Alright, let me level with you. Eating vegan in Japan was a difficult task. In a country where English is not the primary language, menus were a minefield of potential dangers. Be warned, fellow vegans: fish and egg? Everywhere. Meat hides in the most innocent of dishes. But never fear, eating vegan in Japan is possible! Below are a few delicious vegan meals from my journey through Japan.
Pro tip:
Download the Google Translate app and the language package (Japanese) to your phone. This allows you to translate foreign text simply by using your phone camera, no wifi needed (shout out to fellow traveler and pescatarian @curiouser for showing me the ropes)!
During the first night in Osaka, Japan, the itinerary included a dinner that thankfully accommodated dietary restrictions. The vegan meal was rather filling and tasty - a wonderful introduction to the cuisine of Japan.
Menu:
Fried vegetable tempura, 4 kinds of veggie sushi (with bell pepper, eggplant, and cucumber), seaweed, pickled vegetables, spicy tofu, soft tofu, and classic tofu in vegetable soup. Served with a side of sake (not pictured).
Another favorite experience from Japan was staying overnight at Rengejo-in, a genuine Buddhist Temple atop Mount Kōya. Besides the beautiful scenery, ancient architecture, and carefully raked zen gardens, meals were provided for breakfast and dinner. And guess what? Buddhist monks only eat vegan.
Menu:
Bottomless rice, onion soup, noodle soup, tea, pickled vegetables, fried vegetable tempura, hard and soft tofu, and for dessert, orange jello.
My favorite meal from Japan was located above a clothing shop in Kyoto. I wandered around a massive mall searching for vegan restaurants and stumbled into a perfect option completely by accident. Everything on their menu was vegan, including the desserts. And I definitely indulged my sweet tooth.
My order:
Tofu veggie burger with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and vegan mayo, a salad with vegan mayo drizzle, onions, and yellow tomatoes, and thick cut potato fries with ketchup. For dessert, classic vegan cheesecake with berries.
While exploring the riverside area of western Kyoto, I discovered a small eatery nestled between the shops. Thanks to the handy Google Translate app, I uncovered a vegan option on their menu.
My order:
Noodle soup with onions and fried vegetable tempura.
Vegan cuisine at the foot of an active volcano? You bet. Came across a fully vegan, huge meal in the Hakone area.
My order:
Plain noodle soup with onions, lettuce, and carrots, a healthy portion of fried vegetable tempura, and rice-filled tofu rolls.
At the hotel in Atami, Japan, the dinner was a 10-course traditional Japanese meal (7 courses are pictured below, including the heated soups in the top left and right corners). According to ancient tradition, each course used to be served one by one instead of all together, and meals would last for hours. Below is the hotel's traditional vegan option!
Menu:
Pickled vegetables, green mountain noodles, seaweed (minus the orange fish eggs), fried tofu, vegetable soup, and a variety of salty sauces, plus rice and more tofu.
The most surprising find in all of Japan was hal café 229, a small, completely vegan dessert shop next to Kamakura station. The menu boasted a variety of crêpes, parfaits, smoothies, and cakes. Most options were gluten-free as well. The owner originally opened the café in April 2015 for children with allergies, and the establishment won multiple awards and featured in publications. My order was so deliciously rich, I barely finished the small portion. So lovely!
My order:
Orange flavored chocolate cake filled with fluffy chocolate mousse and topped with more chocolate drizzle and nuts.
Happy vegan eating!
- Meredith / where-is-mer