Restaurant search site for food minorities

Supervisor / Recommender

Takako Doki

General Incorporated Association Japan Halal Business Association Secretariat Public Relations / Director

Click here for introduction

I am currently working as an editor. However, I experienced working as a cook in restrunts, hospitals, and catering industry. Looking back now, I was connected to the Idea of Hala, since then.
At one point, few decades ago, I worked in a cafeteria at an auction site. More than 60% of the visitors to the venue were foreigners, including many Muslims (There were mosque in the venue as well). I remember many people asked me about the food we serve, the types of meat and whether they are Hala qualified.
At a certain time, the cafeteria becomes lively like a festival. Because the Indian restaurant next door to the venue served food for free. Indian dish, such as biryani, curry and sweet drinks were served to the visitors. Over 100 foreigners dressed in red turbans, garabayas and folk costumes gathered in the cafeteria, and everyone had a great time surrounding the same table. Now I learned about Muslim culture, it was a fast-starting Iftar.
Also, I remember that many participants were only eating curry from the Indian restrunt, eventhough there were choices of other food. As I study about Halal, I learned that they did not chose to eat curry, but they did not have a choise. I personally think that they wanted to try some of the Japanese food, if they had a chose. I still regret that moment, when I could not do anything because of the lack of information. “Inconvenience” of food is quite different based on their cultural background, and therefore, I understand now, that it is crucial to create an environment where all people can enjoy delicious meal, regardless of their backgrounds.

In Japan, Halal food is still a minority. Many people from Muslim background visit Japan, but they fell enconvininet about it. Japan Halal Business Association advocates in the halal business: HAVO (Halal, Organic, Vegetarian, Allergy).
The idea is to aim to create products and services that many people can eat and use, regardless of their religion and various backgrounds.
Seeking for delicious, safe and secure meal is commonly shared through the nations. The time demand us to find new ways of living that transcend borders and religions. We hope that Halal will help eliminate food inconvenience and contribute to the harmony of the world where you can respect, coexist, and co-prosper with a more liberal idea to eating and enjoying food.

Kebab shop at Halal food store in Japan’s Islamic Street

Shin-Okubo is famous for Japan’s largest Korean Town.
Recently, it is also known as a place where spices and ethnic ingredients are secretly booming.

After exiting the Shin-Okubo Station, when you go to the right side, it is Korean Town. The left is Chinese Town.
When you pass the crosswalk and go straight through the pharmacy road, you will find the so-called “Islam Yokocho” lined with Halal food stores.

Usually Shin-Okubo is full of people visiting for Korean gourmet and cosmetics.
But from a few-minutes walk from such an atmosphere, Islamic Yokocho is full of Muslims wearing white galabays and hijab.
Here you can find reasonable Halal food, with Nepalese and Indian and Pakistani shops.

NASCO KEBAB is a kebab shop located inside the store of an Indian supermarket called GREEN NASCO, inside the center of Islamic street.

Symbol mark of Islamic side street GREEN NASCO

A Turkish staff cuts the meat skillfully to make a delicious kebab sandwich. The menu is simple with only four menus.

Meat can be choosed from chicken, beef, or MIX.
Recommended menu is chicken kebab and you can get it only for 400 yen! It is a delicious kebab with widely cut large chicken, sliced ​​tomato, and plenty of crispy cabbage.

Menu of NASCO KEBAB

Turkish staff, very cheerful and very nice!

Chicken kebab sandwich ¥ 400

The meat is full of volume. The sauce has a light taste and is popular for being cheap and tasty, and foreign tourists and Muslims working in the surrounding area also come to eat.
It is a to-go specialty store, so highly recommended for people who are sightseeing. It’s fun to walk around the city from the store and tour Shin-Okubo area.

The mosque on the 4th floor of the building is a place for Muslims to relax

GREEN NASCO, a symbol mark of Islamic street, Shin-Okubo, is a long-established supermarket for Halal foods run by Indians. Inside the shop, mainly Halal foods from the Middle East, such as India and Pakistan are displayed.

Indian sweets NamKeen and a wide variety of beans

Side dishes and sweets

And there is a mosque on the 4th floor of the building where GREEN NASCO is located.

If you go up the stairs of a multi-tenant building, you will find rooms for men and women. This place is mainly visited by Muslims working in the neighborhood and is used for praying.

During the praying time, we often see people closing the store for about 10 minutes and come visit the praying room at the building.

Mosque on the 4th floor

Even if it is called Islamic side street, various people coexist in the area.
There is a Vietnamese restaurant across the street from the neighboring Nepalese people, Hinduism, and the upper floor has a Korean Hangul signboard.

This area is a great place to experience Islamic culture, and at the same time, it is a rare place where you can enjoy the energetic atmosphere of Southwest Asia. No other place in Tokyo is like this area.
Please come visit Shin-Okubo to experience the energetic atmosphere, and of course, Halal food with Islamic culture.

「 NASCO KEBAB」Basic information

Store name	NASCO KEBAB
Tel	080-3555-9831
Address	2-10-8 Hyakunincho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 1F GREEN NASCO storefront
Business hours	12:00～23:00
Holiday	During Ramadan
Budget	400yen～
Payment method	Cash only
Parking Lot	N/A
Language	Turkish/Japanese
Advance reservation
Cooking description	To-go specialty store for delicious Doner Kebab
Note	3 minutes walk from Shin-Okubo station, there is a mosque on the 4th floor of the building
Store HP