The Japanese style karei-rice (curry rice) is a very traditional japanese food, though one might not think so. Of course, it wasn't historically so, but since curry spices were imported, it has become a staple of Japanese cuisine.
The Japanese Kare-rice is a thick creamy roux, with flour and potatos stewed until it is crumbling in the curry. Most standard kare-rice will have a few morsels of beef as well. Served on a plate of white rice, so that half of the plate is white, the other half of the plate is covered in curry, it is garnished with red pickles (fukujin-zuke). Curiously, that is about the only time you will see fukujin-zuke served in Japan.
One mixes the white shiny rice with the roux and a occasional fukujin-zuke or rakkyo (pickled baby onions) for added crunchy texture and cooling, one bite at a time, while eating with a large spoon.
The die-hard oyajii will only order water with kare-rice. Of course, some establishments will serve you "mild" kare-rice, but the true oyaji will prefer "hot" or "super hot", when available.
An interesting variation, which seems to be often available in the U.S., is the Katsu-Kare. This is kare-rice served with a deep fried ton-katsu (pork cutlet) - the rice and katsu are smothered with the kare-sauce. Again, it is the crunchy texture of the deep fried katsu with the kare and rice that is to be enjoyed.
In Japan, at a Kare-rice specialty restaurant (which is pretty common), you can get all kinds of curry at different levels of hot to mild spiciness, and interesting toppings. Chicken-kare, katsu-kare, beef-kare, are common. But if you ever see someone eating the nattoi-kare, that is the sign of a true connoiseur. Admittedly, it sounds like a strange combination. But the natto blends very well with the curry roux, which takes the ropiness and distinct smell away, and makes the curry deep and almost sweet to the taste.
