Oldest existing Chinese restaurant in Japan ordered to begin bankruptcy

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:15 JST, June 4, 2022

Private research firm Teikoku Databank announced Thursday that Heichinrou Co. in Yokohama, operator of the Yokohama Heichinrou Chinese restaurant in Yokohama’s Chinatown, has been ordered by the Yokohama District Court to begin bankruptcy. Its debt is estimated to exceed ¥300 million.

A different company is managing other Heichinrou locations and continuing the business.

The original Heichinrou was founded in 1884 and eventually became known as the oldest existing Chinese restaurant in Japan. In the fiscal year ending in March 2007, the company posted sales of approximately ¥10.7 billion, but its profitability deteriorated, and by the fiscal year ending in March 2016, sales had declined to approximately ¥6.5 billion.

The business was transferred to another company, with only Yokohama Heichinrou continuing to be run by Heichinrou, but it closed on May 15 this year.