Department store Marui has canceled a photo exhibition featuring women's thighs amid criticism some of the images appear to portray underage girls.

Amid online outrage, Marui Group Co. said Friday it was canceling the event at its Ikebukuro outlet in Tokyo for "various reasons."

According to the store and a website of the event organizer, the show was to include some 500 photographs of women's thighs. It was scheduled to run from March 9 to March 26.

Some images were of models wearing swimsuits and others appeared to be of girls in short skirts resembling school uniforms.

"We deeply apologize for causing trouble to our customers," a statement on the store's website read.