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Curry Mason Masahiro Tsunokawa shares his life-changing thoughts on curry.

2023.8.16

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A circle of friends connected by goo-touch! The “FIST BUMP” corner of the radio program “GRAND MARQUEE” features people who live and enjoy Tokyo in a relay format.
On July 12, Masahiro Tsunokawa, owner of the Koenji restaurant “Wimjikal”, was introduced by Irvin of the curry-loving unit “Tandoori’s”. Mr. Tsunokawa is also the owner of “Curry Mason,” a brand that sells curry-related goods, and we asked him about his encounter with curry and his passion for it, which led him to open his own restaurant.

Fateful Ethiopia, which I met thanks to my senpai

Takano (MC): According to Mr. Irvin, he is “a worse curry fanatic than myself” (laughs).

Tsunokawa: Maybe I am a maniac, but I am a little different. I don’t go out to eat at many curry shops, but rather, I am obsessed with one curry shop, and I continue to follow it to this day.

Celeina (MC): Let’s unpack that as well. First of all, let me give you a brief profile. You originally worked at BEAMS and became independent at the age of 32.

When you turned 40, you suddenly fell in love with “Ethiopia,” a curry restaurant in Jimbocho, and went there almost every day. The word “curry mason” came to his mind like a revelation, and as if guided by it, he started producing apparel and curry shop goods. You opened “Wimjikal” in Koenji, taking over a store that was run by an acquaintance of yours in the Corona disaster.

Takano: What do you mean? (laughs) Let’s start with Ethiopia.

Tsunokawa: My senior colleague’s atelier was in Jimbocho, and he took me to Ethiopia for lunch because he said, “There’s a curry shop I like. Until then, I thought curry was just like ramen. I was so shocked that I went there almost 365 days a year for the first year.

Takano: You went that many times?

Tsunokawa: At the most, I went twice a day. So in total, I may have eaten there about 1,500 times. But I still don’t know why I got hooked on it. I eat and eat and eat, but I still don’t know what it is.

Takano: You mean it’s an attraction that you can’t verbalize?

Tsunokawa: It’s like I keep having that feeling of “I want to eat it again” right after eating it.

Takano: Ethiopia” is very spicy. It’s a little bit spicy.

Celeina: I’m really curious about it! I’ve never had it.

Tsunokawa: It is a curry restaurant where professional curry chefs go. So there is no way for an amateur like me to go there and understand it.

Takano: You can choose the level of spiciness. How about you, Kadokawa-san?

Tsunokawa: Recently, I set the spiciness level to about 30 times. People who really like it go back to 0, but there is a 100-times spiciness option in the back.

Takano: Is that so? I didn’t know there was such a thing as an under-the-counter menu.

Celeina: I’m really curious about it, but I’m not very good with spicy food, and my limit for commercial curry is medium-hot. How spicy should I go?

Tsunokawa: If it’s medium-hot, I think I can go with 0 to 5.

I have a revelation that I am a curry mason.

Takano: Are you saying that you heard a heavenly voice when you were eating curry in Ethiopia?

Tsunokawa: I always liked urban legendary things. When I was at a flea market in Oimachi, the word “curry mason” suddenly came down to me. I said to a graphic designer I know, “The name “Cary Mason” just popped into my head, so make me a nice logo.

Takano: That’s amazing. I didn’t know that was possible.

Celeina: And a Cary Mason T-shirt.

Tsunokawa: It’s a parody of New York University, but it has a spoon in it.

Celeina: That’s the curry element.

Tsunokawa: I like designs that are not immediately recognizable as curry.

Takano: If you look closely, you can tell.

Celeina: Stylish.

Tsunokawa: No, no. It’s embarrassing to see curry (laughs).

Takano: I understand a little (laughs).

Celeina: So that word came down to you, and now you are doing a brand called “Curry Mason.

Tsunokawa: I was doing it out of self-satisfaction, but it spread by word of mouth, and I was invited to curry events.

Takano: So you have other activities in addition to apparel?

Tsunokawa: Yes, I do. I also make goods for curry shops. We are also making official goods for “Ethiopia.

Celeina: Wow, that’s amazing!

Tsunokawa: I also make T-shirts for curry shops that want to make T-shirts.

Celeina: With musicians, there are people who say, “If you ask that designer, you’re sure to get it done. This is the curry industry’s version of that.

Tsunokawa: I am the type of person who plays around in the curry industry.

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