Is Japan finally becoming more vegan-friendly?

Japanese food is famous worldwide. While it has its share of fast food, the cuisine is also known to be relatively healthy overall. Japanese dishes also have a fair amount of vegetables, depending on what you are eating. Yet despite this, Japan is not known as a vegan-friendly country.

There are several factors behind this. Overall awareness of veganism, vegetarianism and animal welfare lags behind other developed nations. Animal-based ingredients can be common in foods without meat, and Japanese people can also be confused about what a plant-based diet truly means. Vegans and vegetarians might request that animal ingredients be removed from their order, yet still receive something with fish or pork broth, for example.

This has not always been the case in Japanese history. Not long after Zen Buddhism was first introduced to the country, a ban on meat was enacted which lasted for 100 years. Buddhist monks in Japan still practice a largely vegan diet called shojin ryori, which makes exceptions for dairy. However, modern Japan as a whole has a large appetite for meat.

Food industry starting to serve more diverse customers

The situation is changing, however. More vegan restaurants and services are opening to meet the demand, particularly in larger cities. Besides vegan-specific restaurants, larger chains are trying to include vegan options in their menus. Mos Burger famously released its green burger earlier this year. During the coronavirus pandemic, the industry has been trying to increase non-meat options. As more are beginning to cook at home, people have become more health-conscious as a result.

Veganism and vegetarianism can have personal and environmental benefits. While some people choose plant-based diets out of concern for animal welfare, others are motivated by climate change. United Nations estimates that nearly 15% of greenhouse gas emissions come from animal husbandry.

I am not a vegan or vegetarian, though I am trying to reduce my animal food intake. I do this partly for environmental reasons and partly to increase the variety of my diet.

Pure veganism strikes me as a challenge for Japanese residents. Standard supermarkets do not always have vegan options though this is changing. I recently noticed that a supermarket near me selling soy yogurt.

Personal and industrial efforts needed, but within reach

On the other hand, it is easy to simply reduce, if not eliminate, your animal intake and find appropriate substitutes for common foods and drinks. For example, I have recently made the switch to soy milk, as it is one of the most readily available alternative dairy options.

I also try to reduce my overall dairy and beef intake. For non-vegans who want to reduce their carbon footprint, this can be as easy as just changing the kind of meat you eat. Chicken, for example, has a much smaller carbon footprint than beef does. For vegans, meat substitutes are often made with ingredients easily accessible in Japan. Tofu is commonly used in such recipes.

Practicing veganism easily also depends on your circumstances. If you are working longer hours in a standard office job, you may not have vegan options near your workplace or time to plan your meals.

The language barrier is also an issue for some foreign residents. Foods in regular Japanese supermarkets rarely, if ever, have English packaging or labels. Dictionaries and smartphones can help with some basic vocabulary. It can be useful to look things up in advance to recognize the kanji for common vegan products, such as 豆乳 (tonyu) for soy milk.

It is a positive trend to see more vegan options in Japan, even if progress is slow. Plant-based diets can have tremendous health and environmental benefits. Regardless of your beliefs or dietary preferences, more vegan options means that Japanese cuisine can truly have something for everybody.