Vegetarian and Vegan Eating in Fukushima
So, you’re vegan or vegetarian and you’ve been placed in Fukushima. Welcome! Don’t panic—in this guide, you’ll find some general information, resources, and recommendations for eating plant-based in our prefecture.
The Basics
It’s good to be aware that there are very few vegetarians and vegans in Japan, particularly outside of Tokyo, so people will be less aware of your restrictions in general. In addition, Japanese food is not particularly plant-forward. Unfortunately, many mundane food items in Japan contain meat or fish (especially extracts and seasonings). Translation apps are your new best friend as you will have to become diligent about checking labels!
That said, it’s doable to maintain your dietary restrictions. You’ll probably rely on home cooking most often, so let’s start there!
At Home
Since options to eat out are slimmer here, cooking at home will probably be a big part of your life. Luckily, it’s easy to get imported plant-based foods at grocery stores or online, and staple plant-based foods are readily accessible at regular grocery stores. For protein, there’s always tofu, natto, fu (wheat gluten), and beans. Soy and almond milks and soy yogurt are easy to find. Some soy meats and even vegan cheeses are commonly available at certain stores as well!
Stores like Jupiter, Kaldi Coffee Farm, and Gyomu Super tend to have great import sections where you can find grains like quinoa, couscous and bulgur, a wider selection of beans, nuts and seeds, and more. If you aren’t close to any of these, iHerb is a godsend with an excellent selection of plant-based grocery items that can ship to your house usually in less than a week. These imported foods tend to be a little pricier, but the availability is there!
At Work
Your BOE will be aware of any dietary restrictions you put in your application, but be sure to update them if these have changed. One of the first things they will arrange is whether you want to eat kyuushoku (school lunch). Kyuushoku is unfortunately not modifiable, so you will be unable to partake. Each day, you’ll have to bring your own lunch to school.
Gifting snacks is a big part of Japanese work culture, so it’s good to let your coworkers know what you can and can’t eat. Some salty snacks like senbei contain seafood or meat seasonings, and sweets usually contain milk and/or eggs.
You may be invited to nomikai (drinking parties) or other events. You’ll have to work with your supervisor or vice-principal to determine what you can eat at these events. Often, they have a set menu that is part of the price, but it’s worth asking if things can be modified or if you can opt-out of the set menu.
Eating Out
Across Fukushima, we’re lucky to have a few dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurants!
In Aizuwakamatsu, Kontsh serves traditional Japanese sets made vegetarian. Their fu-cutlet katsu-don is to die for! They also have fabulous desserts.
Koriyama has Branch, a lovely vegan restaurant a little out of the city that serves falafel bowls, salads, vegan soft-serve and more.
Iwaki is home to a cozy shojin-ryori cafe called Shojin Cafe Teapot. Each day the menu is omakase, usually complete with rice, soup, and a platter of yummy vegetarian items.
A little farther away, our neighbors in Mito, Ibaraki have Vegan Cafe Terra, which has creative mains like beet cutlets and colourful plant-forward dishes.
If you can’t make it out to one of these plant-based restaurants, you can still find ways to eat out. Reliable options include various kaitenzushi chains where cucumber and kanpyo rolls are always available, as well as sides like fries, tempura and edamame. Udon chain Marugame Seimen has bowls served without dashi (for customers to add later), and you can also pick veggie-only tempura from their buffet-style line. Mos Burger has a veggie patty option. Denny’s has some Zero Meat products on their menu. Finally, Japan is home to numerous Indian and Nepalese restaurants which always have vegetarian curries.
At convenience stores, here are some reliable options:
Vegan: Onigiri (plain salted, ume, edamame, seaweed), yakiimo (roasted sweet potatoes), plain salted chips and some rice crackers, fruit, natto, edamame, tofu, soy/almond milks. Tip: if you want konbini coffee, you can get it black and add a carton of soy/almond milk.
Vegetarian: Protein bars, Base Breads (most flavors), egg sandwiches (check label; 7-11’s contains meat extracts), yogurt cups, pastries, chocolates, candies. Gummies and puddings usually contain gelatin.
General Resources
Finally, here are some useful resources to help you adapt to veggie life in Japan. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to FuJET for support.
HappyCow: App to search restaurants with vegan options.
Rohan’s Vegan Japan (Google Maps): Crowdsourced google maps list of restaurants with vegan options across Japan. Often has more listed than HappyCow, so it’s good to check both.
Is it Vegan? Japan: Excellent guide to shopping, reading food labels, and more.
Japan Vege Project: A company dedicated to creating a uniform label for vegan items in Japan and increasing the accessibility of plant-based foods. Also hosts vegan food expos and events in bigger cities.
Japan Plantbased Sisters: Website and Instagram account (@japan_plantbased_sisters) with veganized Japanese recipes.
AJET Dietary Restrictions Support: A resource page from AJET with some helpful links.
Dietary Restriction Cards: Printable cards that explain what you can and cannot eat in Japanese. Very helpful if you aren’t confident in your Japanese. Print, laminate, and carry some in your wallet just in case.