https://komichi.app/_next/static/chunks/6920.198b9684b1b85cca.js

1!function(){try{var e="u">typeof window?window:"u">typeof global?global:"u">typeof globalThis?globalThis:"u">typeof self?self:{},o=(new e.Error).stack;o&&(e._sentryDebugIds=e._sentryDebugIds||{},e._sentryDebugIds[o]="0c840955-57ef-457f-a895-0ef37c8d492d",e._sentryDebugIdIdentifier="sentry-dbid-0c840955-57ef-457f-a895-0ef37c8d492d")}catch(e){}}();"use strict";(self.webpackChunk_N_E=self.webpackChunk_N_E||[]).push([[6920],{36920:(e,o,n)=>{n.r(o),n.d(o,{default:()=>a});var r=n(62021),t=n(29288);function s(e){let o={em:"em",h2:"h2",h3:"h3",p:"p",strong:"strong",...(0,t.R)(),...e.components},{PlaceBlogEmbedding:n}=o;return n||function(e,o){throw Error("Expected "+(o?"component":"object")+" `"+e+"` to be defined: you likely forgot to import, pass, or provide it.")}("PlaceBlogEmbedding",!0),(0,r.jsxs)(r.Fragment,{children:[(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"In this article, we'll introduce some of Jimbocho's famous curry restaurants and the interesting spots around them."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"Jimbocho is a neighborhood in central Tokyo known for two things above all else: used bookshops and curry. But how did a single district earn that reputation? Let's trace the history of the neighborhood to find out."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h2,{children:"Why is there so much curry in Jimbocho?"}),"\n",(0,r.jsxs)(o.p,{children:["In the 1880s, several universities that are still well-known today — including Meiji University, Chuo University, Nihon University, and Senshu University — were founded in and around Jimbocho. ",(0,r.jsx)(o.strong,{children:"As students moved up through the years, they would sell their old textbooks, and younger students would buy them secondhand at a discount. This cycle gradually gave rise to the dense cluster of used bookshops that Jimbocho is famous for today."})]}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"With so many students around, one popular theory is that curry naturally spread through the neighborhood — it was cheap, filling, and easy to eat with one hand while reading a book. But the story of how Jimbocho became nationally famous for curry really comes down to one particular restaurant."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h2,{children:"European-style curry: Jimbocho's signature dish"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:(0,r.jsx)(o.strong,{children:"The spark was Bondy, which opened in 1973."})}),"\n",(0,r.jsxs)(o.p,{children:['Bondy is credited with creating what became known as "European-style curry" (欧風カレー, ',(0,r.jsx)(o.em,{children:"Ōfū karē"}),'). Unlike the spicier Indian-inspired curries common elsewhere in Japan, this style uses a French demi-glace sauce as its base, slow-cooked with dairy, vegetables, and fruit until it develops a rich, mellow depth of flavor. The term "European-style curry" itself was coined by Bondy\'s founder.']}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"The restaurant quickly became a landmark, drawing long queues and media attention — and with it, the image of Jimbocho as a curry town took hold. More and more curry shops followed, and the neighborhood's identity was set."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"Here are some of the curry restaurants that make Jimbocho worth a visit."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h2,{children:"Bondy — Birthplace of European-style curry"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:'The restaurant that put "European-style curry" on the map. Bondy is also said to be the first curry shop in Japan to serve boiled potatoes alongside the curry — a quirky tradition that other shops later adopted. It also took first place at the inaugural Kanda Curry Grand Prix, a local curry competition held in the neighborhood.'}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(n,{href:"/places/367c1545-26df-4c65-bb35-173045d840a1"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h2,{children:"Kyoueido Sumatra Curry — Over 100 years of history"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"Founded in 1924 (Taisho 13), this is Jimbocho's oldest dedicated curry restaurant. Their original recipe — a slow-simmered blend of 20 spices, vegetables, and meat — has been passed down unchanged for over a century. If you're looking for a taste of history, this is the place."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(n,{href:"/places/e4c5469f-9c94-4dfe-b3f3-885ee2646bcf"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h2,{children:"BAR CAFE — A bar that won a curry competition"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:'The 2024 Kanda Curry Grand Prix was taken by a surprise winner: BAR CAFE Sangatsu no Mizu. The fact that a cocktail bar beat out dedicated curry shops for the top prize became a talking point across the city. Their award-winning dish, "Waterless Coconut Wagyu Beef Tendon Curry," blends traditional Japanese flavors with Sri Lankan curry influences.'}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(n,{href:"/places/2c300c0f-cb1a-4bb0-8282-b7650eb08775"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h2,{children:"Detour spots — komichi picks"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"komichi is all about finding unexpected detours, so we always finish with a few spots worth wandering into nearby."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"Jimbocho isn't just about curry — its used bookshops and old-school coffee shops are just as much a part of the neighborhood's soul."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h3,{children:"Sabouru — A classic caf\xe9 with a name that surprises"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"Just steps from Jimbocho Station, Sabouru has been a neighborhood fixture since 1955. The interior is lined with dark wood to evoke a mountain lodge, and the walls are covered top to bottom in decades of handwritten messages left by regulars."}),"\n",(0,r.jsxs)(o.p,{children:['One thing worth knowing: the name "Sabouru" comes from the Spanish word ',(0,r.jsx)(o.em,{children:"sabor"}),', meaning "flavor" or "taste" — not from the Japanese slang ',(0,r.jsx)(o.em,{children:"saboru"}),", meaning to skip class or slack off. A fun distinction that locals love to point out."]}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(n,{href:"/places/5201de18-bcbe-4fc0-8848-9a3e9efd2563"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.h3,{children:"Yaguchi Shoten — A bookshop for screenwriter

1s and theater lovers"}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(o.p,{children:"Founded in 1918, Yaguchi Shoten specializes in secondhand books on film, theater, screenwriting, and drama. Shops with this kind of focus are rare anywhere in the world, and it draws an intriguing crowd — aspiring actors hunting for scripts, working screenwriters digging through out-of-print editions. The three-story wooden building, completed in 1928, has a quietly retro presence that stands out even on a street full of old bookshops."}),"\n",(0,r.jsx)(n,{href:"/places/2c539bad-acd1-4ebe-82a0-ccacecfcc4ca"})]})}function a(e={}){let{wrapper:o}={...(0,t.R)(),...e.components};return o?(0,r.jsx)(o,{...e,children:(0,r.jsx)(s,{...e})}):s(e)}}}]);