About ten years ago, Cambridge Asians were in a crisis. It was the year we got YO!Sushi and Superdry. At once immensely popular and impossible for Asians to take seriously, these bombs took liberal Cambridge dads and private school tweens by storm.

Could this be it? Doomed to an eternity of crude Japanese written on clothes and sad sushi? Thankfully, the transience of the UK high street meant it wasn’t very long until something went bust and Wasabi and Itsu arrived in Cambridge, relieved the Asians, and altered the British diet for good. These two pillars brought high quality fast-sushi, and for the first time, it was cheap to buy. It was the start of the end for YO!Sushi which gave it’s last, dying spin earlier this year. It’s been replaced by the 17^th UK branch of American burger chain, Shakeshack. With it, I realised YO!Sushi had become a monstrosity I’d loved to hate, so much, it had become a source of fondness.

When I returned to Cambridge this week after some time away, the city centre had transformed beyond recognition: Korean skincare, hand-stretched udon, countless sushi options, and the baffling phenomenon of Labubus. These ‘ugly but cute’ – heavy on the former – dolls have conquered the world. On the opening day of Pop Mart, where Labubus are sold in mystery boxes, there was a 50m-long queue made up of thinking, feeling adults willing to spend 30 quid on a Labubu. Asian shops are no longer found on dingy backstreets but on Petty Cury: they are the heart, soul, and premium rent payers of Cambridge town.

So what explains the obsession with Asia and its consumer exports? Is it a sign that Asia is just better at doing the UK high street than most UK businesses? (Picture the buying experience at WHSmith or Sports Direct and compare that with the pristine cloud of a shop that is Korean beauty supplier Pureseoul). Is it a cultural acceptance of Asia into the mainstream? Is it the weak exchange of the yen? Is this just another viral trend or are Labubus here to stay?