vegan in japan?
 

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

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

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

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...

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

If I were you, I'd go with rice, ramen and vitamins. I've lived in the poor house on nothing but that before. Just add some kind of vegetable broth which should be sold in cubes somewhere. Like cilantro is good, but I don't know if that's available; should be similar stuff. And peanut or sesame oil also good.

Actually, I'm on my way to veganism myself, but for now I've given up only beef.

Japan Vege
 

Salads in Japan usually consist of one vegetable. They are good, but do not expect the chicken caesar, although you obviously don't care about that. It is probably a good idea to live relatively close to Tokyo for the variety.

As far as the expense, it is rather expensive. Mainly because of the fact that you are on an island where a lot of things are imported, including bananas. That goes for meat as well. Don't worry though, wages tend to be higher in Japan as well. You will be fine. So don't get yourself all worked up! I come Cali. It is not much cheaper here and in some cases way more expensive. I ate a thousand dollar steak a few months back. Kobe, from Kansas of course.

Just don't trust Japanese people unless they are also vegan. They may not all quite get it, even if they are good people. Some people are just in their own world.

My advice, don't fret!

wtf you ate a thousand dollar steak!?!??!?! are you for reals or was it like a six dollar burger type of deal...?

i'm in los angeles. i eat a lot of fruits and veggies, and when i go to new places part of the fun is to eat the fruits and veggies that grow there. it's like tasting the earth at the place that i am in.

it is difficult for me to imagine a place where there are not native fruits?

Don't get me wrong. There are plenty of native things in Japan, but a lot of times they are more expensive that imports. You see, Japanese society is highly protectionist and not in the traditional sense. Everyone keeps their jobs, not as much as before, but more than here. So prices of domestic items are inflated as it may switch many well paid hands on the way to your local grocer. The good news is they will treat your lunch ever so lovingly.

My steak was delicious by the way. Spago; Wolfgang Puck you dog you....

Sorry, but I have to go through this one point by point.

What is a サラダ is not a single vegetable dish. Are you talking about the appetizers that come before some dishes? That is not a salad.

Why would a vegan be looking for a Chicken Caesar?

She should be worked up if she wants completely animal-free meals.

You ate a $1000 Kobe beef steak from Kansas? (Where I am from we call that a "Kansas steak".)

In my experience, veganism is not common in Japan. It isn't a question of "trust" but a question of awareness.

Everyone is in their own world. Only elitists would blame people for not being aware of their personal belief system.

wow... just $5?? o.o'
i thought grapes were up to like $20 for a piece... and $200 for a bunch or something like that =P

Why me?
 

Ugh, do I have to go through and explain every point here?

1) Salads in Japan tend to be like salads in Europe; as in a dish that exemplifies a few choice ingredients.
2) Chicken Caesar was meant to point out that salads in the US are giant and hardy and I mentioned in the same sentence she would not care about it.
3) A lot of beef deemed Kobe comes from Kansas.
4) She should not be worked up because she will do just fine as a vegan in Japan, regardless of the expense.
5) Don't 'trust' people to be aware.
6) Elitists often like to call others 'elitist.'

lol!

thanks everyone for the advice!! =)