These are everyday public libraries in seaside towns, with big windows and reading seats that look straight out at the water. Read a few pages, look up at the waves, and read on. They are far from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, so they suit a quiet stop on a longer trip, and visitors are welcome to sit and read inside.
A town library in Izumo, Shimane, built facing the Sea of Japan, with a bright, glass-walled interior that looks out over the water. There is also an outdoor deck where you can read beside the sea, and this coast is known for its sunsets. It is about a 7-minute walk from Oda Station on the JR line and is closed on Mondays.
A culture center facing the Hirado Strait, the narrow channel between Hirado Island and the Kyushu mainland, with the town library inside. Some seats look out over the sea, and travelers are welcome to sit and read. Hirado, in Nagasaki Prefecture, was once a trading port for Dutch and Portuguese ships, so it pairs well with a walk around the old harbor.
A village culture and information center on Okinawa's west coast, with a library and a tourist information desk under one roof. The library floor has a reading counter facing the East China Sea, and a viewing space upstairs looks out over the water too. Onna has no railway, so it fits best into a stay at the beach resorts along this coast.