Good news
Accidentally vegan in Japan: foods you can enjoy without overthinking
So much of Japan's everyday food is plant-based by nature. A joyful list of things that are usually vegan — plus the one or two quick checks that keep it stress-free.
가이드
일본 음식 & 식사 가이드
스시·라멘 먹는 법부터 매너, 음식 뒤의 이야기까지——방문객을 위해.
Before you fly
Before you fly: the vegan traveller's Japan prep guide
Five calm steps that turn 'will I be able to eat?' into excitement — phrases, apps, the one trap to learn, and how to plan a trip you'll love.
기본
채식주의자, 비건, 페스코? 그 차이 — 그리고 모두가 좋은 이유
각 단어가 무엇을 뜻하는지, 일본에서는 어떻게 다른지, 그리고 이 폭넓은 스펙트럼 전체가 왜 뿌듯하게 여길 만한 것인지 명확하고 다정하게 풀어냅니다.
이거 먹을 수 있나요?
일본의 라멘은 비건일까? 정직한 답(그리고 먹을 수 있는 곳)
짧게 답하면: 대부분의 라멘은 비건이 아닙니다 — 하지만 이제 일본에는 멋진 비건 라멘이 있고, 한마디만 알면 모든 것이 달라집니다.
건강하게
식물성으로 건강하게 — 영양과 자신감, 그리고 일본의 콩이라는 강점
잘 계획된 비건·채식·페스코 식단은 모든 생애 단계에서 건강하다고 영양사들은 말합니다. 계획해 둘 만한 몇 가지 영양소(그래요, B12), 그리고 일본이 건강하게 살아가기 가장 쉬운 곳 중 하나인 이유.
연결
대립 없는 식물성 — 식탁의 다정함, 그리고 함께하는 사람을 늘리는 법
가족과의 저녁, 회의적인 친구, 선의로 던지는 '단백질은 어디서 챙겨?'. 마찰을 낮추고 관계를 따뜻하게 지키며, 전 세계에 같은 마음의 사람을 늘리는 — 차분하고 근거 있는 방법. 논쟁이 아니라 끌림으로.
공감
식물성 식사 뒤에 있는 마음 — 우리는 정말 어떤 사람인가
'설교하는 비건'이라는 고정관념은 더 부드러운 진실을 가립니다. 식물성 식사 뒤에 있는 가치관, 공감, 조용한 다정함에 대해 연구가 말해 주는 것 — 그리고 당신이 스스로를 증명할 필요가 결코 없는 이유.
이해하기
사람들이 비건·채식·페스코를 선택하는 이유 — 진짜 이유를, 다정하게
대부분의 사람은 동물, 건강, 지구, 신념, 맛 등 여러 이유를 동시에 품고 식물성 식사를 택합니다. 연구가 실제로 보여주는 것, 그 다양함이 왜 강점인지, 그리고 당신의 자리가 여기에 있는 이유를 이야기합니다.
Dietary guide
Is udon vegan? What's really in the noodles and broth
The noodles are vegan — udon is just wheat flour, water and salt — but the dish usually is not. Standard udon broth (tsuyu) is made with bonito dashi and finished with soy sauce and mirin, and toppings like tempura, fish cake and egg add more. Vegan udon with kelp-shiitake broth exists at plant-based shops.
Dietary guide
Is miso soup vegan or vegetarian in Japan?
Usually not. Miso paste itself is plant-based, but almost all miso soup in Japan is made with bonito-and-sardine dashi, so the standard bowl is neither vegan nor vegetarian. Versions made with kombu (kelp) or shiitake dashi — common at temple and vegan restaurants — are fully plant-based.
Dietary guide
Is dashi vegan? Japan's foundational stock, explained
Most dashi is not vegan. The everyday Japanese stock is built on katsuobushi (dried bonito) and niboshi (dried sardines), so it carries fish even when a dish looks plant-based. The vegan exceptions are kombu (kelp) and dried-shiitake dashi — the base of Buddhist shojin cooking and of modern vegan ramen.
Gluten-free Tokyo · Asakusa
Gluten-free restaurants in Asakusa: tempura, vegan dining and what to confirm
Eating gluten-free in old Tokyo is more possible than you would expect — Asakusa has a fully gluten-free tempura counter (fried in rice flour) and an all-vegan, all-gluten-free kitchen, plus naturally safer choices. Here is where to eat, and the cross-contact question to ask.
Vegan Tokyo · Asakusa
Vegan restaurants in Asakusa: plant-based eating around Senso-ji
Old Tokyo is surprisingly easy for plant-based diners — Asakusa has fully vegan kitchens, a 300-year-old temple-cuisine house, and sweets shops a vegetarian can trust, all within walking distance of Senso-ji.
Vegan Tokyo · Shibuya
Vegan ramen in Shibuya: bowls with no fish dashi at all
Vegan ramen in Shibuya is real, not an afterthought — fully plant-based bowls where the broth is built from kombu, shiitake and sesame, with no katsuobushi or pork. Here is where to slurp, and the one question that catches travellers out.
Trend
Tokyo's vegan ramen boom in 2026: real bowls, not afterthoughts
Plant-based dining in Tokyo has roughly doubled since 2019, and vegan ramen is the clearest sign — dedicated shops building deep umami from mushrooms, kombu and miso rather than meat. Here's what's driving it, and the bowls worth crossing town for.
Dietary guide
Can vegetarians and vegans eat well in Nara?
Yes — Nara is quietly one of Japan's easier cities for plant-based eating, but its famous specialty is fish, and bonito dashi still hides everywhere. Here is how to eat well, and the one shop to trust.
Editor's picks
The best vegan ramen in Tokyo: bowls with no fish dashi at all
Most ramen is built on pork and bonito — these Tokyo shops are 100% plant-based, with kombu, shiitake and sesame doing the heavy lifting. No fish dashi, no compromise.
City guide
First time eating in Kyoto: a calm, plant-friendly city
Kyoto is Japan's most naturally vegetarian-friendly city — temple cuisine, tofu kaiseki, soy-milk ramen and certified halal, all in a slower, gentler place than Tokyo.
Dietary guide
Pescatarian Tokyo: the easiest city in the world to eat fish-first
If you eat seafood but not meat, Tokyo is paradise. Sushi, sashimi, grilled fish and seafood bowls are everywhere — here's how to order with confidence, plus the hidden meat to watch for.
Dietary guide
Vegan sweets & cafes in Tokyo
Fluffy egg-free pancakes, plant-based puddings and the world's richest matcha gelato — dessert without compromise.
Dietary guide
Shojin ryori: Japan's original vegetarian cuisine
Buddhist temple food was vegan centuries before the word existed. Meet shojin ryori — and the Tokyo tables that keep it alive.
Dietary guide
Vegan & vegetarian Tokyo: the complete guide
Tokyo is far easier than its reputation — if you know about dashi. Where to eat, what to watch for, and the phrases that help.