Before I came to Japan I had slight reservations about if I was going to be able to eat well as a vegetarian. The only Japanese food I knew of was sushi, which to the best of my knowledge back then was just raw fish.
I thought to myself, well there must be vegetarians in Japan, so I'll just eat what they eat! Plus if the worst comes to the worst, I can just make pasta or other simple things like that.
Well, all I can say is - I wish I'd done more research before coming here!
In the UK, almost 5% of the population is vegetarian, that accounts to millions of people. In the USA and other countries there are similar figures. Taiwan is leading the pack with almost 30% of people being veggie!
However, so far in Japan, I have only met one, singular Japanese vegetarian, that was the owner of "It's Vegetable" a specialised vegetarian restaurant in Kinshicho.
So the figures aren't good. The number in Japan is one of the smallest in the world, probably in the thousands rather than millions. (In a country of 120 million people)
There is a Japanese Vegetarian Society, but they don't have as much power as the British one does. They couldn't force a chocolate manufacturer to stop putting gelatine in their products or anything like that!
There are no concessions for vegetarians, you will not find any "V" symbols on products or "suitable for vegetarians" labels, you will have to learn kanji or at the very least katakana and read the ingredients yourself to know if it's suitable. (gelatine for example is ゼラチン, ZERACHIN)
If you go to a Japanese persons house for dinner and announce you are vegetarian, you may either get less meat/fish than everyone else or a few more vegetables added to your plate. (with the meat still there!)
I can't count how many times I've been told "but there's only a little bit of meat in it", "they are just small fish" or "it's only shellfish, not fish" etc etc
Another popular response is "oh, but I love meat", as if to say "why the hell are you a vegetarian?".
I find this is the most common response from older people.
Fact is, there is no real easy way to explain your vegetarianism to Japanese people, you may end up getting tired of explaining and just have to lie and say you are allergic, otherwise they may just assume you just don't like it or being fussy.
Tip: You can say "I'm a vegetarian" - watashi wa bejitarian desu" (Japanese people can't pronounce the V sound, so it becomes a B)
However, you may be hit with the problems I mentioned before if you just say this, as most Japanese people (and I really mean most, like 99%) don't really know what that means.
Pro tip! There is an old fashioned, but still understood way to call someone who only eats vegetables. This would exclude eggs and milk etc, so in essence it's a kind of veganism - better than eating "tiny" bits of meat, yes?
"watashi wa saishoku shugi sha desu"
A bit hard to say, but it will save your life! However, if the person/restaurant is not equipped to feed you, you may be simply told they don't have anything for you to eat!
In searching for restaurants, "SHOJIN RYORI" is the safest and most delicious option for veggies in Japan. It is an old Buddhist way of eating, where no animal products are used at all. (basically vegan)
I know you must be thinking, well why don't you just to to those restaurants then and stop your complaining...
Well, unfortunately they are among the rarest restaurants in Japan. Kyoto is famous for them, Kamakura has some and there are other dotted around Japan, but good luck finding them!!
The next safest option is Indian food, if the owner is Indian they will definitely have at least a couple of veggie options and will understand vegetarianism way better than any other regular Japanese restaurant.
The last option is Italian food and sticking to safe options like Margarita Pizza and tomato sauce spaghetti (although with that last one be careful it doesn't have "little" bits of meat in it).
Other useful phrases:
niku wa haitemasu ka? (is there meat in it?)
sakana wa haitemasu ka? (is there fish in it?)
My advice before living here is research nearby vegetarian restaurants, learn how to cook simple dishes at home, learn katakana at the very least and if possible get a Japanese friend asap to help show you which foods are suitable!
Of course if you are not vegetarian (why are you reading this entry then?) you will no doubt enjoy the vast quantities of meat that Japanese people eat these days.
Also if you are a "vegetarian" that eats fish, gelatine and doesn't mind that your vegetable soup is made with chicken stock, you may also find life is easier. (PS: Please stop calling yourself a vegetarian, you make life more difficult for actual vegetarians - you are a Pescatarian, got it?)
Thanks to the rising popularity of American style fast food and increasing amounts of meat in their diets, Japanese are quickly losing their title for "healthiest country in the world" and getting more and more obese.
Personally I think it's a shame they are turning their backs on their roots, which is basically vegetable based with some fish.
Final Word:
As vegetarianism simply isn't understood or known about, it makes life a daily struggle for veggies living in Japan.
Confusion, resentment and irritation are often the reactions of learning you are a vegetarian.
The best you could hope for is a peculiar fascination of why you became one, when there is so much "lovely meat" to be eaten.
Be aware - you wont be able to be a lazy vegetarian here, every meal is a battle!
Japan has a long way to go before it even reaches 1940's-England level of awareness!
VERDICT: LOW POINT
Useful links:
Making safe veggie choices in Japan
Happy Cow - Veggie Restaurant Guide
iHerb - Import shop that ships all sorts of international brands to Japan
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