How to eat vegan in Japan
★★★☆☆ Improving fast in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka with dedicated vegan restaurants. Outside the big cities, eating vegan needs more planning - dashi (fish stock) hides in almost everything traditional.
Japan has a strong vegan scene in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka but limited outside them. The hidden ingredient that catches travellers most often is dashi - fish/bonito stock - which is in miso soup, ramen broth, most simmered dishes, and even some "vegetable" tempura batters. Learn one phrase and you are set: "Dashi nuki de onegaishimasu" (without dashi, please).
Japan is a country of opposites for vegan travellers. The cities have some of the world's most creative plant-based restaurants - particularly Tokyo (Ain Soph chain, T's TanTan ramen) and Kyoto (Choice, Mumokuteki Cafe). But traditional Japanese cuisine is built on dashi, a stock made from fish flakes and kelp, and it is in places you would not expect: miso soup, soba broth, tempura batter, simmered vegetables, even rice seasoning.
The good news is that shojin ryori, the temple cuisine of Japanese Buddhist monks, is fully vegan by definition. Many temples in Kyoto and Mount Koya serve it to visitors. Outside of shojin ryori, your best bets are: dedicated vegan/vegetarian restaurants, convenience-store onigiri (look for ume, kombu, or sea-salt flavours), and any restaurant where the chef speaks enough English to confirm dashi-free preparation.
Tofu, edamame, seaweed salads, sushi (avoiding fish), most pickles, soba and udon noodles (without the broth), and rice are reliably plant-based. The challenge is the soup, sauce, and seasoning that often comes with them.
Key phrases
| English | In Japan |
|---|---|
| I am vegan | 私はビーガンです |
| Without dashi (fish stock), please | だし抜きでお願いします |
| No meat, no fish, no dairy, no eggs | 肉、魚、乳製品、卵なしで |
| Does this contain animal products? | これに動物性のものは入っていますか？ |
| Is this vegetarian (no meat or fish)? | これはベジタリアンですか？ |
| Thank you very much | ありがとうございます |
Dish dictionary
Reliably vegan
Ask before ordering
Avoid (or ask for a swap)
Hidden ingredients to watch for
- Dashi (出汁) - bonito/fish stock. The single most common hidden animal product. In almost every traditional soup, simmered dish, and seasoning.
- Bonito flakes (鰹節, katsuobushi) - shaved dried fish. Sprinkled on top of "vegetable" dishes, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, sometimes tofu.
- Honey in salad dressings and yakitori glazes.
- Eggs in tempura batter, ramen, soba dipping sauce (tsuyu sometimes), some sweets.
- Mayonnaise (Kewpie is the standard) contains egg yolks.
- Dairy in Japanese curry roux blocks, melon pan, some breads.
Practical tips
- Convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson) are your friend for snacks: onigiri with ume/kombu/seaweed, edamame, fruit, plain mochi, dark chocolate.
- Use HappyCow + PlantsPack to plan ahead - many cities have one or two great vegan spots but no broader scene.
- In a non-vegan restaurant, "Dashi nuki de" (without dashi) is the magic phrase. Many places can accommodate.
- Mount Koya offers an overnight temple stay (shukubo) with shojin ryori dinner and breakfast - one of the most reliable vegan experiences in Japan.
- Donguri Republic and Calbee chips often have vegan flavours; some Pocky and Hi-Chew flavours are vegan but check the wrapper.