Tokyo 101 (FAQ), including area guide

A selective guide for visiting or beginning vegans and vegetarians. As of March 2019.

Visiting or moving to Tokyo as a veg*n (=vegan or vegetarian) requires preparation, especially for those who are very strict with their consumption habits. The number of vegans here is minuscule and even ovo/lacto-vegetarians number only a few thousand at best.

Eating fish is seen as integral to Japanese culture. Fish is everywhere, including in many broths, or as an ingredient in sauces and condiments. Japanese food labels aren't always precise which means that sometimes there is no way of telling whether an ingredient, e.g. an emulsifier, is made from animal sources or not.

It's not all bad though. As far as shopping goes, almost every imaginable ingredient is available (except for the new meat replacements like BeyondMeat), if not in a brick-and-mortar stores, then online. Eating out in Tokyo has become much easier in recent years, too. There are many quality eateries where veg*ns can eat well. It's a big city though so getting from A to B can be tiring.

"Is it vegan?" in Japanese (printable explanations)

You can download a printable PDF of the file here.

Here are three statements you can print out and show to staff at restaurants or shops to ask whether something is vegan or not/can be made vegan. The Japanese word “Dame” (pronounced “dah-meh”) means “No good” or “No go.” The English word “Okay” is also used in Japanese.

For restaurants / cafes (the part in blue can be left out by those who do not wish to insist on this)

I am vegan, in other words strict vegetarian. I cannot eat any kind of animal foods. This includes meat, fish, fish eggs, things that contain fish/chicken/beef broth, chicken eggs, milk, butter, cheese, yoghurt and honey. Would you be able to cook something that I can eat? (Examples: fried tofu, vegetable stir fry, vegetable curry, or pasta with arrabbiata sauce).

The 2015 Restaurant Poll

Result of the restaurant & cafe poll in November 2015. The question was "If you had to choose two restaurants or cafes in Tokyo you'd want to take a visiting friend to, which would those be? Please choose only two!" Shops were chosen based on an open inquiry last week. Any shop that got at least two mentions from the group was included.