Vegetarian in Japan?

Question

I should hopefully be travelling to Japan by next summer its my favorite country.

I already have trouble giving up fish and seafood ompletly ( only eat it like once a month ) I know I cant officially call myself a vegetarian but still when I go to Japan I dont want to consume any seafood and was wondering how it is to be vegetarian there ( let alon vegan ) I know how I can find vegetarian restaurants already and they have tons of soy products over there and they dont really eat much meat over there but how do i get around all the seafood?

How can I meet vegetarians/vegans in Japan?

Answer 1

I wish I could answer that. However, I would suggest breaking your vow to consume seafood. Japan is known for its Sushi. If there is any place you should eat raw fish, it is there.

It is something to consider. I dont' eat meat - but if I took a trip to Japan, I would be eating their sushi in a heart beat.

I hope you have a lot of fun and the best of luck! I hope you know a little bit of Japanese!

Oh yah, try their square watermelons!

Answer 2

Hey again!

Um... well first of all ignore the person who thinks you have to eat 'squid' ^ lol

Ok, so there is a acctually a vegetarian/vegan fish available, I'm not quite sure you'll find it in japan, but... its available in health shops such as Holland and Barrett.

http://www.happycow.net/asia/japan/index... - This link will take you to a site which shows you where you can find many good vegetarian restaurants in Japan. Just click where your going to go, and list down the vegetarian restaurants, they have quite a few =].

A lot of people imagine that Japan must be a great country for vegetarians. After all, this is the country that made tofu famous

Some sites you might find helpful:

http://www.jpvs.org/Eng/ep1/index-eng.ht...

http://vegjapan.localeats.net/

http://www.vegietokyo.com/

http://www.vegsoc.org/

http://www.veg.ca/

Answer 3

Try looking for vegetarian or at least veg-friendly places on VegDining.com.  Here's the link for Japan:

http://www.vegdining.com/GetRestList.cfm...

If you are going to Kyoto, this website has a feature on it that you will find very helpful, as it teaches you how to order in a restaurant if there is no English menu.  Check it out:

http://www.vegdining.com/Go.cfm?id=Trave...

I hope this helps.  Good luck!

Answer 4

You have a lot of misconceptions about Japan mainly that threy don't eat a lot of meat, which they do. They eat a lot of pork and beef, not in comparable amounts as the western diet, but still a lot. Wagyu beef and Korobuta pork are well known Japanese products. You may not recognize the soy products beyond the obiquitous "tofu" and soy sauce. And some of theri "vegetarian" dishes are actually made with fish stock or flakes (bonito flakes for example). Many of them also say "vegetarian but cook with fish and seafood.

If you are travelling with a guide or as a guest of someone, the best way would be to ask your host or guide. Be specific so that there would be no misunderstanding.