Literacy:
One thing I love about Japan is that book stores and literacy abound.
I can go to a books store, and for relatively cheap, I can get books and magazines on any topic.
History (Asian and European) science, arts, hobbies, occult, politics, conspiracies, skills, you name it. Novels and comics that are for both children and adults. Fantasy and Sci-fi still live.
There are books on religion that cover topics as deep as some Western academics and writers have produced, just begind a language barrier. 
Yes, this includes European Pagan myths and Abrahamic along with indepth Shintō, Buddhism, and Taoist books.
Most of these books are informational and not just riddled with political propaganda but rather unbiased concepts (yes, there is propaganda still as there is everywhere on earth).

 I'll say that for the West, some parts of Europe I have lived in were similar.

I think the US has lost the love of books outside of low tier female romance. This is mostly due to a semi agenda by corporations, but also due to inflation and digital age ism.
Also, the amount of trash being produced. See any Target.
I would say that those in certain parts of the West, self-publishing is last bastion.

For those of you who have read this far, what is the literature and book culture / scene like where you are ?