Japanese curry (kare raisu) is a thick, mildly sweet curry sauce over rice, often with a breaded cutlet (katsu curry), beef or vegetables. Milder and richer than its Indian ancestor, it's a national comfort food.
What it means
Curry arrived via the British navy in the Meiji era and was thoroughly localized — so beloved it's a school-lunch staple and a symbol of home cooking. Katsu curry, invented in Ginza, is the indulgent upgrade.
Why it's wonderful
Warm, savory and gently spiced, it's the ultimate easy pleasure — and Tokyo now serves it halal and with wagyu, so almost everyone can dig in.
A two-minute stroll from Senso-ji, this all-halal kitchen ladles rich Japanese curry over crisp cutlets and even Kobe wagyu, so Muslim travellers never have to skip Japan's comfort dish.
The 1947 Ginza institution that invented katsu curry itself, plating a crisp pork cutlet over rich Western-style curry at the very spot where the dish was born.
★ Beef curry with a secret spice blend & a whole boiled potato
The original champion of the Kanda Curry Grand Prix; this book-town flagship serves a rich, fruit-rounded European-style curry that starts with a whole steaming potato.
★ Penang assam laksa, curry mee and nasi lemak from Malaysian ingredients
A halal-CERTIFIED Malaysian restaurant (certified by Malaysia's JAKIM) and a 30-year Ikebukuro institution; pork- and alcohol-free and popular with Muslim travellers and students.
★ Tempeh cutlet, double curry, hummus sandwich and vegan karaage
An all-vegan cafe opened in 2013 in a renovated warehouse by a riverside park between Kinshicho and Tokyo Skytree, using organic, pesticide-free produce. The whole menu is plant-based, from curries and tempeh cutlets to soft-serve desserts.
★ Organic vegetable curries and tandoor naan with vegan, vegetarian and halal options
The Shibuya outpost of the long-running Nataraj natural-Indian vegetarian group, offering spice-rich organic vegetable curries, tandoor naan and clearly labelled vegan, vegetarian and halal menus in the heart of Shibuya.
