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In a part of Tokyo that has more than 40 slopes, the idea of “Azabu Saka Curry” was developed as a way to revitalize the Azabu district of Minato Ward, Tokyo, and was promoted by the ward office.
Local restaurants have developed their own versions of the curry and have started offering them to customers. As “saka” means “slope” in Japanese, all the dishes have some connection to one of the many slopes in the district.
Many ups and downs
The Yomiuri Shimbun Nadare-zaka Curry at Bibibi
A large amount of keema curry was poured on rice that also came with coconut curry. A generous portion of white mushrooms, soybeans and other ingredients were placed on top, and it seemed as if the toppings might fall off the plate.
The dish was created by curry restaurant Bibibi in the Nishi-Azabu area based on Nadare-zaka (avalanche slope), which was apparently given the name because a landslide took place there.
The way the restaurant suggests eating the dish is by mixing the toppings and curry together.
“I hope this curry dish will create an opportunity for customers to learn about the slopes in the Azabu district and feel the charms of the town,” Makoto Takaiwa, the restaurant’s manager said.
While there are many high-end shops in the district, there was no local specialty. In the autumn of 2023, local residents and others gathered to provide ideas at a meeting for the Minato Ward office’s project to revitalize the district.
One participant suggested they take advantage of the district’s geographical characteristic — its many slopes. Taking inspiration from “dam curry,” which is curry that is served in a way that resembles a dam and has become popular nationwide, the group decided to develop curry dishes related to slopes.
3 rules for making
There are three rules for Azabu Saka Curry. First, the dish needs to have a connection to a nearby slope. Second, the rice on the plate should resemble a slope. And third, restaurants should place a small acrylic sign in the curry that reads, “Azabu Saka.”
In October, the ward office sought participants for the project from local restaurants. Eight applied, and after a screening process, three restaurants were approved.
On Jan. 10, three curry dishes were launched — Nadare-zaka Curry at Bibibi, priced at ¥1,500; Sakura Saku Sakura-zaka Curry at PiLiPiLi in the Higashi-Azabu area, priced at ¥1,450; and Sendai-zaka Curry at Gavial Plus Azabu Juban shop, priced at ¥2,800.
Sakura Saku Sakura-zaka Curry, which is named after a slope known for its sakura cherry blossom trees, is topped with broccoli and fish sausages cut to resemble cherry blossoms.
Sendai-zaka Curry, named so because the Sendai clan’s estate in the capital was located in the area during the Edo period (1603-1867), uses eight slices of beef tongue, a specialty of Sendai.
The ward office also plans to approve the curry dishes from the other five restaurants and is accepting more applications.
“Each slope has its own history,” said an official at the ward office. “I hope people become interested in their histories by eating curry dishes at various restaurants and learn new aspects of the Azabu district.”
Yomiuri Shimbun photos Left: Sakura Saku Sakura-zaka Curry at PiLiPiLi Right: Sendai-zaka Curry at Gavial Plus Azabu Juban shop
Other specialties in Tokyo
Other municipalities are also trying to promote themselves using local specialties.
Tokyo’s Adachi Ward is promoting its Adachina Udon. The dish uses udon noodles containing komatsuna Japanese mustard spinach, which is grown in the ward, giving the noodles a green color.
After the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, members of a local chamber of commerce and industry developed the noodles in an attempt to cheer up the town. The group focused on the vegetable as Adachi was the second largest producer of komatsuna in Tokyo at the time. After making about 50 test products, the noodles were finally perfected.
The color of the udon noodles is completely natural, and they have a refreshing aroma. The noodles are served at a restaurant in the ward office building, a luxury hotel in Tokyo’s Minato Ward and other places.
“I’m glad that the noodles are now loved by people inside and outside the ward and that the community has become more lively,” said Yoshimasa Watai, 64, a board member of the Adachina Udon Gakkai, the nonprofit organization that developed the noodles.
Tokyo’s Kita Ward has been promoting itself as a town of oden stew in cooperation with the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2011, organizing lectures on oden, giving awards for essays on the dish and holding cooking classes and other events.
The ward is blessed with high-quality groundwater and a large volume of river water, leading to many oden shops popping up there. As a result, the ward decided to focus on oden.
“A variety of oden dishes are available in Kita Ward, so visitors can enjoy all the various flavors,” said Ken Hirata, 42, the chairman of the Kita Ward oden headquarters.
