The Dark Side of “Indo-Nepal” Curry Restaurants in Japan

There are a huge number of Indian curry restaurants in Japan.
Although they are called “Indian curry,” most are actually run by Nepali owners, which is why they are sometimes referred to as In-Nepa curry (インネパカレー).

In recent years especially, you can find these restaurants all over Japan. Almost all of them seem to offer the same set menu—curry, naan, salad, and a drink—for around 1,000 yen (about $7), as if stamped from the same template.

(According to one theory, other restaurants copied the style of the first successful In-Nepa curry shop, adopting a format tailored to Japanese tastes. Since the risk of failure is high, few are willing to experiment with a new concept.)

Inside, the décor is filled with an exotic atmosphere, local music plays in the background, and for a moment you almost forget you are in Japan.

In-Nepa curry is slightly different from Japanese curry: it is spicier and rich with spices. Freshly baked naan is fluffy yet chewy, and extremely delicious. Though it is bigger than your face, you can finish it in no time. It’s also nice that you can enjoy drinks like lassi or chai as part of the set.

I like these In-Nepa curry restaurants and visit about once a month. Sometimes, I’m the only customer there. Even though it’s none of my business, I can’t help worrying about how they stay afloat.

Yet no matter how empty they seem, these restaurants rarely go out of business.
Why don’t they fail?
Curious, I looked into it.

Why In-Nepa curry Curry Restaurants Don’t Go Bankrupt

１．Extremely Low Fixed Costs

Many In-Nepa restaurants reuse kitchen equipment and interiors left behind by previous tenants, keeping startup costs very low.
They also intentionally choose “second-tier” locations—slightly away from stations or in less desirable areas—to reduce rent and fixed expenses.

２．Unique Labor Environment and Low Personnel Costs

In many cases, staff members live together above the restaurant or in nearby apartments, sharing food and housing costs to reduce living expenses.

３．Tight Control of Ingredient Costs

Curry and naan are highly cost-efficient menu items.
Naan is mainly made of flour, and curry is centered on onions and spices, making it easier to keep ingredient costs low compared to restaurants that use large amounts of meat.
Since curry is a simmered dish, food waste is also minimal.

４．Community and Remittance Systems

Behind the scenes, some restaurants also run niche businesses unrelated to food service, such as selling ingredients to people from the same hometown or handling remittance services.
When business becomes difficult, there are community networks—borrowing within the Nepali community or receiving support from relatives—that help them survive.

The Dark Side of In-Nepa curry Restaurants

There are many reasons these restaurants don’t easily go under.
However, there is also a darker side that is not often discussed openly.

１．Brokerage Fees Before Coming to Japan

When Nepali workers obtain a “Skilled Worker Visa” (such as for chefs) to work in Japan, it is common for them to pay large brokerage fees to local agents.
The amount can range from 1 to 1.5 million yen (about $7,000–$10,000). Considering that the average annual income in Nepal is around 210,000 yen (about $1,456), this is an astronomical sum.

They borrow money from family or relatives, sometimes even using land as collateral, and come to Japan with the desperate determination to “earn money and repay the debt.”
Ironically, bringing in new workers through these brokerage fees can itself become part of the business model that sustains some operations.

２．“Nominal Chefs” and Low Wages

In principle, the Skilled Worker Visa is meant for experienced chefs with more than 10 years of professional experience. However, in reality, there are cases where brokers falsify résumés to obtain visas.

Workers who arrive in Japan without real experience cannot easily defy the restaurant owner. Since visa renewal requires the employer’s cooperation, they may be trapped in situations with unfairly low wages or harsh working conditions.

３．Salary “Kickbacks”

There are reported cases where employers appear to pay the legal minimum wage on paper, but in reality force workers to return part of their salary in cash to brokers or owners—a “kickback” scheme.

As a result, even after working more than 12 hours a day, once debt repayments and kickbacks are deducted, workers may be left with only a small amount of money.

４．The “Investment Model” of Store Expansion

Some brokers persuade wealthy Nepalis to invest in restaurants in Japan, claiming they are highly profitable.
In certain cases, the real objective is not whether the restaurant succeeds, but rather issuing visas and bringing in workers (and collecting brokerage fees), creating an unhealthy business model.

Of course, many restaurants operate ethically without relying on such systems. However, in recent years, unscrupulous brokers have become a social issue, leading to immigration law revisions and stricter enforcement.

When I think that the people working at my local curry shop—or investors back in Nepal—might be exploited by such brokers, it pains me.

Even in a country considered “peaceful” like Japan, businesses that operate in legal gray areas from overseas exist quite ordinarily.

A Recently Visited Indo-Nepal Curry Restaurant

Despite these troubling business structures, Indo-Nepal curry restaurants across Japan consistently serve delicious food.

Among them, there’s one I’ve recently become particularly fond of:

Shangri-La Kamata

Located a three-minute walk from the west exit of Kamata Station in Tokyo, Shangri-La looks like a typical In-Nepa curry restaurant in terms of décor and menu.

What I especially love there is their coconut naan.

Inside the naan is shredded sweet coconut, and when eaten together with savory curry, the combination becomes addictive.

Honey naan is relatively common, but coconut naan is rare. It’s so delicious that it alone is worth the visit.

The lunch set costs around 1,000 yen, and coconut naan is about 400 yen—very reasonable. The staff are also cheerful and welcoming.

A large painting of the Hindu god Shiva decorates the interior, and you truly feel the breeze of India or Nepal inside.

If you’re in Tokyo, I highly recommend giving Shangri-La a try.

Conclusion

Indo-Nepal curry restaurants are everywhere in Japan. Behind them lies the painful reality of labor exploitation by unscrupulous brokers.
At the same time, they are precious places where we can casually enjoy affordable and delicious foreign cuisine.

The curry we enjoy might be built upon someone else’s exploitation.

Even so, today again, drawn by the aroma of spices, I find myself opening the door of yet another In-Nepa curry restaurant.

But at the very least, I want to remember the structure behind it.