First known curry rice recipe of Japan, by Kanagaki Robun, 1872
Curry was introduced to Japan during the Meiji era (1868–1912). At the time, the Indian subcontinent was under British colonial rule. It is most likely that the British introduced the spice mix called curry powder to Japan. It was classified as yōshoku (Western style food) since it came from the West. The word curry was probably adopted into the Japanese language as karē in the late 1860s, when Japan was forced to abandon its isolation (sakoku) and came into contact with the British Empire. By the 1870s, curry began to be served in Japan.
