A dream come true. It was under a crisp blue sky that we set out to the airport with just a vague intuition of where we were going. We were traveling overseas and the unpredictable nature of flying military “Space Available” meant there was a good chance our plans could be changed for us. We didn’t care, we were in it for the adventure. We brought some vegan bars and snacks, just in case. It was going to be a long journey, that much we knew, whether our destination would have any vegan options, we did not.
Three travelers from “Vegan Blessed”, Nylah, Alder, and Eddie were packed and ready for whatever destination presented itself. Originally we thought we might end up going to Australia, as we heard there was a flight there, but we had the info wrong. Well, we now found ourselves on a flight to Yokota Airbase, Japan! Win-win! We got off the giant C17 cargo plane into the Yokota Terminal and made our way outside and eventually to the hotel on the military base. By now we were quite hungry. We asked around and were told we would have to walk about a half-mile outside the base gate to the main drag in the town of Fussa to look for places that could accommodate vegans. We pulled out the Happy Cow app….Hmm, options looked scarce! The first contender was a curry place. It was quite a walk all the way to the train station which shrouded the small restaurant in an air of industriousness.
The restaurant, Ichibanya, has an expansive menu full of all sorts of Japanese curries. To our great delight, we found a vegan one. With all the menu choices having pictures on a big laminated menu, we felt confident that all was well. We double-checked with the staff to make sure our meal was vegan. The vegetable curry was kind of gravy-like, mellow, comforting. Absolutely mouthwatering. The place was small and cozy with counter service and a couple of booths. It felt fun to be there. Indeed it was fun. We left satisfied and rejuvenated.
The next day, we set out on the train for a little adventure. We had gone to the grocery store and made some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. We got to the train station that was full but everyone was quiet. The place was immaculate. Not one ounce of trash on the ground.
Eddie pulled out his sandwich and started eating it. We looked over and one man was frowning at him accompanied by a glare. Well, what we found out was that when in Japan it is rude to eat on a train! Lesson learned.
One of the most exciting adventures we had in Japan was taking the train to Ome City situated on the river with its very own ancient sake brewery.
Our hotel shuttle driver has drawn a crude map for us. We got off the train and hoped we were in the right place. We walked down a winding hill through a neighborhood. We didn’t see any people, but an abundance of blooming gardens and tile roofs.
This sake brewery, Sawanoi, started in 1702, was the most beautiful sight to behold with a fountain of spring water and a shrine to visit.
We ate at the Mamagotoya, a tofu restaurant that utilizes the mother water of Sawanoi. (Which is the water from the brewing of sake) With wooden tables and a view of the river, we had vegan tofu bento boxes. I had never tasted gourmet tofu aged to perfection before and it was a treat. I can only describe it as a wonderment to the palate that such a thing exists.
Of course, we had to try the sake. We went to the tasting room and delighted in the Sawanoi Sake that was too smooth. : ) This was my favorite place we visited in Japan for a vegan adventure.
SOJO Esperanto-Vegana Kafejo promotes the Esperanto language, which is a universal language intended to unite people. The staff were friendly and talkative, the food insanely delicious.
The fried spinach dish I literally dreamed about for weeks afterwards. I wanted to make a special trip to go back, but it wasn’t in the cards this trip. The prices were very reasonable.
The most unique experience was getting Vegan Raman at the Afuri Ramen Restaurant at the Shinjuku Train Station. You wait in line and order the ramen at a vending machine and then wait in line again. You eat at the counter. Your ramen comes up right away. They turn over people quickly. You feel like one of the many people eating a quick ramen while going about their lives in the busy city. You feel like you belong there. The ramen itself was perfection. We ate there twice. It was that good.
One of the days we walked from our ritzy hotel in Tokyo (a splurge) and found this little neighborhood cafe. The walk was beautiful. The place was so clean. I mean clean. We saw a man walking a dog, The dog peed on the wall of a building and he got out a spray bottle and sprayed it down. We walked unto this little place and the food was tasty and the highlight was the little dog that sat until our table! The bubble tea really hit the spot.
All together we were able to find plenty of vegan options in Japan! We always made sure to ask about fish sauce and make sure it is vegan. The city of Toyoko is extremely vegan friendly and there were multiple options to explore.
Our fallback was finding Indian Food restaurants that always seemed to have some options. Lots of curries are vegan and we could always find something delicious to eat.
Japan was a place of cleanliness, bright colors, technology, kind people, gorgeous scenery and temples. A must-visit of your vegan world adventures.
