Kurobe Dam Curry, a specialty to be enjoyed while gazing at the dam lake【Kurobe Dam Rest House】.

  • Toyama
  • Eating
The Kurobe Dam Rest House overlooks the dam lake, and the restaurant on the second floor serves original sweets such as the famous Kurobe Dam Curry, Yoronion Soft, and Hasaider Float.
Kurobe Dam Rest House exterior

What is Kurobe Dam Curry?

This local curry of Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, is inspired by the Kurobe Dam, the largest dam in Japan. The original "Arch Curry" is said to have been served at the Ogisawa Rest House at Ogisawa Station, the base of the Nagano side of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, since the 1960s, and is currently served at 16 restaurants in Omachi City and at the Azusa River Service Area (downhill line).

Kurobe Dam Curry has five clear rules.
1) The rice should be shaped like a dam weir
2) The curry roux should always be poured outside the weir (arc)
3) A "topping" resembling a garbe (a sightseeing boat for Kurobe Dam) should be placed on top of the curry roux
4) The price should be at least 700 yen (to provide good quality (To provide high quality curry)
(5) Water must be served with the curry (To enjoy Omachi water at the foot of the Northern Alps)
Only when the above points are satisfied can the curry be called Kurobe Dam Curry.
Click here for a list of stores offering Kurobe Dam Curry.
At the Kurobe Dam Rest House, you order from a ticket machine. Since the restaurant is often crowded, especially during lunchtime, we recommend that you reserve a seat first and then purchase a meal ticket. Once you have paid and issued your ticket, your order is automatically sent to the kitchen, so all you have to do is wait at your seat with your ticket in your hand until your number is called.

Now, let's try it!

This time I ordered two kinds of dam curry! The first was of course the famous "Kurobe Dam Curry. The first is of course the famous "Kurobe Dam Curry," a Thai-style green curry with a motif of the emerald green dam lake, and the roux made with spinach is quite dry. The second is the "Arch Dam Curry" commemorating the 60th anniversary of the completion of the Kurobe Dam! This is a medium-spicy beef curry, topped with isobe-age (fried seafood) made from Sugiyo's "vitamin chikuwa," which were also used in the construction site training camps.
Kurobe Dam Curry
Arch Dam Curry
Frankly speaking, the unique flavor of green curry is not to everyone's liking, so for those who don't like it, we recommend the beef curry type, such as Arch Dam Curry. (There is also Arch Dam Katsu Curry with pork cutlet on top, and a sweet dam curry!

The Kurobe Dam Rest House store sells original goods that can only be purchased at the Kurobe Dam, and there are rest areas on the first and third floors, so be sure to stop by. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the completion of Kurobe Dam, and a limited edition dam card commemorating the 60th anniversary is available at the Kurobe Dam Information Desk on the first floor of the Kurobe Dam Rest House!
Dam card commemorating the 60th anniversary of Kurobe Dam
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