Kure (呉), a port city in Hiroshima Prefecture, is the home port of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships. Its restaurants serve “Kure Kaiji Curry” (呉海自カレー), which are curries from specific JMSDF ships. Each shop learned its recipe from the ship’s cooks, and the ship’s commander approved the taste, according to the shop association. The association’s list had 23 shops on October 5, 2026. This guide compares 8 of them by what matters when you travel: the walk from Kure Station, parking, opening hours and price. Facts come from the association’s shop pages and, where noted, each shop’s own site, checked on October 5, 2026.
In short
- A plate of curry costs from ¥980 to ¥1,650. Five of the 8 shops are within about an 8-minute walk of Kure Station (Il Mare, Ryu, Kure Haikara Shokudo, BEACON and Sanbashiya).
- For a car, Kure Haikara Shokudo has 220 paid spaces, CAKES & ALE at Clayton Bay Hotel has about 80 free spaces, and Kenmin no Hama has 500 spaces.
- Only one shop opens for dinner only (Izakaya Tone Honten, from 17:00).
- The association says shop details can change suddenly, so confirm with the shop before you go.
Checked with official pages on October 5, 2026.
1. Which shop fits your day?
Depends on the shop
Each shop serves its own ship’s curry, so the taste and price differ by shop. Times and closed days below are from the association’s shop pages unless noted. Prices include tax.
| Shop | Curry and price | Hours and closed day | From Kure Station, parking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Il Mare | Umigiri, ¥1,600 | 11:30 to 21:00, no regular closing day | About 1 min walk, 30 paid spaces |
| Ryu | Kenryu, ¥1,050 | 10:30 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 20:30, closed Wed | About 3 min walk, no parking |
| Kure Haikara | Soryu, ¥1,650 | Last order 15:00, closed Tue | About 5 min walk, 220 paid spaces |
| BEACON | Samidare, ¥1,350 | 11:00 to 18:00, closed Tue | About 7 min walk, no parking |
| Sanbashiya | Shimokita dry curry, ¥990 | 11:30 to 17:00, closed Tue | About 8 min walk, 25 paid spaces |
| Tone Honten | Tone, ¥980 | 17:00 to 23:00, closed Wed | About 1 min from a bus stop, 6 spaces |
| CAKES & ALE | Kaga, ¥1,210 | 11:30 to 18:00, no closing day | Free shuttle, about 80 free spaces |
| Kenmin no Hama | Abukuma, ¥1,300 | 11:00 to 14:30, closed Thu | By car, 500 spaces |
2. How do I get to Kure?
Depends on the provider
Kure City’s tourism site says the JR Kure Line rapid train takes about 32 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Kure Station. The Airport Bus Kure-Hiroshima Airport line takes about 1 hour from Hiroshima Airport to the front of Kure Station. By car, it says about 40 minutes from Hiroshima-Higashi IC through Kure IC into the city.
The shops near the station are close together, so you can walk between them. The shops farther away are easiest by car. According to the association’s list, Kenmin no Hama is a 15-minute drive from Akinada Bridge (安芸灘大橋).
3. What does each shop serve?
3.1 Il Mare at Kure Hankyu Hotel (呉阪急ホテル「イルマーレ」)
Depends on the shop
The “Destroyer Umigiri Kaiji Curry” (護衛艦うみぎり海自カレー) is ¥1,600, or ¥1,440 for members. The hotel says the displayed prices include tax and a 13% service charge. According to the hotel, it recreated the curry under direct guidance, simmered it for two days, and uses onions fried until they are very soft. The curry is available from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
The restaurant is on the hotel’s 1st floor. It is open 11:30 to 21:00 (last order 20:00) with no regular closing day, and it is about a 1-minute walk from Kure Station. It has about 60 seats. Parking is 30 spaces, paid.
Il Mare: 呉市中央1-1-1 呉阪急ホテル1F. Google Maps. Direct phone: 0823-20-1116.
3.2 Ryu (りゅう): curry with thin udon
Depends on the shop
The “Submarine Kenryu Sword Dragon Curry” (潜水艦けんりゅうの「ソードドラゴンカレー」) is ¥1,050. A set with Kure’s thin udon noodles is ¥1,350. It is a seafood curry on a chicken-stock and herb base, fried with white wine and garlic oil. The shop says the spiciness is slightly sweeter than medium.
Hours: 10:30 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 20:30, closed Wednesday. It is about a 3-minute walk from Kure Station. It seats 25 and has no parking.
Ryu: 呉市中央1-9-12. Google Maps. Phone: 0823-24-6692.
3.3 Kure Haikara Shokudo (呉ハイカラ食堂): 220 paid spaces
Depends on the shop
The “Submarine Soryu Teppan Curry” (潜水艦「そうりゅう」テッパンカレー) is ¥1,650, in limited quantity. It is a beef curry served on a sizzling iron plate of the kind the JMSDF also uses. The shop’s own site says it recreates the taste approved by the Soryu’s captain.
The restaurant is closed on Tuesday. The association lists 11:30 to 15:00 (last order); the shop’s own pages show opening at 11:00 and last order at 15:00. Confirm the opening time with the shop. It is about a 5-minute walk from Kure Station. The interior is designed like a submarine, and staff wear uniforms like those of Self-Defense Force personnel, according to the shop’s site.
Kure Haikara Shokudo: 呉市宝町4-21 折本マリンビル3号館2F. Google Maps. Phone: 0823-32-3108.
3.4 SEASIDE CAFE BEACON: next to the Yamato Museum
Depends on the shop
The “Samidare Curry” (さみだれカレー) is ¥1,350 with a salad. It is a curry of beef, pork and chicken simmered with coriander and caramelized onion. The association’s page says it is mild at first and spicy afterwards.
Hours: 11:00 to 18:00, with curry served until 17:00. Closed Tuesday. It is about a 7-minute walk from Kure Station and next to the Yamato Museum. It seats 35 and has no parking.
BEACON: 呉市宝町5-20. Google Maps. Phone: 0823-23-6000.
3.5 Sanbashiya (さんばしや): the only dry curry, from ¥990
Depends on the shop
The “Transport Ship Shimokita Dry Curry” (輸送艦しもきたドライカレー) is ¥990, or ¥1,350 with a drink set. The association says it is the only dry curry among the Kure Kaiji Curry dishes. It is made from minced beef and pork, chopped vegetables, mixed beans and boiled soybeans, with tomato puree and spices.
Hours: 11:30 to 17:00. From March to October it stays open until 20:00 on Fridays, Saturdays and the day before a holiday, and on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays it opens at 10:00. It is closed on Tuesday (the closing day can change when Tuesday is a holiday) and around New Year. It is about an 8-minute walk from Kure Station and has 25 paid spaces and 30 seats. Reservations are accepted only by Instagram direct message. The association’s page lists no phone number.
Sanbashiya: 呉市宝町4-44 2階. Google Maps.
3.6 Izakaya Tone Honten (居酒屋 利根 本店): dinner only, ¥980
Depends on the shop
The “Destroyer Tone Special Beef Curry” (護衛艦「とね」特製ビーフカレー) is ¥980. A half portion is ¥620 and a mini is ¥450. It uses three kinds of beef, simmered for a long time, with the sourness of tomato puree and the sweetness of onion.
This is an izakaya (a Japanese pub). It is open 17:00 to 23:00 (last order 22:30) and does not serve lunch. It is closed on Wednesday. The shop’s site says it is about a 1-minute walk from the Hondori 3-chome bus stop (本通3丁目バス停). It has 6 parking spaces and seats 40 on the 1st floor and 42 on the 2nd floor.
Tone Honten: 呉市本町2-2. Google Maps. Phone: 0823-24-6166.
3.7 CAKES & ALE at Clayton Bay Hotel (クレイトン ベイ ホテル): free shuttle and parking
Depends on the shop
The “Ichigo Ichie, Destroyer Kaga Curry” (一期一会 護衛艦かがカレー) is ¥1,210. It is a beef curry simmered in chicken-stock and vegetable broth, with hijiki seaweed, black sesame and soybeans.
The restaurant is on the hotel’s 1st floor, open 11:30 to 18:00 (last order 16:30), with no closing day. It is about 10 minutes from Kure Station by the hotel’s own shuttle bus. The hotel’s access page says the shuttle is free. Scheduled runs from 9:00 to 11:15 need no reservation, and from 11:30 you must reserve by phone with the hotel (0823-26-1111). The hotel’s own page says it has about 80 free parking spaces; the association’s list says 200.
Clayton Bay Hotel: 呉市築地町3-3. Google Maps. CAKES & ALE phone: 0823-26-1133.
3.8 Kenmin no Hama, Dining Abi (県民の浜 お食事処 あび): 500 parking spaces
Depends on the shop
The “Abukuma Black Curry” (あぶくま黒カレー) is ¥1,300 with a salad, or ¥650 for a half portion with a mini salad. It is a spicy curry made by frying black sesame with curry powder and simmering it until the ingredients melt.
The facility’s site lists 11:00 to 14:30 (last order 14:00), closed on Thursday. The association’s page lists 11:00 to 14:00, so confirm with the shop. It is in Kamagari, Kure, a 15-minute drive from Akinada Bridge. It has 500 parking spaces and 100 seats.
Kenmin no Hama Dining Abi: 呉市蒲刈町大浦7605. Google Maps. Phone: 0823-66-1177.
4. What else should I know?
Depends on the shop
Sticker rally. From April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027, you get one sticker for each Kure Kaiji Curry dish. You can collect them in a guidebook and exchange them for gifts. The top gift this year is a cup and saucer set with a teaspoon. The exchange period ends on Friday, April 2, 2027 at 19:00. Exchange at the Kure City Tourist Information Center on the 2nd floor of JR Kure Station (9:00 to 19:00, no closing days, 0823-23-7845). You cannot put two or more stickers from the same shop in one guidebook, and stickers from fiscal 2025 or earlier cannot be used.
Other shops. The association lists 23 shops. For hours and closed days of the others, use the association’s shop list. Its phone is 0823-69-9090.
5. Common questions
Why is curry served on Fridays in the JMSDF?
The association says many JMSDF units serve curry for lunch every Friday. It says there are various explanations, one being that it helps sailors on long voyages keep track of the day of the week.
Can I get a Sanbashiya table by phone?
No phone number is listed for Sanbashiya. The association’s page says reservations are accepted only through Instagram direct messages.
Do the shops’ hours change?
Yes, they can. The association says shop information can change suddenly and asks you to confirm with the shop before you visit.
