Yaohan Plaza During the
rapid growth of the Japanese economy in the 1980s, many Japanese businesses established in the United Kingdom.
Honda formed a partnership with
British Leyland in 1979 and
Nissan opened its first European factory in
Sunderland in 1986. Such activities caused a significant increase in
Japanese living in the UK.
Yaohan, the
Japanese department store, opened in London in 1993. At the time, an estimated over 40,000 Japanese lived in the vicinity, and there was growing local interest in Japanese cuisine and culture. Yaohan invested £50 million (£87 million in 2021) in its Colindale store
Chindon'ya musicians performed at the opening. Yaohan Plaza featured a grand entrance hall with wooden frame supporting a ceremonial banner and knot, below a traditional tile roof. The single storey north wing housed a Japanese supermarket and food court. but 10-20 per cent lower than smaller Japanese shops in central London. Expatriates from
Mino operated 'Utsuwa no Yakata', which sold Japanese porcelain and tablewares. The main hall hosted fairs for products such as imported antiques as well as car promotions and cultural displays such as
kimono. Yaohan Plaza claimed that 70% of customers were Japanese. It arranged with a local taxi service to provide Japanese-language service and female drivers. Yaohan's expansion across Asia left it vulnerable to the
1997 Asian financial crisis, and the business filed for bankruptcy that year. The London shopping centre was sold in October 1997 to Malaysian owners. Oriental City became a focal point for the Oriental community, hosting events which promoted the cultural identity of different East Asian and Southeast Asian countries. These typically consisted of performing arts, and promoting the country's cuisine.
Closure and redevelopment In November 2006, Oriental City was bought by developer Development Securities who planned to demolish the centre and replace it with a
B&Q, housing and a primary school. The developer stated that there would be provisions for the current tenants of Oriental City to continue in the new premises; however, the tenants objected. They argued the new complex would take up to nine years to complete, contrary to the developer's claimed three years. Tenants did not believe their businesses could survive the temporary relocation. The East Asian community feared redevelopment would mean the loss of an important community focal point. The tenants shut their businesses for a day to protest at
Brent Town Hall. In February 2007, the Chinese
Consul General wrote to the then-Mayor of London
Ken Livingstone to express his "deep concern" about the project, calling for the proposal to be modified. Following a petition, it was announced that Oriental City would remain open until at least May 2008, rent free to the tenants. It closed its doors at 7:00 pm on Sunday 1 June 2008, with thousands of people flocking to Oriental City for the last time. Development Securities attempted to sell their site to B&S Homes for £68 million. The purchasers paid a non refundable £16 million deposit but did not complete the purchase. In early 2009, there was speculation that Oriental City would reopen. At the time, it was reported that discussions were taking place between the owners and former tenants, but in February 2010, the former tenants held a protest at the site over the continued closure.
Morrisons was identified as interested in the site for a new supermarket. In May 2013, planning permission was granted for a
mixed-use development with Morrisons as an anchor tenant. Its store opened in March 2016.
Brent Council reserved a remaining part of the site for "Far Eastern and Oriental uses". of restaurant space became the Bang Bang Oriental Food Hall. ==In TV and film==