My Favourite Vegan Eats in Japan (2025)
One of the main hurdles I experience when travelling is finding delicious food that is vegan. Sometimes it’s incredibly easy – in Berlin, for instance – and other times, it proves a little more difficult. Japan was one of the latter, and it was oftentimes tricky to find somewhere to eat that either accommodated both vegan and non-vegan diets, or that had any vegan options at all. I’m somebody that also likes to travel through food and discovering local and traditional cuisines – or as close to it that I can find. Thankfully, I did already visit Japan a few times before going vegan, so I had a pretty good base to compare this trip’s vegan alternatives to.
As ever, HappyCow will be a great tool to find vegan restaurants, but we actually encountered quite a few issues with it this time – incorrect listings, disappearing listings… – and it made our trip a little more difficult than normal. However, many restaurants are incredibly accommodating and Japanese wait staff are some of the kindest I’ve ever met. It’s good to note, too, that many times, veggie options are not vegan and many ramen or dashi soup bases, plus miso soup, contain fish and shrimp.
Here are my favourite vegan eats from our trip to Japan.
Ninjen Restaurant
We loved this izakaya restaurant in Shinjuku. It’s quite hidden as it’s on the fourth floor, but the vibes are immaculate inside. Izakaya is simply a place to ‘stay and drink’, sort of like a cosy pub that you eat small plates at. Here, there’s traditional tatami seating, or bar seating, or regular seating – we tried all three during our many visits! Since I don’t drink, I recommend their sweet ginger ale and then any and all of the dishes on the vegan menu. Seriously, the mushrooms are delicious!
Address: Japan, 〒160-0021 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Kabukicho, 1 Chome−13−11 甲斐ビル 4F
Teppan Baby
If you don’t mind eating somewhere that serves meat, then Teppan Baby is great for a teppanyaki show and some delicious food. Not only is everything Kewpie baby themed, their vegan okonomiyaki is delicious! The staff are knowledgable and welcoming, happy to show you what can be made vegan and cooked separately to other dishes.
Address: Japan, 〒160-0021 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Kabukicho, 1 Chome−17−4 Pocket Building, B1F
Tempura Shokudo Manten
I still dream of the tempura and soba noodles that we had at Tempura Shokudo Manten. Tucked away in a (very) quiet corner of Shinjuku, it is well worth the walk to this adorable little restaurant where the menu is small but perfectly formed. The veggie tempura set with cold soba is SO good – just make sure you ask for it to be served vegan, as they may use dashi stock otherwise.
Address: Japan, 〒160-0023 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Nishishinjuku, 5 Chome−12−3 ハイム・シャンポール
Curry House CoCo Ichibanya
CoCo is a chain, yes, but it’s a great one in my opinion! They’re all over Tokyo, making it perfect to stop by if you’re in a pinch. And we all know that travelling can be exhausting. There’s a tablet ordering system so you can peruse at your leisure and fully customise dishes to be totally vegan. I always go for the eggplant and potato curry, medium spice, less rice (the rice portions are huge), and their special spicy garlic sauce on the side.
Kyushu Jangara Ramen
Located right by Meiji Jing and Takeshita Street in Harajuku, we loved Kyushu Jangara Ramen. They have four vegan ramen options, and it really hit the spot for me. As with all ramen eateries, you can top up your noodles to finish up your broth. Plus, I loved that the restaurant’s sister vegan restaurant is just next door. We didn’t get the chance to eat there, but it’s worth peeking at.
Address: Japan, 〒150-0001 Tokyo, Shibuya, Jingumae, 1 Chome−13−21 １Ｆ
Kakekomi Gyoza
I’m almost reluctant to recommend this place because, yes, their vegan gyoza was delicious and well-marked on the tablet menu. But, this restaurant also sells horse meat. My partner is not vegan and I’m fairly accustomed to eating at restaurants that also serve meat, but this felt strange to me. (Horse meat is commonplace in Japan!) That being said, service was great, there are several vegan options, and there’s a brilliant range of dipping sauce ingredients.
Address: Japan, 〒160-0021 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Kabukicho, 1 Chome−12−2 第58東京ビル
Flower Wall Moné
Finally, Flower Wall Moné is a beautiful little destination for a special meal or date night. The main draw is that there’s a virtual wall of flowers, gorgeous scenery projected onto the large plain wall. Once inside, you can put your seating charge (one of the most frustrating things about Tokyo IMO) towards a ‘complementary appetiser’ or some flowers. This is a pretty sweet touch and, like I said, perfect for date night. It’s pricey, but there’s several vegan sushi options and a truly remarkable vegan tempura with wasabi salt to dip it in. I’d definitely go back.
Address: Japan, 〒160-0022 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Shinjuku, 3 Chome−5−3 高山ランド b1f
