Japan ’s Aeon Mall Kumamoto was rebuilt to withstand earthquakes after it was damaged in strong quakes in April 2016. Its June reopening was meant to be a fresh start, the gleaming building a symbol of rebirth for the mall and residents of Kashima town. “When this quake hit, I immediately knew the epicentre was close,” 30-year-old Nishiyama told Agence France-Presse. Aeon Mall Kumamoto, a hive of social activity in the car and semiconductor chip manufacturing hub, took a severe hit then. In the aftermath, it started reinforcement work under the slogan of creating a “disaster-resistant shopping mall”, The Asia Business Daily reported.