A Hidden Recipe In Shinjuku: The Indian Story Behind Japan’s Favourite Curry

Ashik Bothra - Mumbai Bureau May 25, 2026 1,300 Views

An Indian revolutionary’s escape from colonial surveillance led to a culinary revolution in Tokyo. Rash Behari Bose, sheltered by the Soma family in Shinjuku’s Nakamuraya bakery, introduced authentic Indian curry that transformed Japanese cuisine. His Indo‑Karii remains a cultural landmark, blending resistance, migration, and taste into Japan’s beloved dish.

In 1915, Rash Behari Bose fled British authorities and found refuge in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district. Hidden in Nakamuraya bakery, he shared his homeland’s spice traditions with the Soma family. What began as survival cooking became Indo‑Karii, Japan’s first authentic Indian curry, now a century‑old culinary heritage.

Bombs, Bounties, And A Fateful Escape

Born in Bengal in 1886, Bose was radicalized by the Partition of Bengal. He masterminded the 1912 assassination attempt on Viceroy Lord Hardinge, which made him a hunted man. Facing a death sentence, he fled to Japan in 1915, where anti‑colonial sympathies offered him protection. The Soma family sheltered him in their bakery basement, defying British extradition demands.

The Shinjuku Hideout And A Marriage Of Cultures

At Nakamuraya, Bose introduced garam masala, ghee, and slow‑cooked chicken to Japanese palates. His marriage to Toshiko Soma in 1918 symbolized cultural fusion, though tragedy struck when she died of tuberculosis in 1925. Despite personal loss, Bose continued to refine Indo‑Karii, opening a restaurant above the bakery to serve locals.

Indo‑Karii’s Rise To National Fame

Unlike British‑style curry, Indo‑Karii carried layered heat and aromatic depth. By 1927, it was officially recognized as “jun Indo karē” (pure Indian curry). Its popularity spread across generations, with Nakamuraya becoming a landmark eatery. Today, the restaurant still serves Bose’s recipe, adorned with portraits of him and the Soma family, preserving a living archive of resistance and culinary diplomacy.