Kanda Curry Grand Prix 2026: stalls, voting and travel

The Kanda Curry Grand Prix final brings 20 curry shops to Ogawa Hiroba in Tokyo on October 31 and November 1, 2026. Entry is free; buy food from the stalls and use the voting ticket supplied with each curry purchase. On Sunday, voting ends at 16:00, an hour before curry service finishes.

This is a chance to compare several shops in one outing. It is different from the months-long restaurant stamp rally: you cannot collect that rally's restaurant stamps at the final. Choose which experience you want before arranging the day around it.

Saturday or Sunday: choose by the finish you need

The organizer's 2026 announcement confirms these curry-service hours. All times are local to Tokyo.

Saturday gives you the longer eating window. Sunday suits visitors who want to hear the result, but leave time to buy, taste and submit a vote before 16:00. Holding an unused voting ticket does not extend the deadline.

The published voting instructions place the ballot boxes near the main entrance. Put your ticket in the box for the shop you prefer. The 2026 winner has not been announced before the event; a previous winner is not this year's result.

Which curry shops can you try?

The organizer's finalist list includes Curry Shop C&C Akihabara, Curry Shokudo Kokoro Akihabara, Kitchen 723, Restaurant Mari and Restaurant 1899 Ochanomizu. These are examples from the field, not our taste ranking.

Restaurant 1899's own announcement describes its Japanese-dashi keema curry and says the event portions are designed for comparing different curries. That does not establish a standard portion weight for every stall. Begin with a dish you want, see how much food it is, then decide whether to buy another.

Before queuing, check the event menu, price, spice level and ingredients. A restaurant's normal dine-in menu may differ from its festival dish. If you avoid meat, fish, dairy or another ingredient, ask about the sauce and stock as well as the visible toppings. Have an alternative meal in mind outside the venue if a seller cannot confirm what you need.

For a mixed group, pick one or two priorities rather than turning all 20 stalls into a checklist. Let people skip a dish without losing the rest of the afternoon.

Pay at the stall and keep a cash backup

Free entry does not mean free tasting. The organizer's payment table, surveyed on October 7, lists cash and Kanda Curry Pay at all 20 finalists. Other methods vary.

Confirm the displayed methods and price at the stall before ordering. The organizer warns that payment arrangements can change. A logo in a table is not a promise that every overseas-issued card, phone wallet or account will work.

Bring enough yen for the dishes you intend to try. Do not make lunch depend on registering for a local payment service at the front of a queue. An eSIM supplies mobile data; it does not create an eligible payment account or load money onto a transport card.

The limited Metro reward is for a later journey

An October 29 announcement from TOPPAN, the organizer and Toshiba adds a Tokyo Metro QR ride for the first 200 qualifying users each day. The condition is spending at least JPY2,000 at the event using one Kanda Curry Pay balance, not simply purchasing that amount of credit.

The reward covers one Tokyo Metro journey during November 2, 2026 to January 31, 2027. It cannot pay for your trip home from the October 31 or November 1 final. Check availability and collection instructions at the event, and do not spend beyond your food budget to chase a limited reward.

Getting to Ogawa Hiroba without a car

Use Ogawa Hiroba, 3-6 Kanda-Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku as the destination. The official access map gives these walking estimates:

These estimates are for orientation, not a guarantee of a step-free route or a quick walk through crowds. Check the station map if stairs, a stroller or mobility needs affect the exit you can use.

The main Area 1 entrance is on the Victoria Ochanomizu flagship-store side. Areas 2 and 3 face Yasukuni-dori. If staff restrict entry because of crowding, join the directed waiting line rather than approaching another side of the square.

There is no event car or bicycle parking. Public transport avoids adding a parking search to a short food visit. Save the venue name and exit before leaving your accommodation.

Strollers, takeaway and other rules to check first

The organizer's visitor rules say strollers cannot enter the main venue. There is a stroller storage area north of Area 1 and stroller-priority seating on the eastern road. Check those arrangements with staff; do not plan to push a stroller between the curry queues.

The same notice prohibits taking the event dishes away and bringing outside food or drinks into the venue. Plan to eat your purchase there. If your family needs particular food, feeding arrangements or an access adjustment, ask the organizer before visiting rather than assuming an exception.

Agree a meeting place before separating to buy food. Keep children with an adult and leave a gap in the plan for a break away from the queues. No published opening time can tell you how long your preferred stall's line will take.

The restaurant stamp rally continues after the final

The Kanda Curry Street stamp rally runs from August 1 to December 20, 2026. It takes place at participating restaurants, using a paper sheet or the smartphone version. The two-day final does not provide those restaurant stamps.

If you prefer a seated meal, visit a participating restaurant on its actual opening day instead. Check its latest notice and qualifying order before setting out. The organizer warns that normal guidebook hours, menus and prices can change; a map pin is not confirmation that lunch service is running.

There is no need to complete a reward threshold to enjoy one curry. For a short Tokyo stay, a single restaurant can be the better choice if queues, dietary requirements or the stroller rule make the final impractical.

Stage events, weather and a workable visit

The official stage timetable lists a Bollywood dance performance at 12:00 on Saturday. Sunday's programme includes Ichijo Monko's session at 12:25, a curry discussion at 16:00 and awards from 17:00. Times and content can change.

For a food-first visit, arrive with your shortlist, check the queue and menu, buy one dish and allow time to eat it. Add another only if the remaining time and appetite suit it. On Sunday, finish voting before settling in for the later programme.

The event is scheduled to proceed in rain but can be cancelled in severe weather. Check the organizer's latest notice on the day; do not treat that policy as a weather forecast. Carry a layer suitable for an outdoor wait and leave enough battery for the return journey.

If your Japan trip continues into the following weekend, our Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival guide covers a different food event on November 7-8. It needs its own journey plan, not an extra stop on this Tokyo afternoon. For broader family planning, use Japan with kids.

Maps, transport apps and mobile data in Tokyo

Tokyo Metro's official app guidance describes route searches and service information. Its station-information instructions cover timetables, station maps and date selection. Check the route and language options before relying on an unfamiliar app at the station.

Save the festival map, accommodation address and return station offline. Download the language resources you need for reading menus, and ask the seller when an ingredient matters. A translated label cannot confirm an allergy or dietary requirement on its own.

For visitors without enough included Japanese roaming, OpenSim Japan plans provide a defined allowance for route searches, opening notices and group messages away from Wi-Fi. On October 29, the public catalog listed 1GB for seven days at USD1.40 and 3GB for 15 days at USD3.40, both eligible for top-up. A small fixed allowance can suit saved maps and occasional searches without buying a daily-data package.

Check your home plan first: if it already includes enough data in Japan, another plan may add no value. Our Japan eSIM guide covers the wider comparison. Use the data calculator, check phone compatibility and read installation timing. Recheck the selected package and checkout total before paying. Mobile data cannot shorten an entrance queue or guarantee reception in a crowd.

Kanda festival sources and updates

Published October 29, 2026 by the OpenSim editorial team. Use the linked 2026 organizer announcement, access map, voting instructions, payment table and visitor rules for the final. Recheck before October 31 and after any weather, programme, access or payment change. After November 1, treat the final as a completed event; the separate restaurant rally's December 20 end date does not extend it.

Archive photograph: nakashi, Kanda Curry Grand Prix stage, November 4, 2017, CC BY-SA 2.0. Cropped and compressed; this adaptation uses the same license. It does not show the 2026 event.