Asian Hub Rises in Affluent Detroit Suburb
By Kelli Luu | 12 Mar, 2026

Sakura Novi in Oakland County serves Asian culture and community to Michigan's fast-growing Asian population.

Most people don’t expect to find an interesting Asian district coming to life just outside of Detroit, Michigan, but a community called Sakura Novi is changing that. In Novi, Michigan, the state’s very first Asian-inspired development is bringing restaurants, retail and housing all to one walkable district influenced by iconic Asian cities. 

The location itself is special, sitting in Oakland County, which ranks as the second wealthiest county in Michigan among counties with populations over 1 million. This area has been attracting development companies and professionals from different industries for years, which has helped drive an increase in the county’s Asian population. In the last decade Oakland County’s Asian demographic has grown by 2.9 percentage points and in 2025, Oakland County also had the highest Asian population in the state, reporting around 8.3%. 

The clear growth of the Asian community in Michigan sparked the idea of Sakura Novi in 2016 when developers began discussing a project initially referred to as an “Asian Village”. Groundbreak finally began in 2020 after investors Phil Kim and Robert B. Aikens & Associates decided to start with 118 residential townhomes. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the development of Sakura Novi came to a pause, and didn’t pick up major construction again until October 2023. 

Two years later, Sakura Novi celebrated its official opening date in October 2025. Today the district contains a plethora of dining and retail experiences along with lifestyle services like a hair salon, spa, and over 15,000 square feet of office space all surrounded by Asian-inspired gardens. 

Many of the businesses that are already open are Asian concepts such as arcade destination Klawsome, all-you-can-eat Wagyu beef at Chubby Cattle, and delicious drinks at Cloud Boba with more expected to open this year. 

Sakura Novi is representing a huge shift happening in the midwest as Asian communities continue to grow. Developments like this are showing exactly how culture and community can come together all in one place and what was once just an idea for an “Asian Village” is now one of the most promising districts in Michigan.