Karē raisu

Japanese curry is an extremely popular dish throughout Japan. Since the curry is almost always served with rice, one can hear the term karē raisu mentioned very often. Curry was brought over to Japan by the British in the 19th century, when Meiji-era Japan welcomed foreigners and their goods. As a result, Japanese curry is similar to the English curry, characterized by the heavy use of curry powder. The dish developed into curry rice, a rich stew of meat and vegetables (such as carrots, onions, and potatoes) which is ladled over short-grain, white rice. Common garnishes include eggplant, lotus root, and cucumbers on top. There is also a popular variation on kare raisu called katsu kare, a curry rice dish with a piece of deep-fried pork cutlet called tonkatsu placed on top.