Another Japanese restaurant in Richmond has quietly closed its doors for good.
Ajishou Japanese Restaurant in Garden City Plaza has permanently shut down after roughly eight years of operation.
A Noms Magazine community member (Tom) spotted a closure notice posted on the door in early March, confirming the news.
The notice reads: “Due to business reasons, we regret to announce that our restaurant will permanently cease operations on March 6, 2026.”
It goes on to thank customers for their long-standing support and patronage over the years.
Ajishou first opened in 2017 in Richmond’s Garden City Plaza, located inside the Central at Garden City mall complex at the corner of Garden City and Alderbridge.
The restaurant built a following for its sushi, sashimi, and creative Japanese dishes, with a menu that spanned everything from specialty rolls to hot items like sukiyaki, ebi tempura, and karaage.
Reviewers often highlighted the Oyster Motoyaki and Chikawa Cheese as standout items, along with the generous portions and pricing during happy hour specials.
The name Ajishou translates to “craftsman of taste” in Japanese, which the restaurant said symbolized their approach to serving “the best local and imported fish and seafood” while meeting “the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality” for a West Coast palate.
For a while, it looked like the brand was growing.
In 2023, they expanded with a second location at The Amazing Brentwood in Burnaby, giving them a presence outside of Richmond for the first time.
But that Brentwood location did not last long.
It shut down in 2025 after roughly two years of operation and has since been replaced by Makan Time.
Now with the original Richmond location also permanently closed, Ajishou has no remaining outposts anywhere in Metro Vancouver.
The closure notice did not go into specific detail about what “business reasons” led to the shutdown, so the exact circumstances remain unclear.
Ajishou now joins a growing list of Richmond food spots that have recently shut down, including Haojiya, YGF Malatang, and Little Karp.
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Address: 4791 McClelland Rd #1610, Richmond, BC V6X 0M5