I'll be staying in Nagasaki starting on September 16th!!!! wooooooooooooooooooo
I'll be there for about a year.
If there's anyone out there that is into biking, I'm bringing my gorgeous Bianchi and plan to be biking around and whatnot. It'd be awesome to have a vegan friend while I'm there.
Also, any advice, websites, info, stories, etc...anything you'd care to share is greatly appreciated and thoroughly welcomed!
Hey vegans in Japan, any advice on being vegan there? I plan to cook most of my own food [vegetables and rice mainly, and tea.. some fruit.. and whatever other random things I happen to find] and don't expect much in packaged foods over there, but I'm not really disappointed either.
I have spent a lot of time in Japan but have to admit I'm not sure how helpful I can really be....sorry.
I haven't ever been to any restaurants and mainly eat raw food.
I buy vegan ice cream from Natural House sometimes - the branch I go to is more in a residential area but they have others........ http://www.naturalhouse.co.jp/shops/
I take nattou frequently. It is some kind of fermented soy and smells like garbage when I first encountered with it. After some tries, I got along with it, cheap source of protein.
Do take the trouble of reading through the ingredients though, sometimes, something you won't expect to be in there would be in there.
I'll be visiting Tokyo, Kyoto and possibly Mount Fuji, with a (non-vegan) friend next June
I'm wondering how much trouble I'm going to have finding food, as we'll most likely be staying in cheapy hostels, so obviously no self-catering opportunities. Aside from that, I'm also interested in staying in some temple lodgings - I'm assuming most will be vegan friendly?
I really can't wait to go (it's a dream come true!) but I'm so aprehensive about the food issue. I've been told even things which should be vegan tend to be cooked in meat stock or lard I'll be there for around 10-14 days, so I don't want to have to starve/drive my friend crazy. I also want to find places where she would enjoy eating too, so I can avoid getting dragged into a MacDonalds or the like!!!
Also, just wondering if I'm allowed to take my own little emergency food supply, like nuts, cereal bars, etc?
Someone please HELP!
"Born on the same planet, Covered by the same skies..."
I want to live in Japan someday and I've done a little bit of research. First of all, there ARE other vegans living in Japan. Some are non-Japanese from other countries and some are Japanese themselves. There's a vegetarian society over there and Happycow.com has listings for vegetarian restaurants. In the Buddhist temples, vegan food is often served and I believe the public is welcome to come in for a meal (with a fee, either monetary or volunteering at the temple, I'm not 100% sure).
Although once a upon a time, the traditional Japanese diet relied heavily on rice, vegetables, and tofu with only a little bit of fish, things have changed. They've started eating more Western-style meals with lots of more meat.
RachelJune, I'm pretty sure you'd be allowed to bring in your own food into Japan. It would be rude to bring your own food in a restaurant, though.
My husband has been to Japan many times, I've only been to Tokyo and suburbs. I brought lots of Luna bars with me, LOL. But I found grocery stores with imported Trader Joe's food!! Just peel aside the translation sticker and voila! Otherwise I bought cheap simple onigiri at convenience stores, along with fruit, soba noodles, & silken tofu. When it came down to choosing between McD's versus local fare where I was not sure of ingredients, we'd choose local and I'd just do my best with my dozen Japanese words.
Hey everyone, I know I've posted a few times around here about Japan and being vegan in Japan.. and whether there are vegans IN Japan.. etc etc..
I'm in Nagasaki now. I've been here about two months now. I'm going to be in Tokyo in March for a Beck [!!!!!] concert and I will probably stop by somewhere else near by at that time. Toward the beginning of August I'll be climbing Mt. Fuji.
If there are any vegans out there, please get ahold of me!!! I haven't met a single vegetarian, and no one really understands what I mean when I say I am vegan. I'd really like to meet some vegans here..
I've been cooking all my own food which is entirely okay with me, but I can't help but wonder if there are little vegan options out there somewhere..
also, another random question regarding those of you who live in Japan. Where the heck can I find some lemongrass??? Thailand is so much closer to Japan than America.. how can I not find it here?!!!
I think I went to China town here in Nagasaki once when I had first gotten here, but that's all a blur now.. I was overwhelmed by all the new things to look at. I will try there again soon. Hmm..
Thanks again for the reply. There have got to be vegans somewhere in Japan, right? I'm trying not to lose hope!
I went to Japan this last August and I do know it's hard for us vegans to go to a restaurant especially with non-vegan friends. I find that it's pretty much the same deal here in Canada.
On the positive note, my uncle has lived in Kyoto for almost 20 years and he's been a vegan the whole time!
This thread has given me hope. It has been my boyfriend and i's life long dream to live in Japan and now that I have turned vegan I started to worry about it but thanks to this thread I feel re-assured that it is possible!
This thread has given me hope. It has been my boyfriend and i's life long dream to live in Japan and now that I have turned vegan I started to worry about it but thanks to this thread I feel re-assured that it is possible!
I've been to Japan, only on a short trip not to live and I found lots of vegan options in Tokyo .
This thread has given me hope. It has been my boyfriend and i's life long dream to live in Japan and now that I have turned vegan I started to worry about it but thanks to this thread I feel re-assured that it is possible!
I'm glad you're not deterred. I'm a vegan living in Hokkaido Prefecture and although being vegan here is very difficult (particularly outside of the Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo areas) it's not impossible. If you live more in the inaka (rural areas), as I sort of do, you'll have to be pretty flexible and creative with ingredients and you'll have to cook a lot, but it's worth it. The produce here is fantastic. Also learning Japanese is essential, as you'd be astonished at the things you expect to be vegan that have milk products, pork, or fish lurking in them. If anybody would like any specific advice or anything I'd be happy to help!
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I'll be there for around 10-14 days, so I don't want to have to starve/drive my friend crazy. I also want to find places where she would enjoy eating too, so I can avoid getting dragged into a MacDonalds or the like!!!
Hmm.. 
Nikorusama
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