Joachim and Julia Wagner, from Germany, were visiting Vegan Sushi Tokyo while on honeymoon in Japan. The pair, both vegetarians, said they found the restaurant through the popular vegan and vegetarian directory HappyCow.
“We had to look up restaurants beforehand, so we didn't just walk in, sit down and assume that they had vegan or vegetarian options,” Julia (30) said.
“In Germany when we say we're vegetarian, it's clear that it means no fish, no meat, no chicken, nothing animal based. But in Japan, they often don't consider fish as part of this,” Joachim (31) said.
It was not the first time for the pair to try vegan sushi as many of the sushi restaurants at home offer at least some vegan or vegetarian options. “But if you're in Japan, it's even nicer to have vegan sushi here,” Julia said.
In its list of vegan-friendly cities for 2025, HappyCow placed Tokyo at number 12 with London taking top spot.
Vegan Sushi Tokyo has produced its own map of recommended restaurants across Japan. With the increase in foreign visitors, appetite for vegan and vegetarian options is growing, as is the number of pins on the map.
Tourism is also encouraging regional governments to diversify local food experiences.
In early 2025, Vegan Sushi Tokyo collaborated with Toyama Prefecture to create recipes for vegetable sushi highlighting local products. The central Japan prefecture, famous for its sushi, said it wanted to attract domestic and foreign tourists by addressing the needs of vegans.
“It’s a step-by-step process, but we're spreading awareness, showing how vegan food can be prepared and made more accessible,” Kudo said.
Back in Shibuya, Vegan Sushi Tokyo is open for lunch only, renting out a bar space during the day. But the small business has big ambitions to support vegans.
Spurred on by calls from foreign customers to open vegan sushi restaurants in their own countries, Kudo and his team are eyeing expansion abroad using online crowdfunding to gather funds.
"Many investors still see the vegan market as a niche they don’t understand,” he said. “Even though it’s difficult, we feel there is a real need, and we want to respond to that.”
This article was submitted by a contributing writer for publication on Japan Wire.
