Curry up, Japan!

As an Indian traveller, one always looks forward to trying different experiences and cuisines of a place one visits, but there is always the gnawing question, ‘what if?’ What if I don’t get vegetarian food? What if I don’t like the local delicacies? Will I find authentic Indian dishes in a place that doesn’t speak my language?

The Land of the Rising Sun has numerous Indian restaurants that feel so close to home and gives you a sense of belonging

Over 1,30,000 Indian tourists visit Japan in a year and they are certain to try ‘ramen’ and ‘sushi’, but is that really enough? No, not at all. They want authentic Indian food, and Japan doesn’t disappoint.

The Land of the Rising Sun has numerous Indian restaurants that feel so close to home and more often than not gives you a sense of belonging. Over 2000 restaurants throughout Japan exclusively serve Indian food. From eating at ‘Mumbai’ – Yes, Ginza in Tokyo has a restaurant called Mumbai which serves you the famous ‘samosas’ and ‘vada paos’- to fine dining at the well-known Ashoka in Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, you feel like you’re back to your roots.

Indian Curry in Japan? It’s a benchmark. Hundreds of Japanese chefs participate in the Curry Grand Prix, held in Kanda in Tokyo every year to showcase their talent and skills at cooking the dish. Events like curry buffets for charity and fund-raising are common too. It’s safe to say that much like Pizza in America or McSpaghetti in the Philippines, a foreign flavour has become a deeply entrenched part of the Japanese culinary culture.

5 Must Try Indian restaurants in Japan

Shama, Vegetarian Indian Restaurant

Located at Nishi-ku, Osaka, Shama is a rare find for the Indian traveller. The lacto-vegetarian restaurant has no meat, fish, eggs, five pungent roots (onions, garlic, leek etc.), no caffeine or alcohol. They also donate some of their profits to the Niranjana School in Bodh Gaya

Khazana (Odaiba)

Being a restaurant in the Maharaja Group, Khazana brings out the fullest medicinal effects of the spices it uses and makes all of its dishes nutritious and nourishing. Their USP? They offer an excellent skyline view of the Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge

Mohan Dish

Located in Sapporo, this authentic Indian restaurant is owned by Mohan Singh, who is always excited to speak to his customers in Hindi. This restaurant offers an option to select from 100 different levels of spiciness and all mixed together by the owner himself

Vege Herb Saga (Ueno, Taito)

Famous for their mouth-watering South Indian dishes, they even have a special menu for chaat lovers!

Mumbai

Spanning 15 locations in and around Tokyo, Mumbai restaurant specialises in classical North Indian and tandoori delicacies