Kure is known for its "Kure Kaiji Curry (JMSDF Kure Curry)."
In the Maritime Self-Defense Force-Kure, it is said that every Friday lunch is curry in order not to lose one's sense of the days of the week during the long life at sea.
One of the characteristics of this dish is that each ship has a different recipe that is passed down from generation to generation. Restaurants around the city have learned the recipes from the cooks of each ship, serving up a captain’s veritable “signature flavor!” to try. If you have time, it is a good idea to visit different restaurants that serve Kure Kaiji Curry and compare them.
You can get a guidebook that lists the restaurants that serve Kure Kaiji Curry at the Kure Tourist Information Plaza, a minute's walk from Kure Station, so stop by and get one when you arrive in Kure.
You can also buy retort pouches of "Kure Kaiji−Curry" at various places in the city to enjoy it at home. It is also available at the Yamato Museum and JMSDF Kure Museum /Iron Whale Museum (Tetsu no Kujira Kan), so check them out.
Highlights
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The recipe is based on the curry served on by the JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)
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A total of 25 restaurants in Kure City (as of 2021) offer authentic curry from each vessel.
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The captain of each ship says, "This is our flavor! Only those that the captain has approved of the vessel.
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There are also retort pouches of Kure Kaiji Curry that make great souvenirs.
