vegan in japan?

[superyen]

hello,

i am visiting japan in march. i was wondering if it is possible to be vegan in japan, what my options are, and how difficult or expensive it is? mostly concerned about the price of fresh fruits and veggies available in super markets, and if there are any fruit stands around. I will be spending a lot of time in tokyo, and maybe some other places after. not sure where yet. it's difficult for me to find much info online.

also just curious what are the ingredients in kim chi? is it possible to find a meatless kimchi when i am in japan? and how do i do that? like how do i know that it is meatless?

i am so excited to go to japan. it's always been the dream. =D

[MMM]

Anything is possible, but it will not be easy. Search "Vegan in Tokyo" and you will find a lot of options.

Keep in mind that veganism is not well understood in Japan, and a "vegetarian" dish might use animal fat or dairy products.

Kim-chi is a Korean staple, and is pickled vegetables. I have never heard of kim-chi with meat in it.

[superyen]

wow thanks for the fast reply.

it is just so difficult for me to imagine a place where fruits and veggies are a commodity? how is that even possible?

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by MMM

Kim-chi is a Korean staple, and is pickled vegetables. I have never heard of kim-chi with meat in it.

But a lot of them have bits of pickled shrimp or squid. Majority of kimchi is hardly vegan.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by superyen

wow thanks for the fast reply.

it is just so difficult for me to imagine a place where fruits and veggies are a commodity? how is that even possible?

Fruits and vegetables are readily available everywhere in Japan. Keep in mind, Japan is an island country, and what can't be grown there has to be shipped in, so some things are more expensive.

[ozkai]

Originally Posted by MMM

Anything is possible, but it will not be easy. Search "Vegan in Tokyo" and you will find a lot of options.

Keep in mind that veganism is not well understood in Japan, and a "vegetarian" dish might use animal fat or dairy products.

Kim-chi is a Korean staple, and is pickled vegetables. I have never heard of kim-chi with meat in it.

This is a very interesting link and it appears that Vegetarianism was well once known in Japan. Vegetarian News - Vegetarianism and Vegetarians in Japan

I knew of a temple in Kyoto where people could enjoy a strict vegetarian meal.

[futurebeast]

I believe that there are a lot of vegetarians in Japan. There is a rather popular magazine called, "Ready, Veggie, Go!" You know that Bhuddism has a long history of vegetarianism as well as Janism, though it is not directly related to the question of Japan. I know that I have also eaten at vegetarian restaraunts in Japan. Watch out for any soup broths, dumplings etc. I will also let you know that there are plenty of wonderful vegetable shops in Japan and lots of great fruit. Yummy!

Here is a listing of vegetarian tokyo restaraunts:

Tokyo Vegetarian Guide: Vegetarian-friendly Restaurant Guide

[superyen]

thank you everyone for the replies.

i am not too concerned about restaraunts. more concerned about grocery stores with fruit that is too expensive to buy or something? i've been reading online like ONE piece of fruit costing like five dollars? is that for real?

how much would a typical meal cost in japan... like a bento lunch compared to a resturaunt meal, compared to going to the supermarket and buying a lettuce and a couple fruits and veggies in season?

how do i know if a kimchi is vegetarian?

what about sea weeds? they make seaweed salads in japan? what would they normally put in that?

also i know this is a little off topic, but how do i create a custom avatar?

i am aware about japan's religious beliefs and roots of vegetarianism. i have also read that even though they were mostly "vegetarian," they still ate some fish and a little seafood. i guess that is like when people say they are veg, but they eat fish? like fish is somehow not an animal? i never understood that...

[komitsuki]

Originally Posted by superyen

how do i know if a kimchi is vegetarian?

It's 99% impossible. Unless you make it all by yourself.

They don't often say it is made from pickled shrimp/squid water in the ingredient list. For the risk factor according to your situation, I suggest you don't eat kimchi in Japan or in South Korea.

[superyen]

Originally Posted by komitsuki

It's 99% impossible. Unless you make it all by yourself.

They don't often say it is made from pickled shrimp/squid water in the ingredient list. For the risk factor according to your situation, I suggest you don't eat kimchi in Japan or in South Korea.

lol okay. =) tx