★ Seasonal set meals built from pesticide-free vegetables, rice and house seasonings
A small lunch-focused vegetarian restaurant a few minutes from JR Nara Station, run by a committed-vegan chef who uses pesticide-free and organic vegetables with no meat, fish or seafood — a reassuring option in a city where most cooking still leans on bonito dashi. Most dishes are plant-based and dairy-free; strict vegans should still confirm egg and honey when ordering. It is effectively lunch-only (around 11:00–14:30) and closed Mondays and public holidays, so plan around its hours.
★ Vegan takoyaki, kushikatsu and ramen versions of Osaka street food
A fully plant-based izakaya in Shinsekai (opened 2023) serving vegan, gluten-free versions of Osaka street food — takoyaki, kushikatsu and ramen — with no animal products and no fish dashi by design, so it sidesteps the bonito-dashi trap. 'Gluten-free' is the venue's own claim rather than a certification, so celiac diners should confirm dedicated-fryer and cross-contamination handling directly.
★ Silky oboro tofu and yuba in a seasonal multi-course meal
An upscale riverside tofu-kaiseki house in central Kyoto serving silky oboro tofu and yuba in seasonal multi-course form, with a full English menu and summer riverside (kawayuka) seating. It offers a dedicated fish-free vegan course ('Rokuhara') with no meat, shellfish, egg, dairy or fish — but you must order that specific course, since the standard tofu courses likely use bonito dashi.
★ Creamy soy-milk ramen with rice-flour noodles and gluten-free soy sauce
A vegan and gluten-free ramen specialist in Gion run by patissier Yukiko Uno, using rice-flour-and-kelp noodles and gluten-free soy sauce in a soy-milk broth — one of Kyoto's most reliably gluten-free, fish-dashi-free ramen options. The strongest 'dedicated kitchen' claims come from third-party listings rather than the venue itself, so celiac diners should confirm cross-contamination protocol directly with staff.
★ Creamy soy-milk ramen with a kombu-and-soy broth (no fish dashi)
A small fully-vegan soy-milk ramen shop in quiet Shimogamo, vegan since 2018, with a creamy kombu-and-soy-milk broth and no fish dashi at all — one of the cleanest strict-vegan ramen options in Kyoto. It also avoids the Buddhist five pungent spices (onion and garlic). The noodles contain wheat, so it is vegan but not gluten-free; closed midweek, so check days before visiting.
★ Seasonal multi-course shojin set served in lacquerware
Temple-run Zen vegetarian dining inside Tenryu-ji, one of Arashiyama's great Zen temples (Michelin Bib Gourmand, Kyoto-Osaka 2025), served as a seasonal multi-course set in lacquerware. Traditional shojin uses kombu and shiitake rather than fish dashi, so there is no bonito broth; the menu does not publicly itemise egg or honey, so strict vegans should confirm when reserving. A garden admission fee applies on top of the course.
★ Vegan tempura soba and zaru soba with a plant-based broth
A small standing-style soba shop in Shimokitazawa (opened 2024) serving ni-hachi soba with a fully plant-based kombu broth and toppings, so there is no bonito or fish dashi. The noodles are ni-hachi (80% buckwheat, 20% wheat), so it is vegan but not gluten-free; it is daytime-only and closed early in the week, so check hours before visiting.
★ Rice-flour bagels, baguettes and gluten-free, mostly-vegan baked goods
A dedicated gluten-free, rice-flour bakery and shop in Kichijoji (the name is literally 'genuine gluten free'), whose breads, bagels and cakes are largely vegan and additive-free. It focuses on baked goods and online orders with a physical store; if you need a sit-down meal or strict celiac handling, confirm directly before visiting.
★ Brown-rice (genmai) bread and gluten-free taiyaki
A dedicated gluten-free, rice-flour bakery counter in the basement of Shibuya Scramble Square, making breads, taiyaki and sweets with no wheat, additives or white sugar, and many items are vegan and dairy-free. It is a grab-and-go bakery rather than a sit-down meal, and as a dedicated GF facility cross-contamination risk is low though not certified celiac-safe.
★ Vegan kara-age (plant-based 'fried chicken') and vegan gyoza
A fully plant-based izakaya in the basement of Shibuya PARCO serving vegan 'fried chicken', gyoza and lemon sours, with no meat, fish, eggs, dairy or honey, so the fish-dashi trap does not apply. It is not gluten-free, as the mock-meat batters and soy sauce contain wheat.
★ Plant-based nigiri and sushi sets using vegetable alternatives to fish
A sit-down plant-based sushi restaurant in Shoto (near Shibuya) where every piece is made without seafood or animal products, so there is no fish dashi to worry about. It is not gluten-free (soy sauce and some components contain wheat); reservations are recommended and the venue opened its permanent location in late 2025.
★ Vegan tempura, waffles and seasonal plant-based plates
A fully plant-based restaurant near Asakusa Station where every dish is vegan, additive-free and gluten-free, so it is dairy-free by definition. A per-dish allergen chart is published, so check it for nut content; we have not confirmed it is nut-free and do not tag it as such.
★ Plant-based croissants, cinnamon rolls and seasonal-vegetable tartines
A 100% vegan bakery and cafe opened in 2020 a minute from Setagaya-Daita Station, near Shimokitazawa, using locally sourced Japanese vegetables and wheat. All breads and pastries are made without eggs, milk or butter.
A dedicated gluten-free cafe whose entire kitchen is wheat-free, serving GF Japanese comfort food such as gyoza, karaage, ramen and yakisoba with English-marked menus. Its Tabelog listing is currently status-undetermined, so confirm hours via its Instagram before visiting.
A stylish little Daikanyama ohagi cafe where the rice-and-bean sweets and kuzumochi shakes are all gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free and free of white sugar.
★ Plant-based gluten-free Mont Blanc & rice-flour gelato
A French-style Daikanyama patisserie where every cake, doughnut and scoop of gelato is fully vegan and gluten-free, built on rice flour and plant milk.
★ Gluten-free crust California pizza (vegan cheese option)
A Roppongi institution since 1996 where homesick Americans and coeliac travellers alike crowd the bar for craft beer and proper gluten-free crust pizza topped with vegan cheese.
AIN SOPH.'s flagship spreads across four Ginza floors, where a ground-floor patisserie of vegan pudding gives way to refined plant-based courses upstairs.
Fully plant-based, build-your-own falafel pitas and hummus bowls inside Shibuya PARCO — a fast, affordable vegan refuel between the neighbourhood's shopping and nightlife.
★ Plant-based 'meat & fish' course made entirely from vegetables
Once crowned the world's #1 vegan restaurant on HappyCow, this Jiyugaoka temple of 'new washoku' conjures convincing meat and fish dishes from nothing but vegetables — and welcomes vegan and Muslim diners alike.
A 100% vegan tantanmen counter inside Tokyo Station's gates, where a creamy sesame broth fools even die-hard ramen carnivores — perfect for a transit-pause bowl.
