Vegetarian or Jain in Japan? Here's how to actually eat well

The question I get most before a Japan trip isn't about the bullet train or the visa. It's some version of: "But what will I eat?" Usually from someone vegetarian. Very often from their mother.

It's a fair question. A lot of Japanese food that looks vegetarian isn't. But once you understand one ingredient and can read a few characters on a label, it gets far easier than people expect. Here's everything worth knowing about eating veg, and Jain, in Japan.

The one ingredient you need to know: dashi

Dashi is the stock underneath a huge amount of Japanese cooking. The classic version is made with kombu (kelp) and katsuobushi, which is dried, smoked bonito fish shaved into flakes. It goes into miso soup, the broth for udon and soba, the dipping sauce for tempura, and plenty of dishes that look completely innocent.

So a bowl of vegetable udon can be vegetarian in every way you can see and still be made with fish stock. That's the trap. Nearly every "I accidentally ate fish" story from Japan comes back to dashi.

The good news is that a version made only from kombu and shiitake mushrooms exists, and it's what Buddhist temple kitchens use. You just can't assume it.

Say it in Japanese, or better, show it

English menus are common in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka now, but staff won't always know what went into the stock. A few phrases help:

• Watashi wa bejitarian desu. I'm vegetarian.
• Niku to sakana wa taberaremasen. I can't eat meat or fish.
• Dashi mo dame desu. Fish stock isn't okay either.
• Ninniku to tamanegi nashi de. Without garlic and onion, please.

Even better, save these in Japanese on your phone and show the screen before you order. Google Translate's camera mode is also very good at reading menus and ingredient labels.

Konbini runs: what to grab and what to skip

Japan's convenience stores, 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart, are open around the clock and are honestly one of the best parts of the trip. Your quick breakfasts and your 1am snacks will come from here, so it's worth knowing your way around.

• Ume onigiri, the rice ball with pickled plum. The safest pick on the shelf.
• Kombu onigiri, with seaweed. Check the label, some versions are made with fish stock.
• Inari sushi, rice stuffed into sweet fried tofu pockets. Usually fine, occasionally made with dashi.
• Fruit, yoghurt, roasted sweet potato, plain bread, and the sweets aisle, which deserves its own visit.

Skip the tuna mayo, and turn the pack over before you pay. These are the characters worth learning:

If you're Jain

Jain food in Japan takes a bit more planning, mainly because onion, garlic and potato show up everywhere, including in the base gravies at a lot of Indian restaurants. It's very doable, though, and a few places have built a reputation on getting it right.

• Osaka: Shama Vegetarian Indian Restaurant is the name Jain travellers mention most. The menu leaves out meat, fish, egg, onion and garlic.
• Tokyo: Vege Herb Saga in Okachimachi cooks everything fresh and has been a favourite for years. Nataraj and Annam in Ginza will make Jain meals if you ask.
• Kyoto: shojin ryori, Buddhist temple food, leaves out meat, fish and the pungent vegetables. Shigetsu, inside Tenryu-ji in Arashiyama, is the classic. It can still include root vegetables, so tell them in advance.

And yes, pack the theplas. Khakhra, thepla and dry snacks travel well and are generally fine to bring into Japan. Meat products aren't, and that includes instant noodles with meat in the flavouring.

Veg-friendly places we'd send a friend to

• T's Tantan, Tokyo Station. Fully vegan ramen, inside the station. The sesame tantanmen is the order. There are branches at Ueno and Ikebukuro stations too.
• Ain Soph, Ginza. Vegan everything, and the pancakes are reason enough to go.
• Veg Out, Kyoto. A vegan café right on the Kamo river. Go early, it fills up and dishes sell out.
• Vegetarian Cafe Ren, near Ginkaku-ji. The soy katsu don is excellent. It's tiny, so book.
• Musubi Cafe, Arashiyama. Small vegan lunch sets made with Kyoto vegetables. Perfect after the bamboo grove.

Don't overlook the Indian restaurants either. There's one in almost every neighbourhood, many run by Nepali families, and a plate of dal and naan on day six of a trip hits differently.

How we handle food on our trips

When you register for a Brew trip, we ask about food: Jain, veg, eggless, allergies, anything. Tell us once and we plan around it, from the restaurants to the snack stops on long travel days.

Still unsure? Message us on WhatsApp before you book. I'd much rather answer the food question properly than have you spend eleven days hungry.