Yet another reason why I’m dying to visit Japan! In Tokyo, a bar called Decameron opened recently, despite the fact that other bars in the neighborhood have been closing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In part due to concerns over the transmission of the virus through droplets spread while speaking, and in part due to the bar’s literary theme, the owner decided that Decameron would require everyone to be completely silent and communicate only in writing:

Unlike other bars in Kabukicho, this one comes with several notebooks on the counter, where customers can write down their orders, along with anything else they’d like to communicate. While stopping the spread of coronavirus is one primary reason for the writing system at Decameron, another reason is to provide everyone with an opportunity to rethink the ways in which they communicate.

Some of the notebooks they are using look really nice, from what I can see in the photo. They seem to be pocket size hardcovers with a tan linen cover and black page edges, a combination I don’t recall seeing anywhere else. Of course I am dying to know what brand they are! In a couple of the photos you can also see that they are using Blackwing pencils.

In amongst the noise and bright lights of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho is a quiet oasis where you can hear the sound of pencil on paper.

Read more: We visit a new Tokyo bar where nobody speaks and writing is the only way to communicate