Save the Literary Youth from Loneliness: Limited-Time Word Pharmacy

By MOOK Scenic Spots Chen Wenlin, compiled and reported
 
There are many common modern ailments that even a hospital visit can’t cure—such as being a “moonlight clan” member, having princess syndrome, or a fragile ego. But there’s hope for these “modern diseases”! Taipei’s East District “KOKO Word Pharmacy” breaks away from traditional bookstore concepts, creating a word pharmacy that resonates with modern life. Visitors who come here to “seek prescriptions and draw lots” can be healed by words and find ways to overcome modern-day struggles.

The predecessor of KOKO Word Pharmacy was KOKO Secret Cinema, Taiwan’s first theme cinema designed specifically for young people. With its unique approach of not revealing movie titles in advance, providing clues and hints, and then revealing the film name on-site, it attracted many visitors. After screening numerous films, KOKO decided to heal young people through words instead, thus reinventing the space as this “KOKO Word Pharmacy.” Not only does the store feature many healing words, but it also has a consultation desk where you can get a “prescription,” allowing visitors to pick remedies based on their own symptoms—a truly novel and amusing concept.

Its novel business model quickly attracted many young people to visit shortly after opening. Not only do they get prescriptions, but they can also leave creative messages via consultation forms and interact with fellow visitors, allowing everyone to be healed by words here.