Tokyo, Japan •

Vegan in Tokyo: The Ultimate 3-Day Plant-Based Guide

From cyberpunk dining to navigating side-street izakayas, this is your complete guide to the first 3 days of exploring Tokyo as a plant-based traveller.

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Kicking Off Our Biggest Adventure Yet in Tokyo

Travelling the world without compromising your plant-based values is entirely possible, and Tokyo is the perfect place to prove it! I’m Toni, and for the next 30 days, we are traversing Japan, Thailand, and Malaysia to bring you the best vegan finds. We’re kicking things off in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Follow along with The Leaf and Luggage as we share our first three days of incredible food, travel tips, and a few rookie mistakes to help you plan your own trip.

Getting There & Staying in Shinjuku

  • Flight & Airline Food: Our 13-hour flight from Chicago to Tokyo Haneda was on United Airlines. A massive tip: pre-book your vegan meals on the airline’s app as soon as you book your flight! We were treated to a fantastic chickpea curry with rice, a fresh salad with balsamic vinaigrette, a vegan bread roll, and a chocolate cereal bar, plus a hot polenta dish later in the flight.
  • Arrival & Security: We landed in the afternoon right alongside three other US flights, making security incredibly busy. Having a QR code ready makes a huge difference here.
  • Where We Stayed: We caught an Uber to the Citadines Hotel in Shinjuku. There are multiple Citadines hotels in the area so double-check the hotel address.

Day 1: Late-Night Bites & Translation Apps

  • Dinner on the Fly: After dropping our bags off, we went out for dinner, but unfortunately the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed until Thursday, so we wandered down a side street and found a cosy local spot.
  • Navigating the Menu: The host’s English was limited, and our Japanese is too, so we used Google Translate. We ordered edamame and a fresh vegetable salad (I skipped the fries to avoid cross-contamination).

Day 2: Pizza, Coffee, and Offline Maps

  • Morning Coffee & A Crucial Tip: We started the morning at Starbucks, grabbing a banana, a chilled soy milk chai tea latte, and some plant-based donuts. On the walk back, I got completely lost and couldn’t access mobile data. Travel Tip: Always download offline maps before you head out! I accidentally walked into the wrong Citadines hotel, but the helpful staff provided a paper map and connected me to their Wi-Fi to get me to the right location just 15 minutes away.
  • Lunch at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizza: Located in a shopping centre, this place is fantastic. We shared a veggie pizza customised with plant-based cheese and a vegan kale salad.
  • Dinner: We switched things up with an Indian restaurant, enjoying vegetable samosas and a vegetable curry with saffron rice. Note: This meal was vegetarian rather than strictly vegan and we paired it with a refreshing, vegan-labelled Japanese Lemon Beer!

Day 3: Cyberpunk Dining & Falafels

  • Lunch at Plant More: We found a great spot called Plant More with plenty of clearly labelled vegan options. We had a beautiful falafel pita with hummus and a pant-based coffee.
  • Dinner at Neo Shinjuku Atsushi: This was an unforgettable experience! It’s an all-vegan cyberpunk-themed sushi restaurant. We shared spring rolls, dumplings, and an incredible vegan burger.
  • Cover Charges: Be aware that many Japanese bars and evening restaurants have a cover charge. Here, it was 500 yen each, but it came with unlimited curry-flavoured popcorn that was out of this world!

Key Tips for Plant-Based Travellers in Tokyo

  1. Use Visit Japan Web: Before you arrive, go to the Visit Japan Web site to get your digital QR code for customs and immigration. Take a screenshot of it so you can access it offline—it will save you massive amounts of time at security.
  2. Download Offline Maps: Don’t rely solely on pocket Wi-Fi or mobile data. Download your Tokyo areas on Google Maps or Apple Maps while you have hotel Wi-Fi so you can always navigate back to your room.
  3. Leverage Google Translate: Don’t be afraid to dine at non-vegan establishments. Use the camera feature to translate menus, and the conversation feature to politely explain your dietary needs.
  4. Watch Out for Cross-Contamination: When in doubt at a non-vegan restaurant, opt for raw or steamed items (like edamame or salads) over fried foods where shared fryers are common.

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