Swedish furniture giant Ikea opened a new store Oct. 11 in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, but few know that 45 years ago it had an outlet in a department store in the Meieki district of Nagoya.
Ikea launched the outlet in the Meitetsu department store in 1972. It was popular among young women who saw it as a visionary store offering a new lifestyle in which furniture was part of fashion.
The department store introduced Ikea as one of the highlights of Meitetsu Seven, an annex targeting the younger generation.