Century-old Japanese furniture finds new life in millennial homes

Startup shifts to rental service as corporate buyers become scarce amid pandemic

Yes restores antique Japanese furniture and adds its own artistic touches to create unique pieces. (Photo from company's Instagram account)

MASASHI IJICHI, Nikkei staff writer

October 8, 2020 07:07 JST

TOYAMA, Japan -- The city of Takaoka is far from sprawling metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka, with a population of under 200,000 it lays on the Sea of Japan. It is also a lucky place, having escaped the firebombings that devastated much of the country during World War II. This left it with a unique resource -- intact century-old furniture gathering dust in the storehouses of many homes.