Niigata Higashi Port, the only core international port on the Sea of Japan coast, straddling the northern wards of Niigata City and the town of Seiro.

A foreign community exists in and around the area. In a series of three reports, we have spotlighted the foreign culture that has taken root in Niigata.

After a walk around the East Harbour, the group entered the curry shop Nile.

The outside walls of the shop, which is made up of several prefabricated huts side by side, are painted pink. It has a tremendous impact.

And once inside the restaurant, you are struck by a further impact. All the staff and customers are foreigners. When I entered, there was not a single Japanese customer.

The restaurant is full of foreign customers.

Take a seat and look at the menu. As expected, the menu is written in Japanese. A copy of the 'Today's Recommendation' was also on the table. However, the deteriorated condition of the paper made it look as if it had been there for days, so I thought, "What's today's recommendation" and went through it.

I ordered shrimp (prawn) curry and mutton chop curry with naan, Indian rice and tandoori chicken.

How spicy? He asked me if I wanted it normal! I replied.

Tandoori chicken

Mutton chop curry and naan

shrimp curry

Indian rice

While we were eating, the waiter asked if the spiciness was okay. I told him it was fine, just right and delicious! I told him and he left with a smile.

When we finished eating, the man came over again and kindly told us about the 'Today's Special'. Apparently it's a special menu that comes out every Friday. Why didn't you tell me before I ordered? You didn't tell me anything, so I just passed it up.

But I was won over by the uncle's hateful smile, so I asked him a few questions.

-Are most of your customers Pakistani?

Uncle: Yes. We are Pakistani, Indian, Russian and then Japanese. The owner of our restaurant is Pakistani and I am Indian.

-Do you sell anything over there (and pointing to the sales point adjacent to the canteen)?

Uncle: Yes, we sell spices used in curries, such as garam masala and mutton.

-Hey! Do you by any chance also sell Halal foodstuffs* exclusively for Muslims? (*Halal foodstuffs http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/ハラール)

Uncle: Yes, we sell a few of those too. Please have a look.

An Indian man recommended that I look inside the sales point. There were foreign spices, dried noodles and bags of frozen mutton (from Australia) for sale. These were probably Halal foodstuffs.

-How did your uncle come to Japan?

Uncle: I am a cook and came to Japan around 1994.

-There are a lot of used car dealers around here that are run by foreigners. I'd like to talk to them a bit, but I feel like if I go to the company out of the blue, they won't take me seriously.

Uncle: Yes, that's right. Most of their work is mostly between suppliers, so if an ordinary customer were to ask them, they probably wouldn't be taken seriously.

-I know, right? Maybe we can talk if we go somewhere public. Oh, by the way, there's a Muslim mosque around here, isn't there?

Uncle: There is one. Over there (and points his finger). But I've never been there.

-Ha ha. Yes, that's right. You are a Hindu, aren't you? You have to ask a Pakistani about mosques, after all.

Uncle: Yes, that's right.

After saying each other's names, they shook hands and left the restaurant. We enjoyed exotic tastes in an exotic restaurant. I almost forgot that I was in Niigata.

If you've come this far, you can't back out.

I decided to visit a Muslim mosque that is located in this area, as my uncle in India said. I knew from the internet ( http://www2.dokidoki.ne.jp/islam/benri/m_niigata.htm) that there was a mosque near East Port, but I had never thought of actually going there before.

But today might be a good opportunity. I decided to plunge in with all my courage.

A search for 'Niigata mosque' on the iPhone turned up the above website. The address is 15-1 Taroshiro, Niigata City. (This address is incorrect, the correct address is 2557-1 Taroshiro, Kita-ku, Niigata City) I put the address into Google Maps and left the shop.

-Continued in the next Foreign Culture Report from Niigata East Port, Part 3: Visiting an Islamic mosque.

Spotlight.

Nile Yokodoi Store

• Residence: 3771 Yokotsuju, Kita-ku, Niigata City
• tel: 025-386-1225
• Opening hours 11:00-22:00
• Closed No holidays