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Vegetarian in Japan?

DemstarAus

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Hello,

My vegetarianism means:
No meat, fish or seafood, or pastes/powders/stocks made from these. I also don't eat gelatin or rennet. I don't eat these because my body doesn't handle animal products very well, and for personal reasons.

Are there any useful phrases I could learn that will help me?

What are some common, easy to make/find meals or snacks that would be 'safe' for me?

Because I know that it's rude to continually bark on about what I can't eat, so I'd like to be able to convey as well what I CAN eat - which is practically everything else... Vegetables, rice, soy, tofu, miso, beans, seaweed, sweets etc.

I've never been to Japan, it's something I've always wanted to do, and I'm planning a home-stay hopefully for next year (I haven't registered yet, I'm currently saving).

Also, if it helps with regional dishes, I have always wanted to visit Northern Japan (Akita/Iwate/Aomori/Hokkaido etc).

Would it be considered polite to write in advance with my dietary needs to my host mother/family?
 
If you have such extreme dietary requirements, you should write to your host family ASAP. Explain what you can't eat and why- vegetarianism to that extreme is not very common in Japan, and even many 'vegetarian' dishes have fish stock. If it causes you physical problems, look up how to explain it as an allergy. That is generally the most polite way to get out of eating something you don't want to.
Snacks and foods to eat- many bakeries are out there, few have meat or fish in the buns. Go to the bento section of the grocery store, and you can assemble something for your own bento- they have lots of vegetable tempura. Salads are wonderful, you can get beautiful premade salads without any meat products. Cook it yourself udon bowls, those usually have each ingredient vacuum sealed separately, just keep a tub of miso in the fridge to replace the fish stock. Eat lots of azuki beans and rice mixed, very popular and sweet.
 
HI! I've never been to Japan either. However, I am also a strict vegetarian going on 13 years now.
Luckily most vegetarian food is quick and easy to prepare. If you were to get separate fresh ingredients from the market I would think you would not have a hard time eating in most countries.
I understand wanting convenient pre-prepared food, but even in many places in the west that is not an easy thing to come by for a vegetarian.
I would write about it to your host family. Be extremely considerate and explain that you do not want anyone to feel uncomfortable and that it is simply your personal lifestyle, not something you are going to impose on others. Perhaps they will give you some useful things to say.
Go to happycow. net (I had a link but it says that I don't have enough posts to put up a link...just type in Japan on the site) to see a list of places in Japan that offer vegetarian options as well as some health food stores that might be more accommodating. They each have a little description stating what they offer and how much some of it costs etc.

Good luck!
 
You are going to find it very difficult to get by in a homestay situation with such strict dietary requirements. I agree that you absolutely must lay it on the line with the homestay organization/family beforehand. From my experience with HS students who have been on homestays in Hokkaido, you will not be treated specially or any different from the family, which will mean eating what they eat. It's their home, after all.
 

Just curious, but would it be seen as out of the question if she were to prepare her own food? Then they would not have to worry about her dietary habits.
 
StrawberryDisco said:
Just curious, but would it be seen as out of the question if she were to prepare her own food? Then they would not have to worry about her dietary habits.
Click to expand...

I was considering arranging that. I think it could be fun if I was to stay with people that were willing to help me buy my own groceries perhaps teach me a few things. There are also lots of homestay families that offer vegetarian meals, but I'd like to be more involved.

I understand that any way I look at it, I'm imposing myself in their home environment - not just from a dietary perspective. I wonder if helping to prepare my own food is considered rude or a welcome hand? I don't really have any idea of 'modern Japanese home dynamic', I just don't want to cause too much extra work.
 
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StrawberryDisco said:
Just curious, but would it be seen as out of the question if she were to prepare her own food? Then they would not have to worry about her dietary habits.
Click to expand...
I would think that parents in a homestay would think it's strange, yes. After all, they are the ones opening their homes to a visitor, and most would probably expect visitors to eat what is served. Asking to have reign over the kitchen would probably make Mom feel very uncomfortable. You would not be a homestay visitor then; you'd be an independent person.

Japanese stoves are pretty funky, too. Usually just 2-3 burners and a tiny fish grill. You'd have to get used to that and maybe a microwave with controls in Japanese. I would think stocking shelves/fridge with your own basic foods would seem out of place to the family, especially to one that is used to fish stock, fish slabs, fish toppings on rice, and shaved fish (bonito). I hope the smells wouldn't make you sick (some vegetarians claim that).

There are also lots of homestay families that offer vegetarian meals, but I'd like to be more involved.
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The Japanese vegetarians I have met in the past 14 years have not been the die-hard types that you are. They may not each meat, a few rare ones don't eat fish, but they eat things prepared with fish stock. Restaurants also don't consider themselves to serve meat sometimes if they can't see chunks floating (even though the stock may be from pork or fish).

Do you eat dairy products or eggs?
 

That doesn't seem to be much different to some 'vegetarians' here.

I can eat dairy and egg. Large amounts of 'white' dairy - yoghurt and milk mainly - will upset my stomach, but 'yellow' dairy and eggs tend to be fine, I really have to chow them down to feel icky, but I think that would happen to anyone. With regards to cheese, this brings up yet another ingredient - rennet - which I'm allergic to. YAAAAY

The more I think about food in Japan, the more I'm thinking it may just be easier to save up some more money and stay in a hostel or something so I can do my own cooking. Siiiiiigh.
Time to learn some Kanji!

FrustratedDave said:
Well good for you, numb nuts.
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I had a giggle to myself about that.
 
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DemstarAus said:
The more I think about food in Japan, the more I'm thinking it may just be easier to save up some more money and stay in a hostel or something so I can do my own cooking. Siiiiiigh.
Time to learn some Kanji!
Click to expand...
I think this is a great idea. Then you will not have to worry as much about accidentally offending anyone. When/if you make friends you can talk to them about it so that perhaps they will understand you. After all, everyone has different needs in life, not just when it comes to their diets.
 
After all, how difficult can it be to buy rice and soy sauce at a grocery store? Vegetables are easy, I just have to look at them.
Anything in a packet would be the tricky stuff, so if I learn a pile of food-relevant Kanji, I should be able to choose wisely.
Slightly off topic, I hear natto is very tasty.
 
Tofu and water, and your good to go. You could even use the water that comes with the tofu to save money.
 
One thing that may help is to say you are allergic to fish- That will rule out all things made with fish stock. I have a friend who is actually allergic to fish and has spent a lot of time in japan on several occasions, and never seemed to have a problem.
 
FrustratedDave said:
Tofu and water, and your good to go. You could even use the water that comes with the tofu to save money.
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Tofu, oil, veggies, ginger or garlic maybe? Some starches like noodles, rice or wheat, some seasonings...and there you are.

This sounds like a good idea. This will put aside any confusion or weirdness and is easy for people to understand.
 
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The kanji you are learning probably won't help much, if at all. Basic studies don't give you the necessary vocabulary to read product labels.
 
Glenski said:
The kanji you are learning probably won't help much, if at all. Basic studies don't give you the necessary vocabulary to read product labels.
Click to expand...

That's why I'm trying to learn food related Kanji so that I can at least spot things in an ingredients list. I'm sure there are plenty of ambiguous labels, just like we have here... "Pepsi" isn't an obvious word to mean a type of cola drink. I certainly don't expect every label to read in big bright letters "Soy Sauce". Your frankness can take a little to get used to.
 
thank you for this thread! i've heard it's difficult to be a vegan or vegetarian because fruit and vegetables are so expensive - does anyone have anything to chime in about that?
 
Only part of the reason. A major one is that involves eating out is this: there is fish stock in so many things!

Some people/waiters/chefs don't consider something to have meat in it because you can't see the chunks.

Of course, vegetarian means so many things. Do you eat dairy product, eggs, fish, etc.? Or not?
 
精進料理 is free of any animal product. It is vegan. I have done my research and apparently you can eat it at buddhist temple restaurants in Kyoto. Probably many more places in many cities serving this type of food but Kyoto is the only place I know has it.

If you find macrobiotic restaurants (macrobiotic philosophy originated in Japan and is growing in popularity today I hear) just pick dishes which do not contain fish or seafood and the food is effectively vegan. Not only that, it's also sugar-free, additive-free and completely organic. I have heard that macrobiotic food in Tokyo can be expensive though.

So, Japan has two outstanding vegan traditions alive and well today. Probably not easy to find a restaurant but I know they exist and if I went to Japan I would do more research so I knew at least a dozen places beforehand.
 
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