Vegetarian food in japan

Hi
I am just wondering about eating as a vegetarian in Japan. I went to japan for 4 weeks about 2 months ago and found getting food that didnt contain meat or fish really difficult. I ended up eating macdonalds fries and minature pancake everyday and I put on 10lb in weight!!! Am i missing the point here? if i could actually speak japanese would it be easy to find veggie food? even when cartons of food had vegetables on the front of the container they often contained bits of beef or fish stuff. (mainly noodles) I just wondered if their are any veggies out there who had similar problems and any suggestions. Im hoping to go back to japan soon, and dont wanna come home looking a blancmonge lol

Here's a site someone posted previously.

http://happycow.net/asia/japan/index.html

I'm vegetarian and I've been to Japan foud times now and have had good luck a few ways:
1. there are some great veggie restaurants - some are at temples, some are just around. Do some looking on the internet before you get to Japan and then ask around when you get there.
2. veggie tempura = yasai tempura = delicious though fried.
3. 7-11, of all places, has incredibly delicious little rice and bean or veggie or ume treats. They're cheap as can be, too. 7-11 also has a lot of other food that's cheap, good, and frequently veggie - the tofu-skin sushi, for example, is a treat and around 150 yen.
4. conveyor belt sushi places will have tofu-skin sushi, egg suski, pickle sushi, natto sushi, and cucumber suski. Also cheap - much cheaper than fish or meat - and tasty. Frequently, you'll also get miso soup and green tea for free, to boot.
5. The izikayas are the hardest for me, because I am a moron who speaks virtually no Japanese, and in my experience these are the places that aren't likely to have English menus or English-speaking staff. I've enjoyed these places the most with Japanese-speaking friends or guides who've been able to help me through the ordering (which is always amusing, if hard). And I've had some terrific tofu dishes and a green tea soup that was veggie and really good. A lot of places in Japan have free English-speaking guides who'll take you around for the day - they're trying to learn more English, and are becoming professional guides, and you book them in the tourist offices. See if you can go out to eat with one of these guides and have them write down the names of veggie foods you like so you can ask for them again later.

Does that help at all?

Saipantastic

Im not a vegetarian, though I have friends who are. One of my veggie friends changed her restrictions after moving to Tokyo to allow seafood in her diet.

One of the problems is that vegetarianism isnt very popular with the Japanese. The word for "meat" often implies beef so they might say there is no meat in a dish and...that not be accurate at all. So language isnt always a help since it doesnt always mean anything anyway.

That said, I should point out that your ability to figure out the menue will help. if you go out for okonomiyaki (japanese pancake) it would be possible to only order vegitarian toppings. Rice, miso soup, pickles, salad, indian restaurants...it IS possible. It might take you some time to locate foods that are acceptable for your diet and that you like, but once you find which places to frequent and which to avoid, it shouldnt be a problem.

Hey and thanks for all ur helpful contributions! I will certainly keep those im mind when travelling to japan! I dont want to get obesity or scurvy from macdonalds!

http://www.nihonguide.com/cuisines.asp

I'll visit Japan next February and I'm worried I won't have anything to eat...
:(

Adriana, did you check any of those links above? Or Google "vegetarian restaurant Japan" for example? I am a vegetarian who has lived in Japan for 10 years, and I have plenty to eat. (Not just McDonald's fries either!)

If you're a strict vegetarian, be careful with miso soup. Virtually all of them contain fish stock.

I have been to Japan twice now and although I found my selection of food was limited in restaurants I still found lots of food with out meat or fish that I could eat.
I speak a little Japanese, and my sister-in-law is Japanese so when she was with me she was able to help.
If you get a phrase book and learn how to say no meat and no fish I found that helps.
I am going back to Japan again next year and am once again looking forward to all the wonderful foods :-)

if i where you, ask a person who can speak english and ask that person where you can find veggies food..or if you want you can also treat that person since jap food are cheaper rather than the american foods..

http://www.hedweb.com/animals/vegphrase.htm

It has how to say you are a vegetarian/vegan in several languages, including Japanese, and the words implying chicken (poultry), beef, fish, etc.

http://www.hi-ho.ne.jp/kondos/vangetarianspage.htm

TENGU Natural Foods Store operates out of Saitama and ships to pretty much anywhere on mainland Japan. Prices are reasonable and shipping is cheap. I definitely recommend it (it even has seitan, nutritional yeast and soy protein) although it doesn't really do premade vegan substitutes (eg- simulated meat, butter alternatives, etc)

http://www.alishan.jp/shop/nfoscomm/catalog/