AEON will begin a new "Hometown Forest Creation" initiative on July 4, 2026, at AEON MALL Kumamoto, utilizing the grounds of an existing store. *Image is for illustrative purposes. Since 1991, AEON has been engaged in "AEON Hometown Forest Creation," planting trees native to the land together with local communities when opening new stores. The cumulative number of trees planted has reached approximately 12.87 million*1, with a total of approximately 1.3 million participants. This year, marking the 35th anniversary, AEON views this initiative as a turning point towards achieving nature positivity, accelerating efforts to halt and restore nature loss. As a specific measure, AEON will proceed with new hometown forest creation by utilizing the grounds of existing stores. Moving forward, AEON plans to consider expanding these initiatives based on the type and scale of target stores, while continuing and evolving "AEON Hometown Forest Creation," a symbol of AEON's environmental activities, aiming to develop it into new activities that contribute to regional nature regeneration. Features of the New Hometown Forest Creation Initiative at AEON MALL Kumamoto ■ Creating Spaces for People and Nature to Interact By carefully arranging trees and paths, AEON will create accessible spaces. The aim is to provide a place where local people can experience a connection with nature. ■ Planting Plan to Recreate Local Nature Imagining the grasslands and satoyama woodlands remaining in the Kumamoto Plain and its surroundings, AEON will plant trees and ground cover plants suitable for the local natural environment within the limited space. By combining mature trees, large saplings, young seedlings, and ground cover, it will be cultivated into a rich forest with a layered structure. ■ Circular Initiatives to Foster Ecosystems Compost bins will be installed to promote organic matter circulation and soil improvement. Grasslands will be created with turf and native plants to facilitate rainwate