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Key takeawaysTwenty shops chosen by a September fan vote serve their curries at Ogawa Hiroba in Kanda on October 31 and November 1, 2026, and visitors pick the winner. Entry is free, each curry you buy earns one ballot, and voting closes at 16:00 on Sunday, an hour before the 17:00 award ceremony.
Kanda, Tokyo · Oct 31 & Nov 1
Kanda Curry Grand Prix Finals: taste, vote, crown the best curry in Kanda
Twenty shops that won the fan preliminary round serve their curries at Ogawa Hiroba. Visitors decide the winner.
20finalist shops
2days
Freeentry (food extra)
If you like curry and live in or around Tokyo, the last weekend of October has an easy plan: walk over to Ogawa Hiroba in Kanda, eat a few curries from different shops, and vote for your favorite. The Kanda Curry Grand Prix 2026 finals (第14回 神田カレーグランプリ2026 グランプリ決定戦) run on Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, 2026. Entry is free, and you only pay for what you eat.
Contents
What the Kanda Curry Grand Prix is
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
Kanda, the neighborhood around Jimbocho and Ogawamachi in Chiyoda Ward, has more than 400 places that serve curry. Once a year, local shops bring their signature dish to one plaza and compete for the title of best curry in Kanda. This is the 14th edition.
The finals are the last stage. A fan vote held from September 1 to 10 narrowed the field to 20 shops, and those 20 now cook side by side at the venue. The lineup runs from spice-forward curries to familiar Japanese-style curry, so it is a good chance to try shops you have walked past but never entered.
The event is organized by the Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (神田カレー街活性化委員会), as stated in a press release dated September 17, 2026.
Dates, hours, venue and address
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
| Event | Kanda Curry Grand Prix 2026 Finals (第14回 神田カレーグランプリ2026 グランプリ決定戦) |
|---|---|
| Dates | Sat, Oct 31 and Sun, Nov 1, 2026 |
| Hours | Oct 31: 11:00–19:00 Nov 1: 11:00–17:00 |
| Opening ceremony | Both days from 10:40 |
| Voting | Until 16:00 on Nov 1 (per the press release) |
| Award ceremony | Sun, Nov 1 from 17:00 |
| Venue | Ogawa Hiroba (小川広場) |
| Address | 3-6 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo |
| Admission | Free (food is paid separately) |
| Organizer | Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (神田カレー街活性化委員会) |
The shop lineup and program are listed as planned in the press release. Price per curry and accepted payment methods were not included in the information we checked, so look at the official site before you go.
Check the official Kanda Curry website
How the visitor vote works
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
The winner is chosen by the people eating the food, not by a closed panel. Here is the flow:
- Buy a curry from any of the 20 shops.
- You receive one ballot for each curry you buy.
- After tasting, drop your ballot for the shop you liked best.
Shops are ranked by votes. The top three shops win the Grand Prix, second place and third place, and a Kanda Curry Meister Award is also given. A separate panel of curry experts also hands out a special award. This year the judges include NAOTO, a violinist well known as a big curry fan, who will also appear on stage for a talk.
The award ceremony starts at 17:00 on Sunday, November 1. Since voting closes at 16:00 that day, plan to eat and vote earlier in the afternoon if you want your ballot to count.
The 20 finalist shops
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
The organizer lists the finalists in alphabetical order by Japanese name (gojūon order). Names are shown as officially written, since many shops use Japanese on their signs.
| # | Shop |
|---|---|
| 1 | AKL ～カレーなる酒場～ |
| 2 | ＆スリランカ TOKYO |
| 3 | カレー食堂 心 秋葉原店 |
| 4 | カレーショップC&C 秋葉原店 |
| 5 | カレーの王様 市ヶ谷店 |
| 6 | ガンディーマハル |
| 7 | キッチン きらく |
| 8 | キッチンサウナ ＠サウナラボ神田 |
| 9 | Kitchen 723 |
| 10 | 黒毛和牛カレー専門店 烏山カレー |
| 11 | ジャンカレー 末広町店 |
| 12 | スパイス欧風カレーPAIKAJI |
| 13 | スパイスカリー はちわん 神保町店 |
| 14 | Spice Theater 丸の内 |
| 15 | 大衆音楽酒場 WAKASU |
| 16 | とんかつ檍のカレー屋 いっぺこっぺ 神田小川町店 |
| 17 | 日本式カレー弐番亭 |
| 18 | RAKUSPA1010神田 |
| 19 | レストラン 1899 お茶の水 |
| 20 | Restaurant Mari |
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
Stage events and guests
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
Food is the main draw, but there is also a stage program (subject to change):
| Day | Program | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 31 | OYAJI AWARD Ikeoji Contest, a contest for stylish middle-aged men | Judges include choreographer Kaoruko (香瑠鼓) and Katsumi Watanabe (渡辺克己) |
| Nov 1 | Oshiete Monko Sensei! (教えてもんこ先生！), a spice class | Monko Ichijo (一条もんこ) |
| Nov 1 | Curry talk session by self-described curry obsessives (カレー偏愛家たちによるカレー放談) | See the guest list below |
| Nov 1 | Award ceremony, from 17:00 | Grand Prix and other winners announced |
Guests named for the program:
| Guest | Japanese name |
|---|---|
| Atsushi Iizuka | 飯塚敦 |
| Monko Ichijo | 一条もんこ |
| Spicy Maruyama | スパイシー丸山 |
| NAOTO (violinist, judge) | NAOTO |
| Hiroaki Matsu (Curry Saibo) | 松宏彰（カレー細胞） |
Getting there
Ogawa Hiroba sits between Jimbocho and Ochanomizu, and four stations are within a short walk:
| Station | Walk |
|---|---|
| Ogawamachi (Toei Subway) | About 4 min |
| Shin-Ochanomizu (Tokyo Metro) | About 5 min |
| Jimbocho (Tokyo Metro / Toei Subway) | About 5 min |
| Ochanomizu (JR) | About 6 min |
Tips before you go
Image: Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (from PR TIMES press release)
- Go with friends and share. Every curry gives one ballot, so a group can cover more shops and compare notes before voting.
- Vote before 16:00 on Sunday. The ceremony is at 17:00, but voting closes an hour earlier according to the press release.
- Saturday runs later. The event runs until 19:00 on October 31, compared with 17:00 on November 1.
- Check prices and payment on the official site. Per-dish prices and payment options were not announced in the material we reviewed.
Looking for more free things to do in Tokyo this autumn? We also covered the Musashino Art University Festival, the Shibaura Canal Festival with its free canal cruise, and the Setagaya Tamagawa fireworks viewing guide. If you are new to Japan and still sorting out how to pay at events, see which credit card foreigners in Japan should get first.
FAQ
- Q. Is entry to the Kanda Curry Grand Prix free?
- Yes. Entry to the venue is free, and you only pay for the curry you eat.
- Q. How does voting work?
- You get one ballot for each curry you buy, and you cast it for the shop you liked best. According to the press release, voting runs until 16:00 on Sunday, November 1.
- Q. How much does one curry cost?
- The price per serving and accepted payment methods were not announced in the information we checked. Please see the official Kanda Curry website before you go.
- Q. When is the award ceremony?
- The award ceremony starts at 17:00 on Sunday, November 1.
- Q. What is the nearest station to Ogawa Hiroba?
- Ogawamachi Station on the Toei Subway is about a 4-minute walk. Shin-Ochanomizu and Jimbocho are about 5 minutes, and JR Ochanomizu is about 6 minutes.
Sources: Kanda Curry official website / Press release from the Kanda Curry Town Revitalization Committee (Sept 17, 2026). Information as of October 27, 2026; the lineup and program may change.
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