S9·E21 Goodbye! My Beloved Department Store

In June, a long-established department store beloved by the local community in Nagoya closed its doors after 75 years of history. Once the largest department store in western Japan in terms of sales floor area, it had fallen on hard times after the bubble economy collapsed. Regular customers lamented the closure of the store they had grown accustomed to. Meanwhile, many employees were left with uncertain futures, harboring mixed feelings. Most customers described the store as “friendly,” and for citizens, it was “a place that had always been there.” We follow the final three days leading up to the closure, as the store prepares to close its doors.