Nakamuraya Indian Curry

Nakamuraya Indian Curry, operating on the second floor of the Nakamuraya building in Shinjuku, traces its origins to 1927, when the Nakamuraya bakery sheltered Rash Behari Bose, an Indian independence activist in exile, who reportedly shared his family's curry recipes with the bakery's owners in gratitude. The resulting 'pure Indian curry' became one of Tokyo's earliest and most historically significant introductions to Indian-style curry, distinct from the sweeter, thicker Japanese-style curry rice that later became a national staple. The curry served today, prepared with chicken or lamb, remains spicier, more aromatic, and more complex than typical Japanese curry, and is served alongside fragrant basmati rice and warm naan bread rather than the short-grain rice and roux-based sauce found elsewhere in Japan. The dining room is a straightforward, comfortable restaurant space above the historic Nakamuraya department store, with an atmosphere leaning toward casual lunch service rather than evening dining ritual. There is no cocktail or wine programme; lassi and simple soft drinks accompany the curry. A lunch set including salad and coffee alongside the curry offers strong value and is popular with the surrounding Shinjuku office crowd. The department store on the lower floors also sells boxed versions of the curry as souvenirs, letting visitors take a piece of this nearly century-old recipe home. No reservations are needed for typical visits.