Kawaii, manga drive Japanese food boom

Japanese cuisine in India has shifted from novelty to urbane ubiquity as matcha bars and ramen joints proliferate, driven by a love for J-pop culture

- Priyanko Sarkar

For Deepa Kumar, 34, it started with Korean pop culture. The Mumbai-based analyst at a market insights major got hooked to K-dramas during the pandemic. Soon after, the algorithm started filtering in suggestions for Japanese dramas; she started watching anime. Alongside, her work led her to explore Japanese history, politics and culture. "As I observed Japanese politics for work, I decided to travel to Japan to get a holistic perspective. But the final push came from food," she says.

Last year, she travelled to Japan to experience the culture first-hand, and it included signing up for a 25-course sushi meal in Tokyo, apart from exploring street food, frequenting the informal bars or izakayas, and experiencing a kaiseki meal (a multi-course meal known for its presentation) at a traditional Japanese inn or ryokan in Kanazawa. The sushi meal stood out. "It's not just a highlight of the trip, but a highlight of my life," she says.