vegetarian @ japan

[miki]

I'm a vegetarian... just wondering are there a lot of vegetarians in japan too??? is it hard to get vegetarian restaurants or vegetarian food over there??? are they more expensive???

 

[Maciamo]

It is very difficult. I don't thinl it's expensive if you can find some, but you'd be lucky to find some at all (you can still eat sandwiches at "Subway", otherwise...).

 

[samuraitora]

something else you can do is, just not order the meat or fish in the dish. just eat the rice, or sauce, or veggies.

 

[miki]

all right. thanks for the advice. =)
guess it's just not a popular practice there... ;p

 

[kinjo]

Hi Miki
Ask me!! A hardcore veggie whos been to Japan a few times.

The only Japanese who would be veggies, would be the Buddhist monks, I guess.
Japanese food, almost EVERYTHING, has fish powder in it. Even if you ask for plain soba (buckwheat noodles), it would have fish powder in it.
If you are going to Tokyo, you can survive. There are chains like subway, Quiznos etc where you can get cheese sandwiches, burgers etc.
If you like Indian food, there are many Indian restaurants in Tokyo.(expensive though, almost twice the cost of Japanese meal)
If you landup in ,say, Denny's, again a chain of restaurants open 24 hours, then you will need to order whatever you want to, and request the waiter to make it without fish and meat. (Remember, just saying 'meat' won't suffice).
In Pizza hut etc, there are some veggie pizzas available (though pretty expensive)

Wherever you may go in Japan, even if the food appears harmlessly veggie, there is an extremely HIGH probability that it has meat/fish related stuff in it.

But all in all, there is nothing more painful to a veggie in Japan than the food .
I love Japan and all Japanese related stuff, but no, not the food! Its so difficult to adjust'ne.........:-((

Sorry to be negative, but be prepared in case you reach there!!!

 

[samuraitora]

very good point kinjosan. the buddist monks are pretty much the only veggies. I have a young friend in kyoto and she just doesn't eat out much for the fish powder reason. Her advice is to get just rice and veggies because it is a carnivorous country...much like the US was 10 or so years ago.

She did say that being a veggie is becoming more popular.

 

[samuraitora]

hey miki...I have found a site that has a few japanese veggie recepies.

rumela.com/recipe/continental_recipes_japanese.htm

also check out this one...pretty cool for vegies.

Vegipes! - A Vegetarian Recipe Blog

 

[miki]

Kinjo san:
thanks for the advice. once in a while, i did encounter problems eating out too... but i guess it's not as bad as in japan (from what you all have said)...

Samuraitora san:
thanks for the recipes...

by the way, thought a lot of japanese are buddhists? do they take veggie meals too?? (though not everyday, but perhaps once in a while???)

have kinda expected that... most food i've seen in japanese restaurants are with meat/fish... anyway, thanks for all the advice... =)

 

[brewdude]

Miki,

Most Japanese are nominaly Buddhist. Like many christians, it is easy to say you are one but difficult to follow ALL of the rules. I know a few people who are vegan over here in Japan. They manage though it is sometimes difficult.

 

[hiroette]

Hi! Miki

I'm Japanese who live in Tokyo.
I've never mets japanese who are vegetarians here.
(Just people who don't like meets, that's all)

I've never met japaneses who declared that they are vegetarians.
I suppose that because it isn't necessary.

There are many dishes only with vegetables in Japanese cuisine.
If you go to the traditional japanese restaurants (Izakaya)
You can choose so much dishes of vegetables.

PS. My family doesn't eat meets often.
Especially my grand mother doesn't eat it by eating normal japanese traditional dishes.(Washoku)
But we can't live without fish(Especially, Sashimi...)

As to me, I have no religieon like most of Japanese,
but at new year's day, I'll go to the temples or the shrines
I think it's just our habitude.

 

[miki]

Thanks for all the advices... at least now i have better idea of how a vegetarian could survive in japan. ha!
Seems like fish/seafood is a must in japanese daily meals...

 

[samuraitora]

@ seafood is a must in japanese daily meals

as well it has been for many many years. Makes sense since they are surrounded by water...lol

 

[hiroette]

Hi,

I found this URL
This is the list of vegetarian restaurant in Tokyo.

You can browse it!
bento.com/r-veg.asp

 

[miki]

Thanks, hiroette....

I found some useful sites too...
jpvs.org/ep/rest.html
Tokyo Vegetarian Guide: vegietokyo.com