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'Japanese Curry is...' Why Indians Were Shocked When They Visited Japan

Last updated: 17 May 2023

With the easing of immigration restrictions, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan seems to be gradually returning. Given this, how do foreigners perceive the country we live in, Japan? In particular, we are concerned about the impressions of countries belonging to the same Asian region.

In this issue, we would like to introduce some of the stories we published in the past, in which we asked several Indians who live in or have visited Japan as tourists what shocked them most when they came to Japan. (The following are the personal opinions of the interviewees.)

"The Japanese work very hard, and everyone I've worked with has been smart. It seems everyone is educated to a high standard. I can sense it in the way they work and in their technical skills."

He was surprised by the high level of education in Japan. Indian men say they "work very hard," but they also point out many problems with how they work, which is considered "too much work."

When we think of Indian food, curry might come to mind. Japanese curry rice differs greatly from the Indian variety, but how do Indians feel about it?

"I like Japanese curry quite a bit. I have never been to a curry rice restaurant, but I thought the curry roux sold in the supermarket was amazing. Even just the curry rice roux tastes good with naan."

Although he hardly seems to eat curry rice, it is a happy fact that Japanese-style curry roux, a Japanese technology, is recognized even in its home country.

"In Japan, the roads, train stations, tourist facilities, and restaurants are really beautiful. Everywhere I went, it was clean."

The biggest shock to one of our respondents when he came to Japan was that everywhere was neat and clean. He visited mainly the so-called famous tourist spots in Kyoto, Osaka, Mt. Fuji, Hakone, and Tokyo, but everywhere he went, he found the same cleanliness and ease of sightseeing, and he felt the locals' desire to welcome tourists.

Although India is said to be experiencing remarkable economic growth, there are still large disparities from place to place. It seems that the situation is not uniformly well organized everywhere.

"When you want to demonstrate your abilities, it is easy for Japanese people to find work in Japan. I felt a culture shock there. There are many excellent and hard workers in India, but it is difficult for them to find a job domestically where they can put their knowledge to good use. That's why talented people go abroad to look for work. And that includes me, of course! Many people go abroad partly because they want to test their abilities, but also because there are no jobs in their own country where they can demonstrate their abilities."

I didn't know there was such a reason for the increasing number of Indians who are active around the world. This Indian man also said that "Japanese people's English ability is low," but perhaps one of the reasons is that it is easier to find a job in Japan than in India, and many people do not need to use English in their work.

"The Japanese are very neat. The staff at hotels and restaurants were all very polite and courteous."

This Indian man who came to Japan for the first time is an industrious person who studied Japanese in India and has worked in Japanese for many years. Therefore, he can speak Japanese, and he was very impressed with the responsiveness of the Japanese people. He was impressed not only by the language but also by the attitude of trying to respond appropriately to any kind of situation.

At first glance, all of these things may seem obvious in Japan, but it is precisely in these areas that foreigners seem to be surprised. Even though cultures and customs may differ, we would like to continue to value actions that reflect our desire to make the recipient happy.

This article is a re-edited version of one originally published in early 2019.