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Two female employees of HABITA, a beauty and lifestyle store at Aeon Mall Kumamoto, died after being instructed by management to return to the store to deposit cash receipts following the devastating earthquake, sparking public outrage and raising questions about possible criminal liability.
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The two employees, including 22-year-old Kurumi Otake, had safely evacuated the building when HABITA's sales division manager, Goji Yuse, contacted a manager who was off duty and instructed them to return if possible to secure the cash. The employees returned and were killed about 40 minutes later when the mall exploded.
HABITA president Ueno Keishin later apologised to the families at Otake's wake, but Yuse's comment that "looking back, life is more important than money" drew sharp criticism online, with many arguing that such a realisation should have come before two lives were lost.
Aeon president Yoshida Akio firmly denied authorising any return, saying the mall's emergency manual prohibits re-entry after evacuation and that staff were posted at entrances to prevent it.
Former Tokyo prosecutor Maeda Tsunehiko said the management's orders could constitute "negligent homicide" under Japanese law, as the instructions may have had coercive effect even if phrased as suggestions. The investigation will examine whether the risks were foreseeable and whether a causal link exists between the order and the deaths.
