Naporitan is a ketchup-based spaghetti dish from Japan.
It is a Japanese yōshoku dish—Western-style food adapted to local tastes—rather than a traditional Italian preparation. The dish usually combines soft-cooked spaghetti with ketchup, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, sausage or bacon, and sometimes Tabasco sauce.
Naporitan is commonly associated with Yokohama’s Hotel New Grand. Chef Shigetada Irie is said to have created an early version after World War II, using readily available ingredients for the hotel’s guests, including General Douglas MacArthur. The name refers to Naples, or Napoli, even though the dish itself was created in Japan.
A common mix-up is assuming that “Naporitan” means the dish comes from Naples. Japanese does not distinguish the English R and L sounds in the same way, so the name may also appear in English as “Napolitan.” It should not be confused with Neapolitan ragù or other Italian pasta sauces.