The venue of an exhibition of photographs featuring Japanese abductee to North Korea Megumi Yokota in Sapporo has been changed from a department store to a public facility after the store withdrew its offer to provide the space after receiving a threatening letter, organizers said Friday.
The exhibition will open April 26, as originally scheduled, at the Hokkaido Citizens Activities Center in Chuo Ward, Sapporo.
The center, popularly called Kaderu 2.7, is run by the prefecture.
The exhibition period has been shortened to five days through April 30 from the originally planned six days, to suit the venue, said Asahi Shimbun Co., cohost of the exhibition.
According to Marui Imai Inc., operator of the store in Hokkaido's capital, a letter that arrived Thursday morning called for the exhibition on Megumi Yokota to be canceled, saying, "If the photo exhibition is held, customers and employees may be harmed."
After consulting with police, the department store canceled the exhibition, the company said.