The Trials & Tribulations of a Vegetarian in Japan

Alexandra Crombie (Gunma)

Before I begin this article, I have an important secret to disclose. I do actually occasionally eat fish, and therefore “vegetarian” is a term I can only loosely claim to be associated with. I have, however, been making an effort to cut animal products out of my diet in varying degrees over the past four years.

I have to say that Japan has not fallen prey to the chokehold vegetarianism has on England, where I’m from, and the U.K. in general. At home I am well provided for. Every supermarket now has a “plant-based” or “meat-free” section with lots of different alternatives. These tend to be soy- or fungibased options intended to directly replace the meat in our meat-vegetable-potato orientated meals.

Here in Japan I have located only one such section. In fairness, the soy chicken nuggets were extremely tasty. This is unsurprising as this tends to be true for anything you can shove in the oven and cover with salt on consumption.

Basically, avoiding any kind of animal product in Japan or communicating any kind of dietary requirement is extremely hard. In light of this conclusion, I would like to share with you some tips and tricks that have helped me along the way.

You can make many delicious, cheap, and filling meals with pasta. In my opinion spaghetti reigns supreme, but you can substitute this for whatever shape you (incorrectly) think is best. I personally reach for olive oil, butter, garlic and chillies to create the

world’s simplest and most satisfying meal. Put your pasta on to cook. Two cloves of garlic should do, chop finely and then fry over a low heat in a glug of olive oil and tablespoon of butter. At this point you can add or not add whatever form of vegetable you prefer for a healthier option. I often have spinach which is great and very versatile. When your pasta is cooked, place it in the frying pan with the sauce and stir. Finish off by seasoning with salt, pepper and chopped chillies, and add one final knob of butter so it melts as you serve.

If you are anything like me and the majority of other humans on this planet, you will purchase a variety of fresh options from the supermarket in a rose-tinted haze, convinced that this week you are about to become a stellar cook. Fast forward nine days, and the majority of that beautiful, vitamin-filled veg is growing another life form at the back of the fridge. This is nothing to be ashamed of. A full-time working week is exhausting, and the idea that we will come home each evening refreshed enough to make a healthy frozen meal from scratch is unrealistic. Frozen vegetables are generally cheaper, stay fresh as long as you need, and are easy and safe to defrost.

I am almost certainly sure that if your school offers kyushoku, you are unable to sign up if you have any dietary requirements. I am a senior high school ALT, so I also have to fend for myself. I have only been in Japan for slightly over a month, and feel that I might soon take on the physical appearance of a 7/11 pickled plum onigiri. Invest in a good Tupperware that won’t leak and always make extra when you cook your evening meal, and Bob’s your uncle you have yourself a tasty, cheap, and mildly nutritious lunch.

My “vegetarianism” has encountered many different homes: university halls, my student house in Sheffield, and my parent’s house in Cheshire. It has also crossed many borders. I have tried and tested the vegetarian and vegan options traveling across Western Europe and living in Sweden, Japan, and England, my home country.

Meeting people from so many different backgrounds has fostered many interesting cross-cultural conversations about vegetarianism, veganism, and the global food system in general. Animal products are inseparable from discussions about food security, sustainability, and global fossil fuel emissions. Whether they are an essential, integral part of our global diet or an unnecessary strain on our resources is up for fierce debate both among global leaders and around our own dinner tables.

I have many friends who push for a transition to a diet of local, seasonal produce in place of simply the avoidance of animal products. This reduces pressure on any one specific food source, as opposed to simply diverting the pressure, as concentrating on new alternatives seems to do.

In theory, I agree with this. The argument that local rather than mass production is better for the well-being of all those involved is easily won. In practice, however, unless you live in the outback or are extremely well off and can afford to shop at gentrified farmer’s markets, you have no option but to purchase massproduced goods. The question remains then – which is the lesser of two evils? To purchase meat that is ultimately an enormous contributor to the increasing temperature of the planet, or to divert our money to different sources of food that are in the long run, potentially just as harmful?

All this doom and gloom! Time to get to my point. I can now better explain my experience in Japan as a wannabe vegetarian. I had arrived in Takasaki no longer than 12 hours prior and had already managed, accidentally, to order ramen topped with an enormous pile of beef. After contemplating my morals for a total of three minutes, I decided to eat it. Food waste is definitely on par with meat consumption in terms of contribution to climatic destruction. Choose your battles. Also, I was very hungry.

Alexandra Crombie is a first-year JET living in Gunma prefecture. Her favourite colour is a dark, muted blue and she likes to spend her free time camping or exploring with friends. She also enjoys watching copious numbers of films.