Abeno Q’s Mall

This guide to Abeno Q's Mall in Osaka follows a plot of land that two of the world's biggest retail players walked away from: department-store giant Sogo, which abandoned its promised flagship here in 1997 after its finances collapsed, and then Simon Property Group, the world's largest mall operator, which pulled out in its turn in 2003. You'll hear how a third company finally took on the site in 2004 and spent years building before anything opened. The guide follows what the mall's own name turns out to reference.