★ Vegetarian mapo tofu and meat-free dumplings alongside a Taiwanese menu
A small, friendly Taiwanese restaurant on the edge of Yokohama Chinatown serving an everyday menu with a genuine set of plant-based choices — vegetarian mapo tofu, meat-free dumplings and vegetable dishes — and English is spoken, which is rare for the area. A full vegetarian course needs a reservation, though à-la-carte vegetarian dishes do not. As with all Chinese kitchens, confirm whether items use chicken stock, oyster sauce or egg if you are strictly vegan.
🥬Vegetarian
🌱Vegan
✓ Last verified Jun 2026
Casual
Solo
Date
Kita-Kamakura, Kanagawa · Kaiseki with Kamakura vegetables (vegetarian shojin course on request) · ¥¥¥
★ Seasonal kaiseki of Kamakura vegetables, tofu and wheat gluten in a garden dining room
A serene garden-side kaiseki house in temple-filled Kita-Kamakura, descended from a rice-ball shop founded in 1964 in front of Kencho-ji, a few minutes' walk from the station. Its everyday menu is seasonal kaiseki built on Kamakura vegetables, tofu and wheat gluten, but it will prepare a fish-free Buddhist shojin (vegetarian) course for vegetarian and Muslim guests when booked in advance — so reserve and state your needs rather than assuming the standard course is meat-free. Closed Thursdays.
★ 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.
★ 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.
★ Tempura fried in 100% gluten-free rice-flour batter with house-made gluten-free soy sauce and broth; wagyu and seafood tempura bowls are highlights
A counter tempura restaurant whose entire menu is gluten-free (rice-flour batter plus house-made GF soy sauce and broth) and which is halal certified. It is not a separate dedicated GF facility, so highly sensitive celiacs should confirm cross-contact directly; vegetarian tempura courses are also offered.
★ 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.
★ Cook-your-own okonomiyaki with a gluten-free rice-flour batter option
A large, tourist-friendly DIY okonomiyaki spot in Harajuku that offers a gluten-free rice-flour batter on request, with an English menu and vegan/vegetarian options. You cook on a shared griddle where wheat batter is also used, so ask staff about cross-contamination if you are highly sensitive.
★ Rice-flour cakes and French-style pastries (madeleines, canelés)
A sister-run cafe whose entire cake and pastry lineup is gluten-free, made with Hokkaido rice flour instead of wheat. As a dedicated gluten-free kitchen the cross-contamination risk is low, but it is a small space, so reserving via Instagram is recommended.
★ 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.
★ Creamy sesame-tahini broth ramen with soy meat and raw vegetables
A 100% vegan ramen specialist that opened in June 2025 near Harajuku's Laforet, a few minutes from Meiji-Jingumae Station. Its signature bowl pairs a rich sesame-tahini broth with soy meat and colourful raw vegetables.
★ Tempeh cutlet, double curry, hummus sandwich and vegan karaage
An all-vegan cafe opened in 2013 in a renovated warehouse by a riverside park between Kinshicho and Tokyo Skytree, using organic, pesticide-free produce. The whole menu is plant-based, from curries and tempeh cutlets to soft-serve desserts.
★ Organic macrobiotic cooking incl. vegan sushi of vinegared brown rice and seasonal vegetables
One of Tokyo's oldest natural-food restaurants, open in Harajuku since 1976, serving organic, additive-free cooking with strong vegan and macrobiotic options. It is well used to foreign diners and offers an English menu.
★ Organic vegetable curries and tandoor naan with vegan, vegetarian and halal options
The Shibuya outpost of the long-running Nataraj natural-Indian vegetarian group, offering spice-rich organic vegetable curries, tandoor naan and clearly labelled vegan, vegetarian and halal menus in the heart of Shibuya.
★ Organic vegetable curries with tandoor naan; vegan, vegetarian and halal menus
A pioneering natural Indian vegetarian restaurant (the brand dates to 1989) serving spice-forward curries and tandoor naan in a spacious basement near Ogikubo Station. Vegan, vegetarian, halal and five-allium-free menus make it unusually accommodating.
🥬Vegetarian
🌱Vegan
🕌Halal
✓ Last verified Jun 2026
Casual
Private room
Tokyo Station · Ramen (with a gluten-free option) · ¥
★ Gluten-free shio (salt) ramen with rice-based noodles; veggie 'Vegisoba'
A popular Tokyo Ramen Street shop offering a gluten-free salt ramen made with rice-based noodles, plus its colorful vegetable 'Vegisoba'. It is a has-options shop, not a dedicated GF kitchen — the official site warns of possible cross-contamination, so it is not celiac-safe.
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.
★ Baked rice-flour curry pan and cube-shaped rice-flour shokupan
A dedicated gluten-free bakery using Japanese rice flour and natural yeast (no wheat) for breads, curry pan, baguettes and pizzas, many of them also vegan. A small takeout-focused shop, so hours can shift seasonally — confirm before a special trip.
