jib71

Maybe, kinda luxury... My local supermarkets also sell salad dressings and other packaged goods with famous hotel branding. And department stores sell very banal house furnishings with logos from celebrated designers on them. Those brands wouldn't risk allowing their logos to go on such products in Europe for fear of diluting the cachet that they worked so hard to associate with their brands. For Japanese consumers, a logo evidently matters but Pierre Cardin house slippers don't seem to be priced any higher than Playboy ones ... (At least that's my recollection from the last time that I looked at house slippers in a department store, which was many years ago).

There's a weird blurring of dross and de-luxe. I think it would be interesting to dig into Japanese perceptions of those products and brands.

freecia

Maybe the trick is to eat the butter instead
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Nagasaki Joe

Not sure why a dish like curry from India, qualifies as Yoshoku, while ramen from China, does not. Perhaps the British or Dutch introduced it into Japan, so that association has stuck. Nevertheless, about 20 years ago, I remember House Foods inflamed Japan-India relations by applying for a patent on curry that the Indian government protested, and I believe House Foods eventually dropped it. However, I do think Japanese companies might have better luck taking out a patent on Spaghetti Napolitan since it uses unique ingredients (i.e., ketchup) not found in the Italian version that may provide the patent with sufficient novelty to win approval. That said, I doubt that the royalty income would be very high.
https://www.iol.co.za/news/eish/japa...-flavour-20994

jib71

There are various origin stories, but most give credit to the British for the mildly spiced, sweetened, gloop that is Japanese curry:
https://www.farodevigo.es/deza-tabei...-40014060.html

Japanese curry is now a "thing" in Britain, with supermarkets selling katsu-curry, alongside more authentic Indian style dishes. The average British consumer would not know the term "yoshoku" but I think they probably see Japanese curry as distinct from the various Indian dishes that are unhelpfully categorized under the generic term "curry".

Nagasaki Joe

This is more likely riding piggyback on the "Cool Japan" phenomena, rather than the merits of the curry, IMO. I've eaten curry in Britain and think they have better taste than to fall for something like this, but you cannot ignore the novelty factor of it.

hijiji

Coco Ichibanya opened in India recently. Wonder how it is seen there.

Nagasaki Joe

The link below discusses Coco Ichibanya's strategy in India and the British origins of Japanese curry. Typically, they are relying on Japanese expats in India to form their initial core of customers and then gradually spread to the general Indian populace.
I once ate at the Coco Ichibanya in Waikiki Beach. Of course, its customers are mainly Japanese tourists, which they can rely on, but they do get a smattering of non-Japanese tourists as well.
https://indianexpress.com/article/li...ation-6608508/

Nagasaki Joe

Deleted (double post)

jib71

I was intrigued when I first sensed katsu-curry aromas in the "lunch al desco" air of a London office. I don't think there's much of a "cool Japan" perception when it comes to katsu curry. It's actually quite natural that the nation that gave Japan its brown gloop and loves deep-fried stuff, should be susceptible to the charms of this fusion of brown gloop and fried chicken that was reflected back at it a couple of hundred years later. I think it feels at once exotic yet comfortingly familiar to the British palate. Of course, British supermarkets have already adapted the Japanese classic ... substituting thai jasmine rice, carrots, and sugar-snap peas for the less flavorful short grain rice, ginger and rakkyo pickles that Japanese consumers might expect.
https://www.ocado.com/products/m-s-e...urry-515271011

This fellow has no idea where katsu curry comes from - but he rates it 7/10 as a crisp flavor:

SEA-Flyer

Speaking of curry in Japan and how things get adapted, I once ran across the following in Japan in the basement of the Keio department store: “Indian Beef Bacon Curry”. I had to chuckle at that one.

SEA-Flyer

Speaking of curry in Japan and how things get adapted, years ago when I lived in Tokyo, I once ran across the following in Japan in the basement of the Keio department store: “Indian Beef Bacon Curry”. I had to chuckle at that one.

jib71

Recipe from Goa perhaps ... Probably not.
Many years ago, in Kanazawa, one of my regular lunch spots was a place called "Indian Curry" (I think) with Chief Wahoo style silhouettes decorating the windows.

Whaddaya know ... Not only does it still exist, it appears to have expanded:
http://www.indian-curry.jp/

hijiji

Butter-style spreadable curry.
Doesn't look very appealing.
Spreadable curry paste

evergrn

It's from Kaldi.
Haven't had it, but I bet it's good.
I'm definitely a fan of everything Kaldi.

angra

I for one welcome as much B-kyu gourmet as we can get. I have very little interest in Michelin's perspective on what to eat. I'm much more likely to trawl tabelog or supleks in Japan. Keep it coming!