This page has been updated as a sample chapter of my Vegan Travel Guide to Japan. For more information please see the Japan Vegan Travel Guides website. Japan Guide, Koyasan official website Overview IntroductionKoyasan has been a Buddhist retreat for over a millennium, ever since Kūkai (空海), Japan’s most famous monk established the centre for his new Shingon Esoteric sect of Buddhism here after returning from a period of scholarship in China. Kūkai is known posthumously as Kōbō-Daishi, and, while both are used in Japanese (and in English) I use Kōbō-Daishi througho ..read more

Updated March 2020, as tourist sites in Japan empty out as COVID-19 restricts inbound tourism and most non-essential travel. Maizuru Park is Fukuoka's Largest Backyard and home to its castle ruins. Fukuoka is a very live-able city and an interesting one to visit, but few tourists to Japan spend long here because there are far more historical sites in Kyoto and much more to see and do in Tokyo and Osaka. Many foreign visitors do, however, arrive in Fukuoka by boat from Korea. The vegan scene in Fukuoka has improved drastically over the last few years, with good options both within ..read more

Updated March 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.  Practical Details Wed-Thu: 11:30-14:30, 17:00-20:30; Fri: 11:30-14:30; Sat 11:00-15:00, 17:00-20:30. Saturday lunch buffet 11:00-15:00.  In mid-March 2020 the buffet has been temporarily suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.   A-la-carte dinner: 17:00-20:30 (reservations recommended) Five minutes’ walk from Jimbocho Station (Toei Shinjuku Line, Toei Mita Line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomo Line) (Exit 5). Twenty minutes’walk from Yasakuni Shrine, or one stop on the Shinjuku Line (Kudanshita Station to Jimbocho Station). 〒101-0051 ..read more

Updated March 2022 Summary of Veg Indian Restaurants in Tokyo All these links stay in this page.  For the best Indian meal in Tokyo, including mouth-watering South Indian dishes such as dosas and idli, head to Vege Herb Saga. While the restaurant has expanded in recent years and hired a few more staff members, food is still cooked individually from fresh ingredients, so you may have a wait for your food (but it will be worth it). For an alternative South Indian option, with a slightly nicer venue and not quite as good food, which serves alcohol and allows smoking at the tables, head to t ..read more

Welcome to Vegan Travel Guides What's In the Vegan Travel Guide to Japan? The Vegan Travel Guide to Japan is a nine-hundred-page travel guide to Japan. It is written for non-Japanese, vegan (or vegetarian) travellers to Japan. It covers most cities which are visited by first-time visitors to the country. Unlike traditional vegan guides, which focus mostly on food and restaurants, Vegan Travel Guides are complete travel guides which cover everything a foreign traveller to a country needs to know for an easy, stress-free trip which includes the best tourist attractions and vegan restaur ..read more

As of February 2015 Mana Burgers have sadly closed. I'll keep this page here until I find out whether or not there's any chance of them re-opening anywhere else. I first went to Mana Burgers in 2010, when I had a day in Fukuoka on a whirlwind tour of Japan on the Japan Rail Pass. I went to Mana burgers, did a load of laundry, slept, got up and whipped around the old castle ruins, all in less than a day, and then had to jump back on the Shinkansen to get back to Tokyo before my pass ran out. Mana Burgers, Fukuoka, 2010 (now closed) I was delighted to recently learn that ..read more

Unfortunately Vespera's Falafel has permanently closed. I will leave this page open for posterity, and in case the owner hopefully reopens (he has closed and re-opened in the past).  An advertisement for vegan food is always a good sign! The original Vespera's Falafel closed down at its previous location after the owner was unfortunately hit by a car, but he's now recovered and re-opened his store in Koenji. I found it on Happycow, and decided to make the half-hour trip from where I was staying in search of Tokyo's newest falafel eatery, and it was my best find in months (thanks ..read more

Unfortunately Cafe Rappa has closed permanently closed. Please let me know if it updates. Thank you. Cafe Rappa, Nakano, Tokyo  Cafe Rappa is a charming little vegan cafe in Nakano, about 20 minutes by train from Shinjuku Station. It features a pleasant, relaxing interior and delicious vegan food, at very reasonable prices. I arrived quite late, and the helpful English-speaking owner suggested I get the curry plate, which was a delicious meal and a great deal at only 900 Yen. The menu is only in Japanese, but the owner was happy to explain it to me in English. This ..read more

Niseko is a Meka for snow sports, boasting what some would call the best powder snow in the world (though Hakuba is also excellent). I visited three ski fields: Niseko, Kokusai and Mt Moiwa. Whereever you go, if you take just one piece of advice from this blog, bring plenty of snack food with you. Due to my late order and the Xmas backlog, my veganessentials order didn't arrive before I left, and I could really have done with all those snack bars I'd ordered, especially while travelling and on the slopes! Getting There The best way to get to Hokkaido for the environment is of course ..read more

Gala Yuzawa ski resort  Gala Yuzawa is where Tokyoites go for a day on the ski slopes. The station is owned and run by the JR Company, and the shinkansen station, locker rooms and gondola entrance are all in the same building - Japanese efficiency at its best. Being owned by JR, they offer an excellent package including the train (about 1.5 hours each way) and a lift ticket for around 10 000 Yen (depending on the time of year). This is less than the train itself, so the lift pass is essentially thrown in free. Tickets can be bought from major JR stations. It tends to get quite ..read more