Vegetarian and vegan food in Japan: a first-timer's guide
Checked against 12 official sources. 8 minute read.
What to know first
You can eat well in Japan as a vegetarian or vegan, but saying "vegetarian" isn't enough. The main problem is fish stock (dashi). Most Japanese dashi is made from dried bonito (katsuobushi) or dried sardines (niboshi). It goes into miso soup, noodle broths, dipping sauces and simmered dishes that look meat-free. JNTO advises naming exactly what you can't eat, dashi included, and carrying a written card in Japanese. You'll find one below. Reliable fallbacks need no Japanese: CoCo Ichibanya's "CoCoICHI vegetarian curry" (¥683 including tax, made only with plant-based ingredients, but not on the menu at every branch) and T's TanTan's vegan ramen inside Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Akihabara and Ueno stations. For a proper meal, try shojin ryori (Buddhist temple cuisine). At Tenryu-ji in Kyoto, the cheapest set costs ¥3,800 plus the ¥500 garden fee and must be booked two days ahead.
Next step: Copy or screenshot the phrase card in this guide now. Then book any shojin ryori or ryokan dinner at least three days ahead and state your diet in the booking. Kombu or shiitake dashi is fine.
- Hidden stock
- Fish and meat stock is common in dishes that look meat-freeName dashi explicitly
- Shigetsu (Tenryu-ji)
- Sets at ¥3,800, ¥6,500 and ¥9,000, plus the ¥500 garden feeOpen 11:00–14:00; book 2 days ahead for the ¥3,800 set
- CoCoICHI vegetarian curry
- ¥683 including taxNot at every branch
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On this page
Which approach fits your situation
Strict vegan, first day, no Japanese: eat at a dedicated vegan restaurant (T's TanTan, or one found on HappyCow or Vegewel). Why: the whole kitchen is plant-based, so there's nothing to negotiate.
Vegetarian who eats eggs and dairy, in a hurry: CoCo Ichibanya, if the branch has the vegetarian curry, or a convenience store. Why: it's a fixed menu item with an official plant-based description.
Want traditional Japanese food: book shojin ryori at a temple restaurant. Why: temple cuisine is traditionally vegan. JNTO notes some kitchens use dairy, so say "vegan" if it matters.
Staying at a ryokan with dinner included: email the ryokan at least 3 days ahead with the card text. Why: set dinners are prepared in advance, and same-day changes are often impossible.
Ordinary restaurant, izakaya or noodle shop: show the card, and ask about the broth and sauce specifically. Why: broths and dipping sauces are the usual hidden fish.
You also have an allergy: use our food allergies guide as well. Why: restaurant allergen information is voluntary, and a vegan dish isn't automatically safe for allergies.
You eat halal: see our halal travel in Japan guide. Why: "vegetarian" doesn't cover cooking sake, mirin or shared equipment.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan · CoCo Ichibanya: English page · T's Restaurant: T's TanTan store list
The dashi problem
Dashi is the basic stock of Japanese cooking. The common kinds are listed below.
Katsuo dashi (かつおだし): made from dried, smoked bonito flakes. Not vegan.
Niboshi dashi (煮干しだし): made from dried baby sardines. Not vegan.
Awase dashi (合わせだし): made from kombu plus bonito. Not vegan.
Kombu dashi (昆布だし): made from kelp. Vegan.
Shiitake dashi (椎茸だし): made from dried shiitake mushrooms. Vegan.
JNTO puts it plainly: "even when meat or fish isn't immediately evident in a dish, there's often hidden ingredients such as meat or bonito flakes." These dishes often contain fish stock even when they look vegetable-only:
Miso soup. The miso is soybean; the stock usually isn't.
Soba and udon in hot broth, and the cold dipping sauce (tsuyu). Tsuyu is normally bonito-based. Plain cold soba (zaru soba) is on JNTO's list of dishes to try, but ask about the dipping sauce.
Simmered vegetables (nimono), oden and agedashi tofu.
Okonomiyaki and takoyaki. The batter often contains dashi, and bonito flakes go on top.
Natto sauce sachets. JNTO warns the accompanying sauce "is often dashi". You can leave it unopened and use your own soy sauce.
Ramen. Standard ramen broth is pork, chicken or fish. Only order ramen sold as vegan.
Usually safe or easy to adjust (still ask about the sauce): kappa maki (cucumber roll), takuan maki (pickled daikon roll), tsukemono (pickles), nasu dengaku (miso-glazed aubergine), plain rice, edamame and vegetable tempura. With tempura, ask about the dipping sauce, and ask whether the oil is shared with seafood if that matters to you.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan
Worked example: two vegans, one day in Kyoto, with real prices
Prices checked 11 October 2026. Two adults, a Tuesday in Kyoto, both strict vegans.
Booking (four days before): book Shigetsu, Tenryu-ji's own shojin ryori restaurant in Arashiyama, through the temple's reservation form or by phone (075-882-9725, 09:00–17:00 Japan time). The cheapest set, Yuki (雪, one soup and five dishes), needs booking at least 2 days ahead. Tsuki (月, ¥6,500) and Hana (花, ¥9,000) need at least 3 days and a minimum of two diners. In the comments, write: "We are both vegan. Please confirm no dairy or egg is used." JNTO notes that modern temple kitchens sometimes use dairy.
Breakfast (convenience store): JNTO suggests onigiri with umeboshi (pickled plum) or kombu, edamame, packaged beans, plain salads and inarizushi. Read the ingredients line (原材料名) on the label. Japan's Food Labelling Standards list ingredients in descending order of weight.
Words to avoid on the label: かつお (bonito), 魚介 (seafood), エキス (extract, often fish or meat), チキン (chicken), ポーク (pork), 豚 (pork), 牛 (beef), 乳 (milk), 卵 (egg), ゼラチン (gelatine). Vegetarians who eat dairy will find cheese and pastries easily; vegans have fewer choices.
Lunch (Shigetsu, 11:00–14:00): Yuki set ¥3,800 × 2 = ¥7,600; garden admission, required for Shigetsu guests, ¥500 × 2 = ¥1,000. Lunch total: ¥8,600 for two (¥4,300 each).
Dinner (CoCo Ichibanya, back in central Kyoto): CoCoICHI vegetarian curry ¥683 × 2 = ¥1,366. CoCo Ichibanya describes it as "a curry only using plant-based ingredients". Vegetable toppings cost extra, and prices can vary by branch.
Before you sit down, check that the branch offers it ("Some stores do not offer this dish"). Use the store finder at tenpo.ichibanya.co.jp or ask: 「ベジタリアンカレーはありますか？」 ("Do you have the vegetarian curry?").
Don't confuse it with "Vegetable curry" (¥918) on the regular menu. That's a different dish, and CoCo Ichibanya only describes the vegetarian curry as plant-based.
Day total for two, excluding breakfast and drinks: ¥9,966, or ¥4,983 each. The cheapest vegan day is mostly convenience-store food plus one CoCo Ichibanya meal. Skipping Shigetsu saves ¥8,600 for two.
Sources for this section: Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese) · JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan · CoCo Ichibanya: English page · CoCo Ichibanya: store finder · Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Act and Food Labelling Standards
Shojin ryori: Buddhist temple cuisine
Shojin ryori developed with Zen Buddhism. JNTO describes it as soybean-based dishes and seasonal vegetables, traditionally vegan and without "pungent flavours like garlic and onion". Two points from JNTO to plan around: it's found "almost exclusively in Buddhist temples", and some modern kitchens use dairy.
Shigetsu at Tenryu-ji (Kyoto, Arashiyama), as listed on the temple's Japanese page on 11 October 2026:
Yuki (雪): one soup, five dishes; ¥3,800; book at least 2 days ahead.
Tsuki (月): one soup, six dishes; ¥6,500; book at least 3 days ahead, 2 people minimum.
Hana (花): one soup, seven dishes; ¥9,000; book at least 3 days ahead, 2 people minimum.
All three sets also need the ¥500 garden admission fee. Shigetsu serves 11:00–14:00. The temple says it can seat up to 250 guests, and it was listed with a Bib Gourmand and a Green Star in the Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka 2026.
Staying at a temple lodging (shukubo) usually means a shojin dinner and breakfast are included. Tell the temple your diet when you book.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan · Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese) · Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu, Tenryu-ji's Zen vegetarian restaurant (English)
Ryokan dinners
JNTO advises asking ryokan in advance, and says that outside big cities a ryokan "will be able to create spectacular feasts of vegetarian Japanese food if you contact them ahead of time". Set dinners are planned days ahead, so give at least three days' notice (more at busy times) and get the confirmation in writing.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan
Chains and restaurants you can rely on
CoCo Ichibanya (curry chain, nationwide): CoCoICHI vegetarian curry, ¥683 including tax, "a curry only using plant-based ingredients"; not offered at every branch; English menu book available (as of 11 October 2026).
T's TanTan (vegan ramen): the entire menu is vegan, with no meat, seafood, dairy or egg. Branches: JR Tokyo Station (GranSta Tokyo B1, outside the ticket gates); JR Ikebukuro (inside the gates, central concourse); ecute Akihabara (outside the gates, left from the Electric Town gate); ecute Ueno (inside the gates, 3F, left from the Iriya gate); Narita Airport Terminal 2, 4F.
T's Restaurant (Jiyugaoka, Tokyo): a vegan and gluten-free restaurant from the same company, 3–4 minutes from Jiyugaoka Station (Tokyu Toyoko Line).
Shigetsu (Tenryu-ji, Kyoto): shojin ryori from ¥3,800 plus the ¥500 garden fee; book 2–3 days ahead.
Two T's TanTan branches (Ikebukuro and Ueno) are inside the JR ticket gates, so you need a valid JR ticket or IC card to reach them. The easy way is to eat there while changing trains at that station. The Tokyo Station and Akihabara branches are outside the gates and open to anyone.
Sources for this section: CoCo Ichibanya: English page · T's Restaurant: T's TanTan store list · T's Restaurant (Jiyugaoka) · Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese)
Apps, websites and stickers
JNTO points visitors to these search tools:
HappyCow: the worldwide vegan and vegetarian restaurant app, in English.
Vegewel: a Japanese site listing vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free restaurants, with English pages.
Japan VegeMap: a map of vegan-friendly restaurants across Japan.
The Japan Vegetarian Society's restaurant guide (Japanese only).
JNTO also notes that many restaurants display a vegan or vegetarian sticker from The Japan Vegan Society, VegeProject Japan or The Japan Vegetarian Association. A sticker tells you the restaurant has thought about it, but still say which diet you follow.
Booking a restaurant? Add your diet in the notes field and bring the card anyway. Our restaurant reservations guide covers the booking sites that accept non-Japanese phone numbers.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan · HappyCow: vegan and vegetarian restaurant search · Vegewel: restaurant search · Japan VegeMap: vegan-friendly restaurant map
Phrase card (show this to staff)
Screenshot it, or print it on a card. Delete the lines that don't apply to you: vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy should delete line 3.
Line 1: 私はベジタリアン（ヴィーガン）です。 (I am vegetarian (vegan).)
Line 2: 肉、鶏肉、魚、魚介類は食べられません。 (I cannot eat meat, chicken, fish or seafood.)
Line 3: 卵と乳製品も食べられません。 (I also cannot eat eggs or dairy products.)
Line 4: かつおだし、煮干し、魚や肉のエキス、ゼラチン、ラードも食べられません。 (I also cannot eat bonito stock, dried sardine stock, fish or meat extract, gelatine or lard.)
Line 5: 昆布だしと椎茸だしは大丈夫です。 (Kelp stock and shiitake stock are fine.)
Line 6: この料理に入っていますか？ (Does this dish contain any of these?)
Line 7: ありがとうございます。 (Thank you.)
Two short spoken phrases help too: 「だしは何ですか？」 (dashi wa nan desu ka?, "What is the stock made from?") and 「肉と魚なしでお願いします」 (niku to sakana nashi de onegaishimasu, "Without meat or fish, please").
Also add "No dashi" to any translation-app message. JNTO recommends saying "no meats, seafoods, or animal products including dashi or stocks", and repeating that "no meat" includes chicken, pork and fish.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan
Common mistakes
Saying only "vegetarian". JNTO notes the word "is less definitive and often understood in a broader sense in Japan". Fish and chicken stock may not count as "meat" to the person you're asking.
Trusting a vegetable-only photo. The broth, sauce or batter is where the fish is.
Ordering CoCo Ichibanya's "Vegetable curry". The plant-based dish is the "CoCoICHI vegetarian curry".
Asking a ryokan on the day. Set dinners are prepared in advance.
Assuming "vegan" means allergy-safe. Use the food allergies checklist for cross-contact questions.
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan · CoCo Ichibanya: English page
Key facts, checked 11 October 2026
Hidden fish and meat stock: common in dishes that look meat-free; name dashi explicitly (JNTO).
Shojin ryori: traditionally vegan; some kitchens use dairy (JNTO).
Shigetsu (Tenryu-ji) set prices: ¥3,800 / ¥6,500 / ¥9,000, plus the ¥500 garden fee.
Shigetsu booking rule: 2 days ahead for the ¥3,800 set; 3 days ahead and 2 or more people for the others; open 11:00–14:00.
CoCoICHI vegetarian curry: ¥683 including tax; plant-based ingredients only; not at every branch.
T's TanTan: all-vegan ramen; 4 JR station branches in Tokyo plus Narita Terminal 2.
Ingredient order on packaged food: descending order of weight (Consumer Affairs Agency).
Sources for this section: JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan · Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese) · CoCo Ichibanya: English page · T's Restaurant: T's TanTan store list · Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Act and Food Labelling Standards · Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Standards, consolidated text of 1 October 2026 (PDF)
Questions about this guide
Is miso soup vegetarian in Japan?
Usually not. The miso paste is soybean, but most restaurants make the soup with bonito or sardine dashi. It's only vegan if the restaurant uses kombu or shiitake dashi. That's standard at temple shojin kitchens and dedicated vegan restaurants, and rare elsewhere. Ask 「だしは何ですか？」 and accept it only if the answer is 昆布 (kombu) or 椎茸 (shiitake).
Can vegans eat ramen in Japan?
Only ramen sold as vegan. Ordinary broths are pork, chicken or fish, and asking for "no meat" doesn't change the broth. T's TanTan's whole menu is vegan (no meat, seafood, dairy or egg), with branches in JR Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Akihabara and Ueno stations and at Narita Terminal 2. HappyCow and Vegewel list other vegan ramen shops.
What can I eat from a convenience store in Japan as a vegan?
JNTO lists umeboshi and kombu onigiri, edamame, packaged beans, simple salads and inarizushi, plus cheese and pastries for vegetarians. Read the 原材料名 line: ingredients are listed in descending order of weight, so a word like かつお or エキス anywhere in it rules the item out. Leave natto's sauce sachet unopened, because JNTO says it's often dashi.
Is soy sauce vegan in Japan?
Plain soy sauce (醤油) is usually soybeans, wheat and salt. Dashi shoyu (だし醤油) and tsuyu (つゆ) contain bonito. JNTO suggests carrying your own soy sauce for convenience-store meals. Check the label for かつお before you buy a bottle or a sachet.
How far ahead should I book shojin ryori?
At Tenryu-ji's Shigetsu, at least 2 days ahead for the ¥3,800 Yuki set, and at least 3 days with a two-person minimum for the ¥6,500 and ¥9,000 sets (as of 11 October 2026). Lunch is 11:00–14:00, and the ¥500 garden fee is extra. Book by phone (075-882-9725, 09:00–17:00 Japan time) or with the temple's online form. Write "vegan, no dairy" in the request.
Official pages for this guide
The rules in this guide come from the official pages below. Japan, Booked. does not book or submit requests on your behalf.
- JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan
- Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese)
- Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu, Tenryu-ji's Zen vegetarian restaurant (English)
- CoCo Ichibanya: English page
- CoCo Ichibanya: store finder
- T's Restaurant: T's TanTan store list
- T's Restaurant (Jiyugaoka)
- Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Act and Food Labelling Standards
- Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Standards, consolidated text of 1 October 2026 (PDF)
- HappyCow: vegan and vegetarian restaurant search
- Vegewel: restaurant search
- Japan VegeMap: vegan-friendly restaurant map
Read next
- Planning meals in Japan with food allergiesPrepare questions about ingredients, translations, and cross-contamination for dining out and packaged items, along with clear ways to communicate your needs.
- Planning a Japan trip around your needsBring together access, mobility, food and support questions to plan a trip that fits the people travelling.
- Booking a restaurant in Japan with TableCheckUnderstand reservations, card holds, meal payments and changes so you can plan dinner with a clear budget.
Sources and how this guide was checked
Published · Based on official sources · no affiliate links
Official sources
These official sources explain the rules and conditions used in this guide. Live availability and your own booking, admission or service outcome still need to be confirmed for your trip.
- JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan
What this confirms: Explains hidden dashi and bonito, why "vegetarian" is understood broadly in Japan, shojin ryori, ryokan requests, convenience-store options and the search tools and stickers to look for.
Last checked - Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese)
What this confirms: Gives the ¥3,800, ¥6,500 and ¥9,000 sets, the ¥500 garden fee, the 2- and 3-day booking rules, the two-person minimum, the phone number and the 11:00–14:00 hours.
Last checked - Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu, Tenryu-ji's Zen vegetarian restaurant (English)
What this confirms: English overview of Shigetsu, its seating capacity and its Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka 2026 listing.
Last checked - CoCo Ichibanya: English page
What this confirms: Describes the CoCoICHI vegetarian curry as a curry using only plant-based ingredients, gives the ¥683 price, says some stores don't offer it and mentions the English menu book.
Last checked - CoCo Ichibanya: store finder
What this confirms: Store search for checking a branch before you go.
Last checked - T's Restaurant: T's TanTan store list
What this confirms: Lists the Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Akihabara, Ueno and Narita Terminal 2 branches, whether each is inside or outside the ticket gates, and that the menu uses no meat, seafood, dairy or egg.
Last checked - T's Restaurant (Jiyugaoka)
What this confirms: Gives the vegan and gluten-free restaurant in Jiyugaoka and its walking time from the station.
Last checked - Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Act and Food Labelling Standards
What this confirms: Official page for the Food Labelling Act and the Food Labelling Standards, which set how ingredients are listed on packaged food.
Last checked - Consumer Affairs Agency: Food Labelling Standards, consolidated text of 1 October 2026 (PDF)
What this confirms: States that ingredients are listed in descending order of their share by weight.
Last checked - HappyCow: vegan and vegetarian restaurant search
What this confirms: Worldwide vegan and vegetarian restaurant search, in English.
Last checked - Vegewel: restaurant search
What this confirms: Japanese directory of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free restaurants, with English pages.
Last checked - Japan VegeMap: vegan-friendly restaurant map
What this confirms: Map of vegan-friendly restaurants across Japan.
Last checked
About this guide
"Vegetarian" isn't enough in Japan: the catch is fish stock (dashi). Get a Japanese phrase card, temple-food prices from ¥3,800 and chains with plant-based menus.
Checked against official JNTO, Tenryu-ji, CoCo Ichibanya, T's Restaurant and Consumer Affairs Agency pages on 11 October 2026. Japan, Booked. is independent. This page has no affiliate links.
How we checked this
Sources and limits of this guide
These dated notes clarify what is confirmed by official sources—and what you still need to verify yourself.
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| Question | What we found | Where it comes from | What this means for your trip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it enough to say "vegetarian"? | No. JNTO says the word is understood broadly in Japan, and fish stock may not count as meat. | JNTO: A Vegetarian and Vegan Guide to Japan | Name dashi, bonito and sardine stock on the card, and say which stocks are fine. |
| How far ahead do I book shojin ryori? | At Shigetsu, at least 2 days for the ¥3,800 set and 3 days, with two or more people, for the others. | Tenryu-ji: Shigetsu prices and booking rules (Japanese) | Book four days ahead to be safe, and write "vegan, no dairy" in the request. |
| Is CoCo Ichibanya's vegetarian curry vegan? | CoCo Ichibanya describes it as using only plant-based ingredients, at ¥683, but not every branch has it. | CoCo Ichibanya: English page | Check the branch in the store finder, and don't order the different "Vegetable curry". |
| Can I walk into every T's TanTan branch? | No. The Ikebukuro and Ueno branches are inside the JR ticket gates; Tokyo Station and Akihabara are outside. | T's Restaurant: T's TanTan store list | Eat at Ikebukuro or Ueno while changing trains, with a valid JR ticket or IC card. |
Based on official sources, linked below.
Guide updates Reviewed
When this guide was checked and what changed
- First published
- Last checked
- Check again by
- What we checked
- JNTO, Tenryu-ji, CoCo Ichibanya, T's Restaurant and Consumer Affairs Agency pages, checked 9 October 2026.
- Latest update
- : Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
The date above reflects when these checks were last run. If an individual source was rechecked later, you’ll see that date next to it below. Other copy edits are listed in the update history.
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Japan, Booked. is run and edited from Japan. The same editor checks the Japanese and English sources, writes the traveller-facing guidance and keeps the correction history up to date.
What changed
Update history
- Scheduled recheck
Rechecked on 11 October 2026: the dated facts in this guide were compared with their primary sources (the per-source dates and the review date stay as they were until the source list is updated). Nothing had changed.
- First published
First published: how to avoid hidden fish stock, a Japanese phrase card, shojin ryori prices and booking rules, and chains with plant-based menus, checked against official pages on 9 October 2026.
If an operator, organiser or product changes in a way that affects the guide, we check it again sooner. Reader reports help us spot what to investigate, and we verify them against current official information before publishing. Read our update and corrections policy. See every guide's review schedule. Suggest an improvement to this guide.