![]() Shirokiya claims in court filings that it’s being treated unfairly. 15 and filed a lawsuit to reclaim unpaid rent the same day. “Tenant was still unable to provide (Ala Moana) with any clear intention as to the premises or as to addressing the amounts due and owing to the landlord,” Kobayashi wrote in a letter in December. Shirokiya promised to outline a plan for Ala Moana in December, but no plan materialized, according to Kobayashi’s letters. In correspondence with the mall, Shirokiya’s lawyers denied that the company was in default of its leases and said it was still pursuing new financing in Japan and that it had begun talks with at least one unnamed company. In November, Ala Moana changed the locks on the Vintage Cave and Japan Village Walk and told Shirokiya that it was taking control of the premises. Mukai said the company was in the early stages of negotiating with new investors in Japan, and asked for Ala Moana to wait until September for updates. Ten days later, Mukai said that the company considered reopening options but decided it wasn’t feasible given the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Kobayashi sent another letter informing Shirokiya that the unpaid rent had ballooned to more than $3 million for the three leases. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021īy July, Ala Moana was getting impatient. In November, Ala Moana locked Shirokiya out of its eateries. He said Shirokiya had no immediate plans to reopen, that it already had begun exploring other options, and that it would appreciate “the opportunity and courtesy to work out a graceful exit with Ala Moana” if it were unable to reopen at all. “Unfortunately, Shirokiya has not been able to reap the benefits of its sizable investments,” Mukai wrote. ![]() He noted that Shirokiya had invested a significant amount to move. In May 2020, Derek Kobayashi wrote to Shirokiya on behalf of Ala Moana Center asking that the company pay about $900,000 in pre-COVID-19 rent for its three leases, the Japan Village Walk, Vintage Cave Cafe and the Vintage Cave Honolulu restaurant.Īla Moana was willing to “pursue a resolution” that would allow Shirokiya to continue operating and keep its leases as long as the company paid the rent by June 12, Kobayashi wrote in a letter submitted as part of the court record.Ī day before the rent was due, Shirokiya’s attorney Shaun Mukai wrote back, saying business was hampered by the pandemic. Lawyers for Ala Moana and Shirokiya are scheduled to appear in court Monday to sort out ownership of more than $200,000 worth of wine on the premises of Vintage Cave. Attorneys for Ala Moana and Shirokiya didn’t return calls Friday. Representatives for Ala Moana didn’t respond to messages seeking comment. Rika Jones, the chief financial officer for Shirokiya Holdings Inc., declined to discuss the company’s future, citing the ongoing lawsuit. Shirokiya’s legal team argues that Ala Moana wrongfully terminated its lease. But it was necessary because of “Shirokiya’s unwillingness to meaningfully communicate, enter into a plan, return to the premises or even pay partial rent.” The decision to end Shirokiya’s lease was difficult, Ala Moana’s legal team writes in court documents. Ala Moana also removed Shirokiya from its website. The mall is auctioning office supplies, dining room tables, chairs, fine china, chandeliers and statues of the Greek goddess Demeter that once filled the Vintage Cave Cafe. ![]() Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021Īla Moana locked Shirokiya out of its Japan Village Walk and Vintage Cave locations in late 2020. Shirokiya has been locked in a legal feud with Ala Moana Center and isn’t likely to reopen after its lease was revoked. Shirokiya says it invested $50 million to move from its old location across from Macy’s to the Japan Village Walk and is also seeking $60 million in lost future profits. Shirokiya countersued Ala Moana for $110 million. in January for $8 million in overdue rent. The company previously gave a tentative reopening date in April, saying on its website that the closure was temporary until it could change its business concept or the pandemic ends.īut court records tell a different story.Īla Moana Anchor Acquisition LLC, the company that runs Ala Moana and is owned by Chicago-based Brookfield Properties, sued Shirokiya Holdings Inc. Publicly, Shirokiya has said that the closure of the Japanese Village Walk and adjacent Vintage Cave restaurant is due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shirokiya, the department store turned food court, may never reopen at Ala Moana Center after its leases were revoked in January and it became embroiled in a legal feud with the mall over unpaid rent, unfulfilled investment promises and locked-up wine.
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