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Vegan/Vegetarian in Japan

Writer's picture: AnnAnn

Updated: May 2, 2020


For a few years I haven't eaten any meat, fish, seafood, etc., that is, I'm 100% a vegetarian. I eat no animals or other things that moved around by themselves. (Many people think that clams, etc. are okay - no, I don't eat them.)


Actually, I don't buy or drink milk, and I rarely have any dairy products. I rarely buy eggs. But I sometimes do eat things with milk and eggs in them, and I also eat honey, so I cannot say that I am a 100% vegan.


There are many types of vegan people - for food, being vegan means having no animal products. In Japan this would be 'temple food' - shojin ryori. But other types of vegans won't buy animal products such as leather or wool. I also don't buy things made from animals, but if I already had it, then I will use it carefully, such as a leather bag for work that I've had for many years.



In my garden, I won't kill things - I collect snails and throw them into the vacant field near my house. I have no right to decide that the snails should die because they came into MY garden. I don't want them to eat all my vegetables and flowers, but that doesn't mean I should kill them.


If I do buy eggs, I only get them from one farm that allows the chickens be as free as possible. I think every creature has the right to a good life. A few years ago I suddenly understood that I cannot kill or eat things that were killed, just so that I can eat something.


People always ask me "What CAN you eat? What do you eat? Don't you die from a lack of protein?" I can eat almost everything! There are so many more plant choices than animal choices. I do eat all kinds of plant things, and 'no' I am not dead yet from a lack of protein.


Many dieticians recommend eating 5 servings of fruit and vegetables every day. I guess most days I eat 5 in ONE meal!


If you'd like to go shopping with me at a Farmer's Market, please watch this video.


And if you'd like to watch me cook a typical Okinawan dish, please watch Vegan Goya Chanpuru in Okinawa ゴーヤチャンプルー 作り方, 宮古島の野菜で


# vegan Okinawa

# vegetarian Okinawa

# vegan Miyako


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