Apple has launched the iBookstore in Japan featuring titles from major and independent publishers, including a selection of books from Kodansha, KADOKAWA, Bungeishunju, Gakken and Gentosha. It allows book lovers to browse, buy and read books on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

The iBookstore in Japan has a wide selection of emerging and established authors including Shyotaro Ikenami, Jiro Akagawa, Atsuko Asano and Ryu Murakami, according to Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. Customers can choose from a selection of enhanced books, as well as digitally exclusive titles including Ryu Murakami’s fiction novels "At the Airport," "Exodus of Middle-School Students" and "I’ll Always Be With You, Always," which has interactive emails in each chapter to bring you even deeper into the story.

Children’s books including "Piyo-chan: A Letter for Piyo" come to life with interactivity, transitions and audio, while new favorites including “Toy Story 3: So Long Partner” let readers easily read aloud at their own pace, he adds.

Cookbooks are also available on the iBookstore with titles such as "I Love Cheesecakes!" from culinary specialist Kiyomi Ishizawa that allows cooks to search recipes and ingredients. Additionally, the iBookstore offers best-selling fiction novels including "Sora-Tobu Kouhoushitsu" by Hiro Arikawa, "Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu" by Nagaru Tanigawa, and "Tenchi Meisatsu" by Tow Ubukata. Also available for purchase and download on the iBookstore are Manga titles including Eiichiro Oda’s "ONE PIECE," Mari Yamazaki’s "THERMAE ROMAE" and Hirohiko Araki’s full color version of "JOJO’S BIZARRE ADVENTURE Part 4," which is digitally exclusive on the iBookstore.

The iBookstore is available in 51 countries and offers hundreds of categories including cookbooks, history books, biographies, picture books and children’s books with free books available in 155 countries. The iBooks app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has been downloaded 130 million times worldwide, according to Apple.