeat.

It was the Jucy Book Rave, an event held Sept. 26 that went viral when the video was liked over 18,000 times on X and reposted by several media accounts, including DJ Mag and Afterismm on Instagram.

For a video where not a single word is spoken, it invited very vocal responses. Media accounts dubbed it “a new trend in Japan” and “Japan’s new nightlife craze,” while user comments ranged from keen interest to exuberant praise. There was also skepticism that the event was real.

While one event doesn’t make a trend (not yet, at least), the event did take place. And it was followed by a second Jucy event on Oct. 24.

“An image of people gathering just to read would perhaps seem off. People might think, ‘What are they doing? Reading’s supposed to be a solitary activity,’” said Yuki Takechi, Jucy Book Rave co-organizer, at the second event. “But it is these reactions that make it an interesting discussion.”

Takechi, 30, organizes the irregular event alongside Keigo Mizutani, 27, and with the support of production company Kosu.Kuma. While Jucy Book Rave exposed them to much attention, they said they wanted to host these events discreetly, emulating the intimacy they aimed to cultivate.

Around 80 participants joined the event, drinking coffee, reading, some of them taking part in a book-cover decorating workshop and some discussing the novel. | SARAH YANG

The second event was never meant to be another “rave” but a picnic.

“We were planning to have the second event be a book picnic before it went viral,” Takechi said, explaining that Jucy is not seeking to establish a fixed formula and is eager to explore what word to use next instead of “rave.”

Jucy Book Picnic was originally scheduled to take place in Yoyogi Park, but due to bad weather it was moved to the fifth floor of a nondescript office building in Tokyo’s Bunkyo Ward.

Unlike its exterior, the space was made comfortable with faded rugs, lanterns, a fireplace and ambient music. Organizers also handed out coffee. Around 80 participants removed their shoes, received the assigned novel, “Owari no Soko Mie” by Sho Zuno (a complimentary copy included in the ¥2,500 event fee), and found a spot.

“I stumbled upon this event on social media,” participant DongHyun Kang said, adding that he enjoys reading novels.

Other attendees also said social media led them to the Jucy Book Picnic. But at the event, it was time to put the phones away. Organizers encouraged a digital detox: People wrote down their thoughts regarding the novel and chatted among themselves, with some participating in a book-cover decorating activity.

Globally, silent reading gatherings have been around for years, notably the Silent Book Club, which originated in San Francisco in 2015 and now has chapters in more than 60 countries. In Japan, other similar events have offered their own interpretations, such as the Kamakura Reading Rave, which is scheduled for Nov. 7 at Former Murakami Residence Kamakura Mirai Lab. Whether it will truly be a rave, remains to be seen.

The event itself, however, was not about the raving or the virality, but about slowing down and finding community with strangers in physical space. For a couple of hours, that meant little more than finding a spot, opening a book and reading.

“We want to keep hosting events where people can enjoy novels and stories that make them think about their own lives and experiences,” said Mizutani, “even if they leave them with more questions or a lingering sense of uncertainty.”