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Tokyo is one of the foodie capitals of the world, but it doesn’t have the best reputation for vegetarians.
It’s true that if you wander into a random restaurant, you’ll struggle to avoid meat and fish, but with a little planning, you can find amazing vegan and vegetarian food in Tokyo.
The food is a highlight of Tokyo for us and the quality is outstanding from high-end restaurants to simple ramen shops.
Most guides to vegetarian restaurants in Tokyo focus on westernised places serving veggie burgers, salads, and smoothies. But Japanese food is so delicious that we always want to eat as much of the national cuisine as possible.
Over many trips to Tokyo, we’ve made it our mission to find the best vegetarian-friendly Japanese food in Tokyo, whether at vegan cafes or traditional Japanese restaurants that specialise in one type of cuisine.
The vegan scene has grown hugely in recent years and there are now so many tasty veggie eats in Tokyo if you know where to look.
In this post, you will find our picks for the best Tokyo vegetarian restaurants, where to stay, and top tips to navigate the foodie scene as a veggie or vegan. At the end, there is a map with everything mentioned.
Contents
- Where to Stay in Tokyo for Vegetarians and Vegans
- Vegan Ramen in Tokyo
- Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Tokyo
- Vegetarian-Friendly Japanese Restaurants in Tokyo
- Vegetarian Cooking Class in Tokyo
- Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans in Tokyo
- Vegan and Vegetarian Tokyo Map
- Summary
- More Japan Posts
The current exchange rate is approximately 1 USD = 155 yen and 1 GBP = 196 yen.
Where to Stay in Tokyo for Vegetarians and Vegans
I think Shinjuku and Shibuya are the best areas to stay in Tokyo for vegetarians and vegans.
It makes life much easier being within walking distance of vegetarian-friendly restaurants as you don’t always want to trek across the city after a long day sightseeing.
Shinjuku is our favourite area. There’s a major station, beautiful park, and a number of attractions. We like to stay at the Hotel Century Southern Tower right by the station with amazing views.
Shibuya and Harajuku probably have more meat-free options these days though.
See our guides to the best things to do in Shinjuku and cool things to do in Tokyo.
Another option, especially for repeat visitors or if you want to avoid the crowds, is Shimokitazawa. This trendy neighbourhood is a short train ride from both Shinjuku and Shibuya and has some good vegan-friendly restaurants.
You might want to consider staying in an apartment or a hostel with a kitchen so that you’ll have the option to prepare some of your own meals.
Even being able to boil water for some T’s Tantan instant ramen makes life easier when you just want a quick meal.
There are plenty of apartment rentals in Tokyo (mostly very small) and they can be cheaper than a hotel room. Search for apartments in Shinjuku here.
Vegan Ramen in Tokyo
Ramen in Japan is almost always made with pork or fish broth so we didn’t have any on our first visit all the way back in 2011.
Happily, there are now an ever-growing number of options for vegan ramen in Tokyo and it is fantastic being able to try this classic dish, which makes a tasty, inexpensive, and quick meal.
1) Vegan Ramen UZU (TOP PICK)
We ate a lot of ramen in Tokyo and Vegan Ramen UZU was our favourite.
Not only is the soup delicious, but it’s located next to the cool art exhibition, TeamLab Planets, one of the most fun things to do in Tokyo.
You can eat at one of the outside tables, but for the full experience, try to get a seat inside where you eat with digital artwork projected on the table and ceiling. This is a bit more expensive (and you must buy a drink too), but it’s worth it.
There’s just one style of ramen on offer—vegan miso with broth made from oat milk, sesame paste, ginger, and garlic. It is full of flavour and the homemade Hokkaido wheat noodles are superb. The vegetable toppings are simple.
They also have vegan ice cream and donuts.
If you are visiting Kyoto, don’t miss their branch there which has even more choice of delicious vegan ramen.
Location: Next to TeamLab Planets at 6 Chome−1−16, Toyosu. You don’t need a ticket to TeamLab to eat here but as it’s far from most attractions, it’s best to combine them. Allow about 45-60 minutes to get there from Shinjuku or Shibuya.
Hours: Open daily from 10.30am or 11am – 8.30pm with occasional closing dates (check the website).
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Vegan Ramen Uzu Tokyo
2) T’s Tantan (TOP PICK)
T’s Tantan is an entirely vegan ramen restaurant in Tokyo Station (and now in a few other stations)!
This is so convenient if you are passing through the massive station where many of the city’s local trains and bullet trains around the country depart.
The changing seasonal menu features several ramen choices, including white, black or gold sesame, shoyu (soy sauce), tonkotsu, and tantan.
We had the mapo ramen on one visit and found it nicely spicy, full of flavour, and packed with greens.
All the ramen contain soy meat, which we’re not fans of, but they are small, rather innocuous chunks that didn’t bother us.
The gyoza are good too, so it’s worth getting a set that includes them.
If you don’t have time to eat in (it can be slow at peak times), you can get a takeaway bento box with soy meat or gyoza.
We always buy some of their instant ramen pots to take away for a cheap, easy meal on another day. You can also find the instant ramen in the Natural Lawson convenience stores all over the city (including Shibuya and Shinjuku).
Location: Keiyo Street Food Hall in JR Tokyo Station. Follow signs for the Keiyo line. You must have a train ticket to access the area (or just tap in with your SUICA card). They also have branches at Ueno Station, Ikebukuro Station and Narita Airport.
Hours: 10am – 9.30pm every day.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: T’s Tantan
3) Vegan Bistro Jangara
Another good spot for vegan ramen is Vegan Bistro Jangara in the popular Harajuku area (close to Yoyogi Park).
It’s an entirely plant based restaurant run by a popular ramen chain. Although other dishes are available (grilled soy meat, burgers, tacos), we both went for ramen. I had the garlicky kobonshan ramen and Simon chose the very spicy karabon ramen (our favourite).
Toppings include a few vegetables and a very realistic looking soy meat.
I recommend getting a set that includes gyoza as these were my favourite in Tokyo.
While we didn’t rate the ramen here quite as highly as those above, it’s in a very convenient location and well worth a visit.
You can also look out for branches of Kyushu Jangara Ramen all over the city, which have a vegan ramen on their menu.
Location: Jingumae 1-13-21 2F, Shibuya. The ramen shop is on the ground floor— take the elevator to the 2nd floor for the vegan bistro. It’s very close to Harajuku Station.
Hours: Open daily from 11am – 9pm.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Vegan Bistro Jangara.
4) Chabuzen
Chabuzen is a tiny vegan ramen joint in Shimokitazawa with one chef. There are a couple of seats at the counter or take your shoes off to sit at the two floor tables.
There are several ramens to choose from plus curry and gyoza, and everything is organic where possible. The broth of the spicy ramen and curry ramen was delicious; the toppings were minimal.
It’s a bit out the way for most Tokyo visitors, but if you are in the area, it’s a good option for vegans.
Location: 6 Chome-16-20 Daita, Setagaya City. It’s in a residential area a 10-minute walk from Shimokitazawa Station.
Hours: Open from 5pm – 10pm. Closed Mondays.
Credit cards accepted: No, cash only.
Website: Chabuzen on Google Maps.
5) Afuri
Afuri is a ramen chain that offers a vegan ramen packed with seasonal vegetables. You buy a ticket from the vending machine then take a seat at the counter.
Our ramen looked beautiful and the noodles were good, but the vegetables were undercooked and the soy broth wasn’t very flavourful.
Despite being our least favourite ramen, it’s still a decent option if there’s nothing else around as there are many branches all over Tokyo. I would choose the Kyushu Jangara chain instead if there’s one nearby.
Location: Various branches including Shinjuku, Ebisu, Harajuku, and Roppongi. Hours vary across branches.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Afuri
Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Tokyo
There are many vegan restaurants in Tokyo where you can get an entirely plant-based meal. Many of them serve western dishes so we focused on ones with Japanese cuisine.
In addition to these, all the ramen spots above except Afuri are entirely vegan.
6) Bon (TOP PICK)
Bon is our favourite vegetarian restaurant in Tokyo—it’s an experience as much as a meal.
They specialise in fucha ryori, a version of shojin ryori (Zen Buddhist vegan cuisine), which I think every vegetarian in Japan should try at least once.
Bon is a beautiful, tranquil space with miniature gardens, fountains, and a cobbled stone corridor leading to eight private tatami mat rooms with sliding paper doors.
We ate on low chairs in a room decorated simply with a scroll, flower arrangement, and window onto a little garden of plants, pagoda, and rocks.
We had the lunch menu which consisted of 12 courses using seasonal ingredients, so in autumn we had lots of mushrooms, chestnuts, and pumpkin.
They gave us a leaflet in English with the concept and courses to expect and then explained each dish as they brought it to us.
It was an incredible meal. Every dish was exquisite with delicate flavours and a remarkable attention to detail. Nothing is placed on the plate by chance—it all has a purpose and meaning.
Ingredients are unusual and some dishes are odd if you aren’t used to shojin ryori, but it’s all part of the adventure.
Our meal began with chrysanthemum tea and included a chestnut covered in crunchy macha noodles, various soups, pumpkin dumplings (representing the moon), chilled sesame tofu, and tempura, including a delicate somen noodle tempura that was like a work of art.
The most intriguing dish was the shun kan or “decoratively presented vegetables” (see top photo), a beautiful plate featuring a chestnut, konnyaku (a plant-based jelly), mushrooms, fried dumpling, pink pickled ginger root stick, and some delicious but unidentifiable bits.
Bon is not cheap, but weekday lunch is good value at 5000 yen ($32) plus 15% tax and service. It is totally worth it for a unique Japanese experience.
Location: 1–2–11 Ryusen Taito-ku. It’s out of the way on a quiet residential street, but you could combine it with a visit to Sensoji Temple or Ueno Park, which are fairly close.
Hours: Open Mon-Tues & Thurs – Sat 12pm – 3pm/ 6pm – 9pm, Sun 12pm – 3pm/ 5pm – 8pm. Closed Wednesdays. Phone reservations in advance are essential. Our Airbnb host booked for us but they do speak some English.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Fucha Bon
7) Saido
Another excellent place for a creative vegan meal is Saido. While it’s not fine dining, and the restaurant decor is simple, this vegan restaurant offers something different from others in Tokyo.
We went for lunch, when the set offers excellent value at 2970 yen ($19) for four courses and two drinks. After a lovely creamy cabbage soup, we were served an unusual smoked salad of beans, lentils and vegan cheese in a glass jar that releases smoke when opened.
We had a choice of rice and noodle mains. My samurai curry was delicious and topped with colourful vegetables. Simon’s cutlets were served in a beautiful lacquered box.
The dessert was also lovingly presented, especially the raspberry mousse served in a cute plant pot.
Saido is located in the Jiyugaoka neighbourhood, which is under the radar of most tourists but popular with Japanese for its stylish boutiques and cafes.
We enjoyed the opportunity to see a new area and especially loved strolling through the peaceful Jōshinji Temple, the perfect escape from Tokyo’s crowds.
Location: 2 Chome-15-10, Jiyugaoka. It’s a 5-minute walk from Jiyugaoka Station (which is a 10-minute journey from Shibuya on the express train).
Hours: Open 12-2pm and 6-8pm. Closed Wednesdays. It’s popular so book in advance on Tablecheck.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Saido
8) Izakaya Masaka
Masaka is the only vegan izakaya (a Japanese bar with snacks) that we’ve come across in Japan.
It’s a great place to try vegan versions of Japanese dishes such as their popular karaage (fried chicken), which you can order with various sauces (teriyaki and Sichuan were both tasty).
I’m not even a fake meat fan but they were the highlight—crispy on the outside and tender inside.
Other dishes include gyoza, fried mushrooms, and Chinese cold tofu (a rare non-fried dish that comes with a delicious spicy sauce).
To order, scan the QR code on the table and make your selections (the menu is available in English). The food will be brought to your table and you go up to pay at the end.
Izakaya Masaka is very popular (and doesn’t take reservations) so go early (we didn’t have to wait at 5pm on a weekday) or expect to queue.
Location: In Chaos Kitchen, the restaurant floor in the basement (B1F) of Shibuya Parco shopping centre. Gamers will also want to visit the 6th floor for Nintendo, Pokemon, and Capcom stores.
Hours: Open daily from 12pm-10pm but options are limited before 3pm.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Izakaya Masaya Instagram.
9) Brown Rice Cafe
Brown Rice Cafe is a stylish organic vegan restaurant in Harajuku, an upmarket area near Shibuya.
They serve traditional Japanese set lunches and you can choose from curry, steamed vegetables, or the seasonal set menu.
I enjoyed the day’s dish of grilled miso tofu with two vegetable dishes, pickles, brown rice, and miso soup, and as always, Simon had the curry.
The food was tasty and healthy, and I recommend it if you are in the area (we preferred it to nearby Mominoki House), but it’s a little pricey compared to other lunch sets.
Location: 5–1–8 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku (part of Neal’s Yard Remedies). Close to Omotesando Station.
Hours: Open daily 11.30am – 6pm. Closed on the first Tuesday of every month.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Brown Rice Cafe
10) KiboKo
KiboKo is a cute vegan wine bar near Shinjuku Gyoen (our favourite park in Tokyo).
It’s ideal if you want to relax with a drink and a few tapas, but it’s not the best option if you are feeling hungry.
Dishes are small, quite pricey, and not particularly Japanese. We did enjoy the coriander gyoza and Spanish tortilla, but the more substantial options (teriyaki, chilli) were too fake-meat heavy for our tastes.
Note there is a seat charge of 770 yen, as is quite common in Japanese bars.
Location: 4th Floor, 2 Chome-5-8 Shinjuku. It’s a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station.
Hours: Open Weds-Sat 12pm – 5pm/ 6pm – 10pm and Sun 12pm – 5pm. Closed Monday and Tuesdays.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: KiboKo
Vegetarian-Friendly Japanese Restaurants in Tokyo
One of the reasons why restaurants in Japan are so good is that many chefs specialise in just one type of food and perfect it over a lifetime. We had some of our best meals in non-vegetarian Japanese restaurants.
While it can be more challenging explaining your dietary requirements, all these places can cater for vegetarians (and most for vegans).
11) Alicia (Homestyle Cooking) (TOP PICK)
Alicia (ありしあ) is a mostly vegetarian restaurant in Shimokitazawa that has the kind of homestyle, healthy set lunches that I love in Japan.
It’s an homely, quirky place with lots of cat and rabbit decorations. You sit at the counter and watch the two ladies cook up a feast for you.
The Alicia Teishoku (set menu) has a different main each day plus brown rice, miso soup, pickles, salad and vegetable side.
There’s also a Mix Fry Teishoku that Simon loved with delicious croquettes and tempeh cutlet. There’s one set that contains meat and fish, but the others are vegan (although it’s always worth checking).
The food is tasty, nourishing, and filling, and it’s my top pick if you are visiting trendy Shimokitazawa.
Location: 2 Chome-9 Kitazawa, Setagaya City. Go up the stairs to the 2nd floor. The sign is only in Japanese. It’s a few minutes’ walk from Shimokitazawa Station.
Hours: Open 11.30am – 5.30pm on Sat and Sun, 11.30am – 7.30pm on Mon, Tues, and Fri. Closed Weds and Thurs.
Credit cards accepted: No, cash only.
Website: Alicia on Google Maps.
12) Zen (Okonomiyaki) (TOP PICK)
Okonomiyaki is a kind of cabbage pancake that usually contains meat or seafood but can be made vegetarian.
Zen is the perfect option for vegetarians in Shinjuku as they have an English menu with a vegetarian and vegan section at the back which explains the ingredients of the many types of okonomiyaki.
We chose the less traditional tomato special with tomato, cheese and Japanese basil and also ordered grilled vegetables.
As we ordered, we showed the waiter our vegetarian card that stated what we couldn’t eat in Japanese. He then asked the chef to make ours without dashi, so it’s a good idea to check on this.
Zen has a cover charge of 220 yen but they do bring you a small appetiser—we munched on our potato salad while we watched the chef make our okonomiyaki on the counter grill.
He started with some batter and then added a heaping pile of cabbage plus other ingredients. As the cabbage cooks it reduces in size and becomes a thick pancake.
Ours was served topped with lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. It was crispy and gooey and utterly delicious.
Location:５–10–9, 1F Hanamaki Building, Shinjuku.
Hours: Open daily 5pm – 10.30pm.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Zen
13) Curry House CoCo Ichibanya (Japanese curry)
Curry is a popular comfort food in Japan, and while Japanese curry is different from Indian curry, it’s just as delicious. Many curry places offer a vegetable curry, but it’s likely the roux contains meat.
Happily, CoCo Ichibanya, Japan’s largest curry chain, now offers a vegan curry base (described as vegetarian) in all its stores.
You can choose toppings like vegetable (potatoes, carrots, and green beans), eggplant, spinach, and mushroom. I recommend choosing two—we usually get vegetable and eggplant.
The English menu explains the customisation options. As well as adding toppings, you can choose the amount of rice (standard is plenty for us) and select your spice level from regular to 10 (we do 2 or 3 which is plenty spicy).
The pickled vegetables on the table are vegan. If you are self-catering, you can buy vegan curry packets to heat up at home.
As CoCo Ichibanya has branches all over Japan it’s a fantastic option for a cheap, quick, and tasty meal while travelling the country.
Details: Many branches (search Google Maps). We went to the Shinjuku Station West Exit branch on Memory Lane and to one near Shibuya Station. Hours vary across branches but they tend to be open from 11am till late.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: CoCo Ichibanya
14) Tsunahachi (Tempura)
Tsunahachi is a famous tempura restaurant founded in 1923. There are a number of branches in Tokyo and we went to the one on the 13th floor of the Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku.
The menu is in Japanese but one of the staff members spoke some English and explained that we had a choice of various set lunches.
We chose the most basic option, said we were vegetarian and asked to have it with just vegetables, which was no problem. Note that the batter contains egg so is not suitable for vegans.
We sat at the counter and watched the chef frying our vegetables and passing them to us straight out of the pan, two at a time.
The batter was light and crispy and the vegetables perfectly cooked. They kept on coming and we ended up with nine pieces of tempura, which was more than enough.
Our lunch set also included rice, pickles, grated daikon, miso soup, and tentsuyu dipping sauce.
The soup and sauce are most likely made with dashi (fish broth), so we skipped them and used the four excellent salts (plain, konbu, wasabi, and red perilla) for seasoning instead.
Tsunahachi has a handy English guide to eating tempura.
Details: Various branches in Tokyo plus Kyoto and Hokkaido. The main branch is in Shinjuku. Hours vary across branches.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Tsunahachi
15) Sorano (Tofu)
For a special meal without a huge price tag, Sorano in Shibuya is a great option.
It specialises in tofu, but in Japan that doesn’t mean everything is vegetarian. At Sorano there are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options marked on the English menu (but do tell them you are avoiding dashi).
It’s a classy, traditional restaurant with a fish pond and fountain at the entrance and a pebble corridor leading to private tatami areas and counter seating. As we hadn’t booked, we sat at the counter.
We ordered most of our dishes from the appetiser section and shared tapas style.
The tofu comes in so many different forms from crispy deep fried tofu with miso (so good!), chilled avocado tofu, and grilled eggplant and vegetables rolled in tofu skin.
Sorano’s special tofu is made at your table—it’s velvety smooth, but be aware that the soy sauce accompaniment contains dashi. Tempura is also available.
Even if you don’t think you like tofu, give Sorano a try as Japanese tofu is far better than anywhere else.
Location: 4, Sakuragaokacho 17, Shibuya.
Hours: Open Mon-Fri 5pm – 11pm, Sat 4pm – 11pm, Sun 4pm – 10.30pm.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Sorano
16) Kakekomi Gyoza (Gyoza)
Kakekomi Gyoza is an izakaya (bar) in the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku that specialises in gyoza. It’s lively in the evenings (and might not be very kid friendly) but was relaxed on a Saturday lunchtime on our visit.
You order from a tablet and apparently there are four vegan gyozas if you access the vegan menu by clicking Menus.
For some reason we could only find one vegan gyoza—spinach soy meat. You can choose it regular (steamed) or fried—we shared 10 of each and enjoyed both.
While you order on the tablet, you go up to pay at the end.
I wouldn’t go out of my way to return here, but it’s a good option if you are in the area, and it feels more local than many of the Tokyo vegan restaurants.
Location: 1-chōme-12-2 58th Tokyo Building, Kabukicho, Shinjuku City. It’s on the ground floor and doesn’t have an English sign so see the photo above.
Hours: Open 24 hours every day.
Credit cards accepted: No, cash only.
Website: Kakekomi Gyoza.
17) Sushi Gonpachi Shibuya (Sushi)
Gonpachi is a well known restaurant in Tokyo, especially its branch in Roppongi, which featured in the Kill Bill movie.
We decided to visit because they have a vegan menu and vegan sushi is hard to find. We went to their Shibuya branch as it was more convenient for us.
The large restaurant is popular with tourists (including tour groups) and they even have foreign members of staff who speak English. We booked in advance, which got us a low table in one of the side nooks.
We tried most things on the vegan menu—vegan sushi (topped with various vegetables), sushi rolls (with avocado and veg), grilled vegetable skewers, and tempura vegetables.
We found it enjoyable but not terribly exciting flavour-wise. It’s not a must visit, but if you are in the area, need a late night meal, or are travelling with non-vegans, it’s worth considering.
Location: Floor 14 of Maruyamacho Space Tower, 3-6 Maruyama-cho, Shibuya. It’s a 10-minute walk from Shibuya Station.
Hours: Open daily from 11.30am – 3.30am.
Credit cards accepted: Yes (it’s cards only, no cash).
Website: Gonpachi Shibuya.
18) Masumoto (Bento)
I’ve been wanting to try a bento for years and finally found a place that does vegan versions.
The Japanese have made lunch boxes into an art form with an array of beautifully presented, balanced, and healthy small dishes. They are ideal for long train rides and picnics.
Masumoto is one of the many bento stalls in the huge food hall in the basement of the Isetan department store near Shinjuku Station and Shinjuku Gyoen.
All the signs are in Japanese so there’s no easy way to find the right stand. We looked for the logo we’d seen on a photo of a box on Happy Cow.
Once you find Masumoto ask for a “macrobi bento”. They knew what we meant and confirmed there was no meat or fish in it.
Unfortunately, they sell out of the vegan boxes early in the day, so at 11.50 am on a Saturday they only had one small box left. I recommend going when they open at 10 am if possible.
We took our bento (plus some extra snacks from the food hall) to Shinjuku Gyoen for a lovely picnic under the late blooming cherry trees (well worth the 500 yen entry fee).
Our box included rice mixed with vegetables, various vegetables, tofu, creamy mushrooms, and mochi for dessert. We couldn’t identify everything but it was all tasty.
Details: B1F of Isetan Department Store, 3-chōme-14-1, Shinjuku. Open from 10am. They often sell out by noon.
Credit cards accepted: Yes.
Website: Masumoto
Vegetarian Cooking Class in Tokyo
Taking a vegetarian cooking class while you are in Japan is a fun way to learn more about Japanese cuisine and enjoy a delicious meal.
We haven’t done one in Tokyo yet, but this Shojin Ryori: Buddhist Vegetarian Cooking Experience looks like a great way to delve deeper into this traditional Japanese cuisine.
Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans in Tokyo
- Search on the Happy Cow app or website to find the nearest vegetarian or vegan restaurants in Tokyo (and all over the world).
- Search “vegan” on Google Maps in the area you are in for other ideas. Google Maps is also the best way to get public transport directions to a restaurant.
- Print off some vegetarian or vegan cards from Just Hungry with exactly what you can’t eat written in Japanese. It made things much easier and helped us avoid dashi.
- Make sure you buy an Airalo e-SIM for your phone and set it up before you arrive in Japan. This will make it so much easier to find restaurants using Google Maps or look up your nearest veggie option on Happy Cow.
- Japanese restaurants often stop serving 30–60 minutes before closing time.
- At most restaurants you are given the bill and go up to the counter to pay.
- Credit cards are not always accepted so keep cash on hand—7–Eleven is the best option for international cards. I’ve noted which restaurants are cash only above.
Recommended Reading: See my vegetarian Kyoto and vegetarian Osaka guides for more restaurant recommendations.
Vegan and Vegetarian Tokyo Map
Summary
With a little planning, there is so much delicious food to discover for vegetarians and vegans. We ate so well in Tokyo and we can’t wait to return to the city and eat some more!
What are your favourite Japanese vegan restaurants in Tokyo?
More Japan Posts
Our Vegetarian Japan Guides
- Vegetarian Survival Guide to Japan
- 10 Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in Osaka
- The Best Vegetarian Kyoto Restaurants
Tokyo
- 26 Cool Things to Do in Tokyo, Japan
- 18 Best Things to Do in Shinjuku, Tokyo
- Why Shinjuku Is The Best Area to Stay in Tokyo
- Robot Restaurant: The Most Insane Show in Tokyo
- 14 Best Tokyo DisneySea Rides for Adults
- 14 Best Tokyo Disneyland Rides for Adults
General Japan Tips
- 16 Unmissable Places to Visit in Japan
- 56 Best Things to Do in Japan for an Unforgettable Trip
- 2 Weeks in Japan: The Perfect Itinerary for First Time Visitors
- Planning a Trip to Japan: Dos and Don’ts
- Is a Japan Rail Pass Worth it?
- Where to Stay in Japan: The Ultimate Guide to Accommodation
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Yasai Izakaya Genki was my favourite place – it does both Veggie & Vegan :)
Also with CoCo Curry just check it’s definitely in the veg section, this didn’t exist when I went but the normal sauce has pork bones in it.
Thanks for the recommendation – we’ll check that out on our next Tokyo trip.
Yes, you need the separate green vegetarian menu at CoCo, which is thankfully becoming more common.
I just want to say this post is so awesome!!! I am going to Japan in a month and your recommendations are a God send.
Thanks Sarah – enjoy Japan!
Thank you so much for this post! We are vegetarians but I wanted to try local Japanese food and your post helped us find the right places. It was challenging to find T’s Tan Tan. We didn’t realise it was inside the station and we needed to buy tickets. We almost gave up then we asked one of the JR staff passing by. Help of Google translate app they helped us get JR tickets to enter and walked us all the way through to T’s Tan Tan. Bless them! We enjoyed food at T’s Tan Tan and bought some instant noodles for later. went to Milk land but unfortunately they are closed until 8th Jan.
I’m glad you found it in the end!
THANK YOU so much for this post. It has been a lifesaver on my current trip in Tokyo. I am basically walking down your list of restaurants day by day…. absolutely no disappointments so far. I really appreciate the map and the descriptions of your experience at each place!
Yay! I’m so pleased they are working out for you. Happy eating!
Loved your blog. T’s Tantan was fantastic though hard to find. Zen was great too. However, Sorano is shut down :(
Are you sure Sorano is closed permanently? Japanese restaurants do sometimes close for random days off.
Glad you enjoyed T’s Tantan – that station is such a maze!
Such a useful article. Thanks! :)
Just a heads up, I recently returned to Itasoba Kaoriya (Soba) after visiting earlier in the year and having the sesame sauce which was made at the time without Dashi. Unfortunately we returned with our Japanese friend and asked about vegan options of which there are literally none… Everything on the menu contains animal products of some sort usually Dashi stock, including the soba dipping sauce, tempura dipping sauce etc. The one thing they have is tempura by itself but of course the reason to go is for the soba.
Such as shame but this place is no longer vegan or vegetarian friendly.
That’s a shame! Thanks for the info and I have now taken it out of the post.
hi do you have suggestions on how to make the food reservations if not japanese speaking for Bon and Sorano? Look forward to trying some of these out on our trip to Japan next month!
I ate at Bon, but I got a Japanese person to help me make the reservation. You could always try in English or ask your hotel staff!
We asked our Airbnb host to make the reservation for us.
I ate at Sougo in Roppongi. The meal was amazing! You should call ahead to make a reservation and also specify that you are vegan as they may use dashi in some dishes.
It’s on our list for next time! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
I really enjoyed trying several places on this list. Bon, Sorano, and Zen were all fantastic.
I lived in Shibuya for 3 months while and wanted to add some more of my favorites.
Los Barbados – Off the beaten path in Shibuya. This is a great and tiny place (10 seats) which serves Middle Eastern/African cuisine. The menu is in English and clearly indicates vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian options.
Milan Nataraj – This is an Indian chain restaurant. I went to the Shibuya location numerous times. It’s vegetarian with lots of curry options.
Mr Farmer – This is another chain. I went to the Harajuku location. It has great options for vegetarians plus a DIY salad bar. It also as vegan desserts.
Ta-im – located in Ebisu. This is a great falafel place with very tasty falafel sandwiches for lunch.
Mango Tree Cafe – Located in Ebisu Atre 6th floor (building attached to the train Station). This was a wonderful Thai place that had a fantastic vegetarian dinner platter.
Aalaap Lene Waala – This is in Ebisu at the Brick Walk of the Yebisu Garden Place. I worked in the Yebisu Garden Place and ate here a lot for lunch. They served brown rice which is very rare. Normally for lunch they only show chicken or pork but I just asked for vegetarian and always got a delicious curry whipped up for me. Also, they serve chai masala tea at lunch and it’s delicious!
Umami Burger – Is another chain. I went to the one in Shibuya. They have a tasty falafel burger and spicy edamame.
Overall, Tokyo was easier than I thought it would. It does take a bit of planning, but what city doesn’t for vegetarians? Keep in mind that lunch menus are often set with little variations; however, when I said I was a vegetarian, most places would make something for me.
Thanks for the recommendations Jessica!
Thank you so much for writing this fantastic vegetarian restaurant guide! I can’t wait to try these places the next time I visit Tokyo. Some of those lunch sets look amazing. And I love okonomiyaki, but it can be tricky to find veggie-friendly okonomiyaki places, so Zen sounds like a great one to check out. Thank you for doing so much research about these places!
I went to one vegetarian restaurant in Ikebukuro called Ain.Soph Soar, which had a lot of yummy Western-style dishes like sandwiches and salads. If you are looking for a vegetarian place around there, I recommend that one!
Thanks for the tip Clara. I had heard good things about Ain Soph, but we decided to focus on more traditional Japanese dishes during our stay. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Please don’t make the mistake I did. I took your recommendation for komaki syokudo and it was the worst meal I had I japan. Food was average and they made me over a drink. Cheapest was 400 for hot water. Not worth 1700 yen. My boyfriend had to wait outaide even though I was the o my customer in the store. If you are in akiharaba go to shinoya around the corner and get veg plate instead.
I’m a bit confused because I don’t recommend Komaki Syokudo in this post. We didn’t even go to Akihabara on our last trip to Tokyo. Sorry you had a bad meal though.
Thank you for this post! We are two vegiterians staying in Tokyo(Shinjuku) for a few days, and this post has saved us! Domo Arigato!
I’m so glad! Happy eating!
thank u so much for this post. i love vegetarian food the most and up to now i was mainly eating noodles with a bit of meat which feels so dry and im longing for something fresh and healthy. gladly my hostel is in shibuya, so from tomorrow i will go to 4 of the am places :)
I hope you find some better food options. Happy eating!
Thank you for this life-saver! My wife is vegetarian, and we were getting worried that she would have a difficult time in Japan. We are en route round the world, and your well-written and informative article is easily the best we have seen. Thank you again! Iain and Kshama
I’m glad the post helped! With a little planning your wife should be able to eat really well in Japan. Enjoy!