I just finished a 22 day trip through Japan. I’ve been vegan for 6 years and based on the grim outlook the internet seemed to have on being vegan on Japan, I was fully prepared to have to make a few compromises with my diet to keep things running smoothly. However I found this really wasn’t necessary at all; although it does have its challenges (most stemming from language barrier), Japan is far from impossible to be vegan in. I also found people saying that the only vegan food you’ll find in Japan is western food, since Japanese vegan food doesn’t exist. This could not be further from the truth. I was able to try not only veganized versions of numerous classic Japanese dishes, but also lots of set meals from tiny cafes produced by vegan chefs with unique creations you simply will not find outside Japan. And yeah, there’s lots of good vegan western food too (often with a tasty Japanese twist), no shame in not having every meal be Japanese food if you’re there for a good length of time!
I won’t write a a full trip report since it’s a lot of stuff that’s been posted here over and over again. The general outline of my trip was 6 days in Tokyo, 1 day in Aomori, 2 days in Hirosaki, 8 days in Kyoto (with day trips to Nara, Uji, Nishinomiya/Osaka), 1 day in Ise, and then 4 more days in Tokyo. I’ll post some of my own highlights below, but also provide some resources/advice for other vegans. If there’s anything I specific I can answer comment or DM me (:
**Some personal highlights:**
* I started out my trip in Shimokitazawa, a trendy “hipster” neighborhood in Tokyo which I found has a lot of tasty vegan options. It’s also a great place to catch live music if you’re into that, my first night I went to a punk rock concert which was amazing! Superiority Burger is totally worth a visit if you go on a day it’s open. There’s also a great bakery with two locations in the area called Universal Bakes there which I loved.
* From day 2 to day 10 I was with an omni friend which made things a tad harder since I had to think not only of my own tastes but theirs too. Solo traveling (or traveling with other vegans) is the way to go I feel.
* If you can, go to Saido in Meguro. Reservations required. HappyCow called it the best vegan restaurant in the world in 2020. It was a bit pricier than most of my meals but not like, fine dining expensive. The chef came out to chat with us for a bit after we ate, we got to chat a bit about veganism in Japan. He also gave us cool free stickers (:
* About 15 minute walk from Ueno Park is a little cafe called Guruatsu which has a delicious vegan set meal as well as a huge table filled with muffins which are nearly all vegan. If you’re doing a museum day, definitely go here for lunch. Those muffins are so good. Both of the flavors I tried had a surprise filling inside.
* T’s Tantan in the JR gates of Tokyo, Ueno, and Ikebukuro Station offers a good set meal with tasty vegan ramen. Not the best vegan ramen I had in the trip, but it was good and filling! They also have a location in the international gate of Narita, so it made for a good “final meal” 🙁
* I spent a few days in Hirosaki with my friend who lives there. Surprisingly, small little Hirosaki actually has a decent number of vegan restaurants; one of my favorite meals on my entire trip was from a tiny solo-run cafe here.
* Kyoto is a vegan paradise. There are so many good vegan restaurants here as well as restaurants with vegan menus. If you’re interested in Japanese cultural experiences, this is a great place to try shojin ryori, Japanese buddhist cuisine which is vegan by default (I have read dashi is involved in some places, so be careful). You can find it at a few different temples though it does get pricey. I had it Tenryuji which seemed to be the most affordable option and was more than satisfied. Make sure you reserve in advance by email, it’s not hard.
* While in Kyoto, I stayed at a lovely place called Vegan Minshuku Sanbiki Neko (translates to Three Cats Bed & Breakfast). The owners are Australian but served me a tasty, filling Japanese breakfast every morning. I’m head over heels for this place. Seriously, if you’re a vegan, you must stay here. Not only do you get good vegan breakfasts, you can chat with the owners and other travelers about what restaurants are worth visiting.
* Another unique vegan destination in Kyoto I highly recommend is AWOMB. Again you need to reserve online, but there’s an English form so it’s easy. It’s a temaki (hand roll) sushi restaurant where they put ingredients and sheets of nori in front of you and you make your own sushi rolls, but it’s all plant based. Probably my most gram-worthy meal in addition to being a cool “experiential meal”.
* I did daytrips to Nara and Uji, both of which have a great little vegan cafes. Another Kyoto day trip is Kurama, which I didn’t do, but apparently they also have a good vegetarian/vegan restaurant! My tip, if you’re planning day trips from Kyoto, check what days the local vegan spot is open!
* Also in Kyoto I did a vegan cooking class I found on airbnb experiences. So much fun! Good way to meet other vegan travelers and our host, a Japanese woman who worked as a chef in America for many years, was so sweet and a great teacher. I learned to make vegan dashi, ramen, and gyoza.
* I went to a vegan festival in Nishinomiya, which is a small city between Osaka and Kobe. It was such a cool experience, and I tried some truly fantastic food! If you can, definitely try to attend a vegan festival while in Japan. Everyone I met there was really friendly even if my Japanese is below toddler level.
* The vegan ramen place next to Teamlabs in Tokyo is worth waiting in line for. I had a LOT of vegan ramen while in Japan (I love ramen) and this was one of the best. Unlike a lot of vegan ramen that seem to rely on putting lots of toppings in, this one has only what amounts to a garnish aside from the broth and noodles because they know it’s so good they don’t need to mask it.
* Breakfast is hard to find in Japan. Vegan breakfast even harder. The best open-early places I found were Common Well in Kyoto and Komeda Is in Tokyo. Next time I go to Tokyo I will try to stay near Komeda Is.
* Right by Sensoji (huge temple in Asakusa, Tokyo which is probably somewhere on your list of places to visit if you’re a first-timer in Tokyo) is a little stand selling vegan fruit sandwiches! Definitely hit it up if you want to try that particular Japan classic.
* On my very last night in Japan, on a total whim, I went to a place called Vegan Gyoza Yu. If you like dumplings of any sort, definitely go there. Seriously, those gyoza were LIFE CHANGING. They won’t give you any sauce because they want you to taste and appreciate their diverse, amazing fillings. I’ve never tried to make gyoza before, but since I’ve gotten home I’ve tried multiple times because I NEED to try and recreate those.
**Resources for Vegans in Japan:**
* HappyCow – If you’re somehow a vegan who isn’t familiar with HappyCow, you need to be on it yesterday. It’s a website/app where vegans list and review restaurants around the world that have vegan options. Note that it’s mostly a English language site, so the majority of the information there is posted by tourists and foreign residents. This is good! It means the places you find there will be okay with serving English speakers, like you! I recommend getting the paid version of the app so you can filter results by what’s open at a given time.
* https://isitveganjapan.com/ – A blog which is more aimed towards english speaking foreign residents, though can also be helpful for tourists. In particular I recommend checking out their pages about conbini food and vegan festivals.
* https://japanese-heart.com/ – A japanese language site that lists restaurants with for people with a range of dietary restrictions including vegan. Probably not necessary for casual tourists but it’s there if you want to find the places the local vegans go.
**General Advice/Tips:**
* Do some preplanning. There are a lot of vegan/vegan-friendly restaurants in Japan, particularly in the large cities, but that doesn’t mean you can just wing it and expect to find one around to corner from the attraction you’re visiting like an omni might. Many places benefit from reservations, particularly if you’re not solo. Others have weird hours or are only open certain days. You’ll want to plan a bit around that. Example: there’s a superb vegan cafe in Nara, but it’s only open 3 days a week. If you’re doing the classic Nara daytrip, go on one of those days.
* When all else fails, you can eat an actual meal at any Starbucks, Coco Ichibanya, or Mos Burger.
* Don’t be afraid to walk 15-25 minutes outside the tourist zone to go to a vegan restaurant. Japan is walkable basically everywhere, and you’ll be rewarded with some excellent meals.
* If you want to try vegan versions of classic Japanese dishes, you definitely can. Your best bet for many such dishes is going to be non-vegan restaurants that cater to foreign tourists and have added a vegetarian/vegan menu. These kinds of places are how I tried vegan okonomiyaki, udon, and soba. Other times you’ll find a a vegan food truck or stall that sells a specific specialty. Those kinds of places are how I got to try fruit sandwiches and takoyaki!
* If you go into a place that isn’t on HappyCow or otherwise doesn’t express outright that it’s vegan friendly, you might be eating fish-based dashi without realizing it even if the meal seems otherwise vegan. If that’s a problem with you, stick to what’s been reviewed in the past. There are lots of options, really!
* The price range for vegan food in Japan tends to center around the midlevel. You won’t find vegan food for super cheap like you might omni food. It’s still a lot less expensive than eating out in the US though.
* The really popular vegan places in the big cities will get busy and lines will form fast. If you want to go to Ain Soph either make a reservation, show up at opening time, or be prepared to sit and wait awhile.
* Edited to add this, if you are a very strict vegan, you might also consider avoiding sugar in Japan. Lots of sugar there is processed there with bone char. This is the case elsewhere too ofc.
6 comments
THANK YOU SO MUCH! This is the kind of stuff I need to read up on =)
I did not think I would have to wait in any food lines! I assumed the vegan spots would be just as empty as they are at home, so this is good to know. You mentioned vegan ramen near Tokyo, what’s it called? I’ve been hearing disappointing things about T’s lately so I think I’ll opt for Soranoiro at Tokyo Station unless there’s something better. And where did you find vegan takoyaki? That used to be my favorite and I haven’t found a place in all my research. Thanks for the writeup!
>If you go into a place that isn’t on HappyCow or otherwise doesn’t express outright that it’s vegan friendly, you might be eating dashi without realizing it even if the meal seems otherwise vegan.
As an omnivore who likes dashi and can really taste it, I can confirm that this is the case quite often. Ex: I had a yam paste soba and it definitely was made with a dashi broth.
Not sure if you were traveling on the Shinkansen between cities but if you were, was it easy to find a vegan (or vegetarian) ekiben at Tokyo or Kyoto station?
Thank you for sharing this! I saved this to reference for when I do more trip planning. Initially I was worried about going hungry, but as I do more research and see posts like yours it seems like the real issue will be having to pick which restaurants to visit and which to skip.
Thank you! Currently planning my trip to japan and I am vegan and my partner is vegetarian so this is very much appreciated!