noun
rental library; pay library; book rental shop
Historical term for a shop that rented books for a fee, common in the Edo period. In modern contexts, it may refer to a rental bookstore or a library-like service that charges for borrowing.
江戸時代には、貸本屋が町人の間で人気だった。
In the Edo period, rental libraries were popular among townspeople.
この古い看板は、昔の貸本屋のものだ。
This old sign is from a former book rental shop.
Compound of 貸し (kashi, 'lending') + 本 (hon, 'book') + 屋 (ya, 'shop'). The okurigana し is sometimes omitted in the kanji form 貸本屋.