MISHIMA Tatsuya is the head of the curry community “My Habit Is Curry,” involved in planning various curry events and producing collaborative curry products. He’s so well-known in Kansai’s spice curry industry that it’s said there’s no one who doesn’t know his name. After many years of engaging with spice curry, Mishima felt a need to systematically study and share Kansai’s curry culture. Joining him as fellow curry enthusiasts were four others: TOMIMOTO Rie (editor who eats 400 curries a year and CEO of Ningen Henshusha), MAIKO Kozuka (TV talent and curry lover known for “Otona Tabi Aruki Tabi”), OGAKI Gaku (spice curry-loving art director and CEO of Ashitanoshikaku), and Utage taro (original member of “My Habit Is Curry” and former ad man).

Thus, under the slogan “We’ve got curry that must be protected,” the KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION was founded in 2023. The group is growing, now including members like Kariipuakupaku, an artist who sings only curry songs.

This time, we visited “SAVE THE CURRY” to speak with its founder and president, MISHIMA Tatsuya ! He spoke once again about the appeal of Osaka’s spice curry and the association’s activities.

The appeal lies in a method of preparation that’s a bit different from the mainstream. Welcome to the world of spice curry, where free-thinking ideas are nurtured!

When it comes to Osaka’s spice curry, many people think of unique curries that use dashi, among other things. Quite a few people have their favorite shop. But its appeal is hard to put into words.

Osaka’s spice curry freely adapts local curries while respecting their origins. For example, Indian curry often uses tomatoes. The glutamic acid in tomatoes adds umami, but in Osaka, some shops replace tomatoes with kombu (kelp) to make dashi as their source of umami. And since this is a city with a dashi culture, there’s a strong focus on umami—some use only kombu, others use dried fish, all with creative freedom. I want to share that originality and the curry culture that has been passed down in Osaka.

It has already been two years since the KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION was established. Recently, there have been more interviews and inquiries about spice curry, and it seems that the association is gradually becoming a point of contact for all things related to Kansai curry.

We want to accurately convey not only the deliciousness, but also the historical aspects, such as “how Kansai spice curry has developed.” We are gathering information by interviewing key figures—legends who have influenced many curry shops, and the originators who started unique trends. The regularly held event “SAVE THE CURRY” is a curry exchange meeting aimed at expanding the circle of activity by bringing together curry makers and curry lovers to talk. At this event, we’ve sold special collaborative curries that can only be tasted there, and held talk shows with curry creators. Based on the content of these events, we are currently working on a ZINE titled “咖喱人 – CURRY PEOPLE.” Eventually, we hope to compile it into a book featuring representative curry shops from Kansai.

Their activities are diverse, including planning the “Kansai Curry Certification,” where you can challenge yourself with curry quizzes, and developing “Mamoru-kun,” an AI that loves curry. We are also cooperating in the planning of the ongoing event “SPICE DIVE! OSAKA Osaka Spice Curry Meets the World” in the city, which is buzzing with excitement for the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.

What if that shop met that country…? An event packed with fun fantasies, all on one plate.

“SPICE DIVE! OSAKA Osaka Spice Curry Meets the World” is a digital stamp rally event hosted by Osaka Metro and House Foods Group. Thirty-one popular shops along the Osaka Metro lines are participating, offering special spice menus themed around cuisines from around the world during the event period. This time, the KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION was responsible for reaching out to the shops, consulting on menus, and designing posters.

Each shop selects a country to represent and comes up with a menu inspired by that country—a unique concept. When we first asked the shop owners, many responded with “Isn’t that difficult?” But, as expected of Osaka’s famous shops, when the event started, we were amazed by the menus, which were even more ambitious than we had imagined! Of course, customers are excited, but you can also sense the excitement of the shop owners as they create these dishes. Their genuine enthusiasm is truly moving.

Now in its fourth edition, “SAVE THE CURRY.” This time, the theme is also world cuisine, with creative curry makers Tsukinowa and Darakubore joining the fray!

This time, “SAVE THE CURRY” was themed around “Osaka Spice Curry Meets the World,” with the creative curry restaurant Tsukinowa and Darakubure collaborating to create a special menu. The event was held at TANK Sakaba on the second basement floor of Shinsaibashi PARCO, featuring a talk show with the two owners and another talk show by Takenakary, the representative of Shokuyoku Co., Ltd., who was in charge of planning “SPICE DIVE! OSAKA.”

The “Whole World Imagination Curry Plate” included unique curries you wouldn’t normally get to eat, such as “Kangaroo and Tasmanian Pepper Spice Confit (Australia)” and “BBQ Mustard Beef Keema (North America).” The bold flavors of spice and meat were accented by a refreshing “Mexican Salsa Salad.” In the center was “Japanese-style Kayaku Rice cooked with fragrant Japanese broth.” The presentation made it feel as if Japan was the bridge connecting countries, and the plate was filled with the fun of journeying across continents.

Here, we asked Mr. Suga, owner of Creative Curry Tsukinowa, and Mr. Kakiuchi, owner of Darakubure, for their thoughts on menu development.

I usually make curry with a focus on broth, so making curries that emphasize local flavors was a new challenge for me. I’ve been running a curry shop for over 10 years, but it felt like I stepped into a field I’d never entered before. There were still new discoveries, and it was very stimulating. I’d love to do it with Kakky again.

I usually make curry with a focus on broth, so making curries that emphasize local flavors was a new challenge for me. I’ve been running a curry shop for over 10 years, but it felt like I stepped into a field I’d never entered before. There were still new discoveries, and it was very stimulating. I’d love to do it with Kakky again.

Only in Osaka could this happen!? Thirty-one shops showcase their skills: world cuisine × spice curry.

During the event, the talk show “CURRY TALK” featured Tatsuya Mishima of the KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION and Takenakary, the representative of Shokuyoku Co., Ltd. Takenakary, who planned “SPICE DIVE! OSAKA – Osaka Spice Curry Meets the World,” discussed with Mishima the behind-the-scenes stories of how the event came to be.

Takenakary is involved in producing projects related to curry and spices, writing, product development, content creation, and also serves as a judge for the Japanese Curry Awards.

In fact, I really wanted to try this project in Osaka. I wondered how Osaka curry shops would respond if I threw them a challenge. After all, in Tokyo, it would be unthinkable. In Tokyo, the response would probably be something like, ‘We’re an Indian restaurant, so…

I see. This time, there was the restriction of having to choose from countries participating in the Osaka-Kansai Expo, but for some curry shops, their usual menu’s country wasn’t participating. At first, I thought it might be a bit difficult.

When I saw the countries chosen by the curry shops, I was like, ‘This curry shop chose that country!?’ I couldn’t believe it (laughs). Did you really push them hard?

When I made the request, I handed over a list of participating countries and said, “Please choose about three countries that everyone is unlikely to pick.” And sure enough, the responses were all countries that I thought would rarely be chosen! On the contrary, at one point I had to ask, “Could you include some more obvious countries like Thailand or Korea?” (laughs)

That’s pretty wild (laughs). For example, Niji no Hotoke chose the Republic of Angola, and I’m really curious as to why they picked that country.

When I looked into the curry made by Niji no Hotoke, it turns out it’s based on a dish from the Republic of Angola called muamba. It’s a dish where chicken and peanut butter are simmered together with palm oil, and I thought it was a really niche choice.

Mr. UETAKE from Kyu Yamutei replied, “It’s a bit of a cliché, but I’ll go with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste.” For a moment I thought, “Wait, is Timor-Leste really a cliché…?” (laughs) In Japan, Timor-Leste cuisine still isn’t very well known.

I did some research myself. It seems the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was under Portuguese rule for a long time. Portuguese cuisine often uses pork, so I thought it was interesting that it’s a country with dishes that somewhat resemble pork vindaloo.

I’d really like to ask each owner what their basis was for making their selections. I want to ask every single one of them.

As for me, I chose the Republic of Nauru for my own shop, even though I’ve never been there. But they have a food culture called “something rice,” which is basically “side dishes and rice,” so I thought, “If you add spices to the side dish, it becomes curry!” I approached it with the mindset of “What if there were a curry shop in the Republic of Nauru?” Of course, following the local cuisine is good too, but that’s where you get to show off your skills.

I see, so it’s all about imagination! There might be places in Tokyo that could do something similar, but I don’t think you’d see this kind of back-and-forth.

I think there’s a big difference between seeing the concept of “interesting” as something constructive or as just fooling around. In Osaka, “interesting” isn’t about being silly or clownish; it’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s intriguing, pursuing what grabs your interest. Even if it seems foolish or a misguided passion, trying it out anyway—that’s Osaka’s brand of “interesting.”

With spice curry, you don’t just taste deliciousness—you can see the spirit of Osaka’s people.

After that, the talk event moved on to stories about local-style curries nurtured in Osaka and the future activities of the KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION. Experiencing the collaboration menus between world cuisines and curry shops felt like not just a delicious experience, but also a chance to encounter the unique personalities nurtured in Osaka.

Mr. MISHIMA says the reason curry culture born from free thinking has continued is “because there’s a foundation here that values not whether something is correct, but whether it’s delicious and interesting.” It’s precisely because Kansai doesn’t have resistance or embarrassment about going against the “correct” way that this culture was born. The KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION is also aiming for spice curry, which exemplifies this Osaka-ness, to become established as a local specialty.

“Unlike other local specialties like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, or yakisoba, spice curry is overflowing with flavor options. Looking for your favorite plate is like a treasure hunt, and eventually I want to get local governments involved and promote it as a culture Osaka can be proud of. I’ve always thought Osaka has everything and nothing at the same time, but I hope spice curry can become the specialty that changes that. And when it comes to curry, it’s not the curry you’re thinking of—when you go to Osaka, the meaning of curry changes!” (laughs) Mr. MISHIMA’s comments really convey his passion for curry in Kansai and his desire to energize Osaka.

Spice curry naturally embodies the history, foundation, and spirit of Osaka. The KANSAI CURRY CARE ASSOCIATION is also looking for new members to help share its appeal. If your heart was stirred by the deep and fascinating world of spice curry at “SPICE DIVE! OSAKAOsaka Spice Curry Meets the World,” why not join in and get involved?

Interview & Text: KOJIMA Tomoyo
Editing: TOMIMOTO Rie
Photography: KITAGAWA Satoru
Planning & Editing: Ningen Editorial Team