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Japan’s cheap curry lunch faces an impossible trinity
Japan can preserve only two of three things: cheap everyday services, rising wages and minimal immigration. It can’t have all three at once.
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This isn’t Japanese curry rice but another variation, one that, like its British equivalent, has been entirely adapted to the local market.
PHOTO: PEXELS
The “Indian curry” lunch is a Japanese salaryman’s treat. Two or three mildly spiced dishes, paired with unlimited quantities of slightly sweet and extra fluffy naan, typically with a small salad and drink – a steal at only 1,000 yen (S$8) or so.
This isn’t Japanese curry rice but another variation, one that, like its British equivalent, has been entirely adapted to the local market. Indeed, most “Indian” places – thought to be north of 4,000, more than the number of McDonald’s – are actually run by Nepalese.


