Curry culture flourishes in Tokyo district

Masaru Hiura, owner of Hinoya, which won the grand prize in the Kanda Curry Grand Prix 2013, puts a soft-boiled egg on a dish of curry at his shop in Tokyo’s Kanda district. —Yomiuri Shimbun/ANN

Curry is sometimes called a national food in Japan along with ramen noodles.

Heated battles over curry – sometimes called a national food in Japan, along with ramen noodles – are being fought in Tokyo. Curry restaurants go head to head, stores compete for popularity, and events to revitalise towns are actively organised.