Vegetarian Indian Restaurants in Tokyo

Summary

For the best Indian meal in Tokyo, including mouth-watering South Indian dishes such as dosas and idli, head to Vege Herb Saga. Expect to have to share a table with strangers (and the most interesting conversations with strangers you'll find anywhere in Tokyo) and a long wait for your food, but it'll be well worth it when it arrives. For a new alternative South Indian option, with a nicer venue and group dining but not as good food, head to the newer Veg Kitchen. For a small, pleasant restaurant serving fairly authentic Indian food with an interesting Japanese twist, head to Gopinathas. For prasadam (blessed Hare Krishna food) head to Govindas Edogawa, but expect difficulty finding what's vegan. They have the only evening vegetarian buffet in the weekend in Tokyo. And for insipid, overpriced "Indian" food in a setting as pleasant as an underground basement can be, or for a cheap and cheerful lunch buffet with vegan naan head to one of the Nataraj stores.

Why Indian in Japan?

Confession time: as much as I like living in Japan (which I really do) I'm not the biggest fan of Japanese food. Japanese food is deservedly famous for its beautiful presentation; it's said that this practice stems from tougher times in the past, when little food was available, so presenting it so elegantly was the best people could do, and over time this came to be believed to make the food taste better - something I've come to understand, strange as that may sound. I do appreciate a fine (or a simple) Japanese meal, especially a traditional Japanese macrobiotic meal or Shojin Ryori (temple food, though I can't say I like it enough to pay hundreds of dollars for it) but for me no beautiful arrangement of rice and vegetables, however fresh and perfectly cooked and impeccably presented, can beat the fire and spice of an authentic Indian meal. Back in Taiwan I used to really crave Indian food, but the restaurants there are notoriously bad for not serving veg food, so I used to really enjoy Indian food in Tokyo. This post is to introduce my favourite vegetarian Indian restaurants in Tokyo.

Vege Herb Saga

Vege Herb Saga is my favourite Indian restaurant in Tokyo, and I think I share that with most resident vegetarian Indians in the city.

Mysore Masala Dosa

Vege Herb Saga is a little piece of India, right here in Tokyo, down to the beaming chef in a white jacket and, most importantly, steaming hot delicious South Indian foods, such as Dosas and Idli. A sign on the wall (in Japanese) explains that during busy times (which seems to be most of the time) customers are asked to sit together until all seats are taken, and that meals may take a while as each dish is cooked separately. As such, it might not be everyone's idea of an ideal spot for a first date or business lunch, but it's also an interesting opportunity to meet a range of interesting people who have also sought out Tokyo's only South Indian vegetarian restaurant. So forget the nightclubs in Roppongi: of all conversations I've had with strangers in Tokyo, by far the most interesting ones have been at Vege Herb Saga. The sign also warns that food can take some time to prepare - and that it does: allow up to an hour, or two if you order a time-consuming dish on a busy Saturday night (your other dishes will come out during this time). But you'll soon see why: however busy the chefs are, your meal will be cooked to perfection from fresh ingredients. So don't let any of this put you off: Vege Herb Saga is the place to come for the best Indian food in Tokyo.

Masala Vada

I recently met the owner, who explained that there are several hundred Jains (strict vegetarians who live their lives in such a way to minimise all harm to living creatures) living in the surrounding community - including himself - mostly in the diamond trade. He started the restaurant three years ago because, while business was going fine, he needed somewhere to eat! So his restaurant is intended as a place for vegetarians to find safe food, rather than for profit. This may seem like the perfect marketing story for any business, it does explain why he's done so little marketing that for a whole year I Googled "South Indian Vegetarian Tokyo" and didn't find it, and it was only added to Happycow a few months ago. His reputation has clearly spread by word of mouth, especially among the vegetarian Indian community, and on my first visit I had dinner with two friendly jewellery salesmen visiting Tokyo for an expo, one a Hindu and one a Jain, who had eaten there every night of their visit. It was obvious that this is where visiting vegetarian Indians come to eat, but about half of the tables in the (full) restaurant were occupied by local Japanese groups.

There's just nothing like a good Masala Dosa!

However, despite the location and lack of marketing, it's not just sought out by vegetarian Indians with nowhere else to eat: on my second visit I sat with a group of students - one a connoisseur of Indian food - who had come because in some major competition it had won fifth place of all Indian restaurants in Tokyo - not bad for a vegetarian jaunt in a cramped and cluttered basement! The reason, the owner explained to me, is that he uses only top-quality ingredients, and has fresh spices delivered from India regularly. This, and the food being cooked to order, makes this one of the best Indian restaurants I've ever been to, and a must-visit while in Tokyo for anyone who likes authentic Indian food.

New Location

Veggie Herb Saga recently moved into new premises, which appear to be a converted Karaoke lounge. While it's still an underground room, it's much more spacious than the previous location, and it feels more like a restaurant than dining in the owner's personal kitchen. There are also dedicated wait staff, and the whole place looks and feels more like a restaurant. The menu has also been expanded.  It still might not be the ideal place for a first date or business lunch, but it's closer to the mark than the old place.

 
Menu & Prices

Vegan items on the menu are labelled with a sticker. A drink, snack and dosa meal costs around 2000 Yen.


Essentials

5-22-1, Ueno, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Lunch: 11:15 - 15:00 (LO 14:30)
Dinner: 17:15 - 23:00 (LO:22:30)
03 5818 4154
090 1818 6331

Website, Happycow

Veggie Herb Saga is a two-minute walk from the South Exit of JR Okachimachi Station on the JR Yamanote and Keihin Tohoku Lines, and is also near several subway stations. Please note that it often shows up on old maps in different places. If in doubt, I recommend printing the address from their website. It's worth having an explore around this very old Tokyo suburb. It would make a good stop before (or after) visiting Ueno Park.

Veg Kitchen

Yet another vegetarian Indian restaurant has joined the Tokyo scene, this one another South Indian establishment run by a former chef from Veggie Herb Saga. When I heard he was leaving to run his own restaurant I hoped it would be an upmarket dining establishment, in a different locality, giving the option of a simple ‘Indian Kitchen’ at Veggie Herb Saga or fine dining elsewhere, as these would have complemented each other nicely. Unfortunately it’s a few minutes walk away, serving similar food at similar prices, thus competing for the same Jain or other Indian vegetarian clientele.

The masala papads were delicious.

Prices at the Veg Kitchen are similar to Veggie Herb Saga, and staff are very friendly and welcoming at both. Both are open similar hours, but the Veg Kitchen may sometimes be open on Sundays.

You can't go wrong wit South Indian snacks.

The Veg Kitchen originally offered an alternative in a nicer venue, but now that Veggie Herb Saga has moved I don't really see where the Veg Kitchen can find its niche except for smokers and drinkers (see below). Being a first and second floor restaurant it is still a nicer venue, but much less significantly so than before, when Vege Herb Saga was located in a tiny, cramped basement.

2nd-floor dining

The main drawcard for the Veg Cafe is the larger dining area, meaning you are more likely to get your own table. This is likely a good thing if you’ve come with friends or family to enjoy a meal together, however it’s also worth noting that many of my most interest conversations with strangers in Tokyo have been at Veggie Herb Saga.

The Veg Kitchen has a wider menu, including some “Indian Chinese” dishes, one of which I liked and one I didn't. The owner is very happy to accommodate vegans, however it’s necessary to ask, and when he ran through the menu he missed some items which were clearly not vegan. He also said that nan were vegan, which is possible but seems unlikely, as the menu traditionally calls for milk (and without it it’s not really nan). Vegan items are labelled on the menu at Veggie Herb Saga and I’ve never had any problems.

This Indian-Chinese dish was much too oily and salty for my taste.

 The Veg Cafe serve alcohol, which may appeal to some, however they also allow smoking during dinner, which can be quite unpleasant (if you don't smoke). They also provide Hookah's which further add to the smoke in the air.

The Veg Kitchen are quite accommodating to vegans, but at Veggie Herb Saga vegan items are labelled on the menu.

 
Where the Veg Kitchen falls seriously short of Veggie Herb Saga, however, is on the quality of its food. Veggie Herb Saga began as (and I think still is) the kitchen of the owner for his family, friends and visiting colleagues, (who, being Jains, would have had a tougher time even than vegans finding food in Tokyo). And he knows what he likes. He orders fresh spices from India regularly, and roasts them in-house (I’ve seen it) and the taste it brings to all their food is divine - probably the best Indian meals I’ve had anywhere, including India.

Chana Masala

 During my first visit to the Veg Kitchen the Chinese dish was much too salty and greasy for my liking, the masala dosa and lacha paratha were both a little too well done, and I think they use typical curry powders and mixes. In subsequent visits I've found dishes somewhat hit and miss, with some comparable to Veggie Herb Saga and some far off. This is of course nothing unusual, and their food is at least as good as most other Indian restaurants in Japan, but in all fairness Veggie Herb Saga is a cut above for freshness and quality of food.

A masala dosa is always delicious, even if a tiny bit too well done, as I thought this was.

During my first visit on a Saturday evening, soon after it opened, it enjoyed a steady stream of customers, mostly Japanese and a few Indian, despite not yet having a website or facebook page. Since then it's quickly becomming more and more popular.

So, in conclusion, if you want a beer (or cigarette) with your meal, and a slightly nicer venue, head to the Veg Kitchen. But just don't expect the quality of Veggie Herb Saga, which is the 'real deal' for Jain dining in Tokyo. It’s great to have two vegetarian South Indian restaurants in Tokyo, and I hope business goes well for both.

Essentials
The only reference I can find online is this Timeout article.
Address: 3-44-8, Taito, Taito-ku
Lunch: 11am-3pm
Dinner: 5pm - 11pm
May close on Sunday - call ahead.
Phone 03 58178165


2015 Update
Veggie Herb Saga are now offering cooking classes on alternating Sundays.

Gopinathas

Gopinatha's is essentially the old Govinda's Restaurant (not to be confused for Govinda's Edogawa-ku, below, a separate establishment) which has been reopened by its former (and current) chef.

Pakoras and Curry at Gopinathas. The tomato sauce on the Pakoras is amazing.

Gopinatha's food is perhaps slightly more 'Japanisiced' Indian than that at Vege Herb Saga or the Veg Kitchen, but its Japanese twist adds to the flavour rather than diluting it, as is the case at Nataraj (where chilli and garam masala are optional, paid extras). Gopinatha's food certainly fresh and flavourful, and the owner/chef is very happy to make a set vegan, and they are excellent value. Gopinathas is well worth a visit, especially if you are in the area or you would like an Indian meal but don't have an hour or two to wait or want your own table. 

Govindas Edogawa-ku

Govinda's Edogawa-ku is a vegetarian Indian restaurant associated with Tokyo's ISKCON temple, to which it is attached. ISKCON is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, commonly known as "Hare Krishnas" (from their chant) in the west.  ISKCON followers believe that the cow is sacred (as do Hindus) and the consumption of dairy products is an integral part of ISKCON life. ISKCON temples often have their own farms, at which the cows are treated very well so far as their welfare is concerned, and they are even cremated when they die - always at the end of their natural life. Unfortunately, humane as it may be (albeit  a breach of their fundamental rights in my opinion) it is needless to say very inefficient, and most of these farms can no longer provide enough dairy products to sustain the society's temples and restaurants, let alone all their members. So most ISKCON restaurants serve conventionally farmed (which I guess in Japan probably means factory farmed) milk products.

 
During discussions with ISKCON followers, including in New Zealand and in India, I've often met strong opposition to veganism, and while their restaurants tend to cater to vegans (I guess due to their food's popularity among vegans) I've never found them to be very supportive of the vegan philosophy.

While Govinda's is certainly open to anyone, on my last visit I couldn't help but feel I was intruding on the temple, as most customers were dining after visiting the temple next door (while also "contributing to its welfare" as the website states). This could have been because of a major event at the temple, and I haven't always experienced it.

Govindas have a weekend buffet and an a la carte menu at all times (including weekends). In my opinion the dinner buffet is hardly worth the 1800 Yen and the trip to Funabori. On my most recent visit two of the four main dishes were vegan, but I needed to ask the helpful waiter, as vegan items are never labelled. Moments later, the same waiter appeared with the standard basket of nan and dosas, and after I (again) explained about the milk, he confirmed it had milk (seemingly unaware still that I wouldn't want to eat it, despite asking about dairy in the curries) and later re-appeared with rotis, which, as he helpfully explained didn't contain any milk. They were, however, smeared with butter or ghee. He gave up after that.

dinner buffet meal at Govindas Edogawa: sambar, curry, rice, dosa and salad (1800 Yen)

I think it's fair to say that the staff are all devoted ISKCON members, and have almost certainly grown up considering the cow sacred and its dairy products vital foods for physical and spiritual health, and they are simply not interested in entertaining any other diet or lifestyle, even for a few minutes so that they can serve their customers food they will eat. It's a pity, because it's the only evening (vegetarian) buffet meal in Tokyo during the weekend, and if it had a good variety of trustworthy vegan food it could be an excellent meal out. But as it is I'm in no hurry to go back.

Like Jains and Mahayana Buddhists, ISKCON followers don't use onion or garlic. I don't know if it's this or something else, but I generally find their food satisfying enough, but a little bland and watery. They serve basmati rice, but only white rice. The salad didn't have a dressing.

Dosa set from Govindas Edogawa Ku

I once went in the afternoon, and had a reasonable Masala Dosa, but it didn't compare to the fresh and flavoursome masala dosas I've had at Veggie Herb Saga.

All said if you want a satisfying all-you-can-eat buffet for dinner in the weekend, it's probably worth considering going out to Funabori Station (Govinda's is a few minutes walk from it) and certainly preferable to spending up to double that on a few small servings of (burnt?) curries at Nataraj, Japan's oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant.

Nataraj

Nataraj have been around for decades, and are somewhat of an institution among vegetarians in Japan. However I think they're cashing in on their reputation, and are now well-overpriced (except the lunch buffet - see below) and I only recommend them for if one is in dire need of a cheap, filling meal (at lunchtime) or one really wants to entertain a formal party in a nice setting with "Indian" food and can't make it to Gopinathas.

Nataraj restaurants are like the antithesis of Vege Herb Saga, and in that sense they complement each other nicely. To any connoisseur of Indian food, Nataraj will have a chain-restaurant feel, and the food will taste very insipid, as if the chef forgot the spice and then watered down the curry to save money; even paying the extra 100 Yen for chilli powder in your curry (yes, really, and it's more if you want Garam Masala) their curries simply don't taste like Indian food to me. On the upside, the milder twist on Indian curries may appeal to those not so familiar with 'real' Indian food, including perhaps some Japanese more accustomed to the subtler flavours of Japanese cuisine, however Gopinatha's adds a Japanese twist rather than just diluting the Indian flavours. At Nataraj you are sure to get your own table, with and only with the company you brought for the meal, and your order will be delivered very quickly (even if it's burnt as a result - see below).

Weekday Buffet
 

The  weekday-only 1180 Yen lunch buffet (below) is nothing to blog about, but undoubtedly the cheapest filling meal in Tokyo, and their vegan Naan are quite good, and a rare find. Unfortunately the Osaka Branch closed in May 2015.


Dinners

A good vegan naan imitation and a typical, watery, overpriced "Chana Masala".

Dinners at Nataraj, however, are grossly overpriced in my opinion. Serving sizes are very small, and a barely satisfying meal for two (including a drink each, poppadoms, a shared entree, two curries and two naans) comes to about 7,000 Yen. On my last visit (and it certainly will be my last visit) the Aloo Gobi came out very burnt, with strong aftertaste and the whole cumin seeds in it charcoal black. After politely asking if the waitress/manager could try it to check it was how it was supposed to be, the chef came out and told us that it was intentionally burnt, and that it was perfectly fine and healthy and gave it more flavour. (He also admitted, truthfully, that it's easy to burn aloo gobi because it's a dry curry.) I posted more on my Happycow review, but it's probably enough to say that Nataraj are a reasonable option for a cheap lunch buffet, but are simply not worth considering for dinner, even if you pay the extra to have your food spicy and can convince them that you prefer your curries not burnt. A better meal can be had at every other Indian vegetarian restaurant in Tokyo, often for half the price.

My visits were to the Aoyama Branch, and I understand the Ginza branch to be even more expensive, and I don't know whether or not they burn their curries to add flavour. There are also branches in Tateshima and Ogikubo.


Non-vegetarian Indian Restaurants?

In much of Japan, a chana masala from the local Indian restaurant is the best vegan option.

 
Most Indian restaurants in Japan serve North Indian food, and most will have a chef who speaks some English and can do a vegan dish, however there are several risks involved, in particular many may use a pre-made non-vegetarian curry sauce for all their curries, adding chicken to a chicken curry or chick peas to a chana masala . I generally ask to speak to a chef and try to get a feeling of how honest he (it's always he) is being, and then usually proceed with an order if I trust he's making enough effort to ensure that my meal will be. My worst experience was at a restaurant in Nagasaki (which, not surprisingly, seems to have gone) where the English-speaking waitress clearly understood my order, but still the roti were smeared with ghee, the salad with a mayonnaise dressing and the curry with curd in it. They just couldn't be bothered, so I paid for the samosas (frozen on the inside and burned to a crisp on the outside) and the one roti I'd eaten, and left.I didn't have much luck anywhere else in Nagasaki either.


The Nan Test
The best way to test if a restaurant will cater to vegans is to ask about breads. Nan bread us always made with milk (and usually egg) and must be prepared the night before and fermented. If they staff quickly point out that nan bread aren't vegan, I trust them. If they don't think of it, it's a bad sign as they haven't really understood. If they promise to make a vegan one (as many do) I walk out, as it means they either have no idea or (in most cases) just don't care, and are telling me what they think I want to hear in order to get my meal through as fast as possible. This of course does not apply to vegetarian restaurants like Nataraj which prepare vegan nan daily.

Tips
1. Try to identify restaurants which are run by Hindus instead of Muslims. This seems discriminatory, but Hindus are familiar with the concept of vegetarianism, and they grow up being taught that they should be vegetarian themselves, so most hold it in high regard. Muslims, by comparison, are taught that killing animals for food is morally acceptable, so long as they are killed in an especially cruel manner (Halal slaughter). The difference on consciousness to vegetarianism is significant, at least from my experience. Hindu restaurants can usually be identified by gods on the walls, and Muslim establishments by references to halal meat.

2. Never order a set meal, as the curries are pre-made, and are likely to have animal-based stocks to appeal to local tastes.

3. Order a dry curry, such as chana masala (chickpea curry) or (sometimes) an aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower), even if they're not on the menu. This means they're more likely to make it up on the spot (which a skilled Indian chef can do in minutes) and is thus a safer bet for a vegan meal. These two dishes traditionally don't use dairy products.

Common Traps
1. In Japan many restaurants (especially chain restaurants in shopping malls) add an egg to the pakora batter, to make it more like Japanese tempura.Likewise samosa pastry occasionally contains milk and/or egg, so it's good to ask whether or not they make it themselves. Many wait staff will have no idea, however, and may be reluctant to find out.

2. Rotis are often smeared with ghee (clarified butter).

3. Many staff don't think of mayonnaise (used for salad dressings) as containing milk or egg.

top of page

Skiing in Hokkaido

Niseko is a Meka for snow sports, boasting what some would call the best powder snow in the world (though Hakuba is also excellent). I visited three ski fields: Niseko, Kokusai and Mt Moiwa. Whereever you go, if you take just one piece of advice from this blog, bring plenty of snack food with you. Due to my late order and the Xmas backlog, my veganessentials order didn't arrive before I left, and I could really have done with all those snack bars I'd ordered, especially while travelling and on the slopes!

Getting There
The best way to get to Hokkaido for the environment is of course the train, and it's an interesting day's journey (or more if you stop off along the way) to take the shinkansen to Aomori and then an interesting trip through the world's longest undersea tunnel to Hokkaido, the Seikan Tunnel. (The Channel Tunnel has a longer undersea portion, however the the Seikan Tunnel is the longest and also the deepest rail tunnel). If you have a Japan Rail Pass (almost an essential for tourists who plan on leaving the Greater Tokyo are) it's all covered by the JR Pass, unless you want an expensive sleeper berth.

If you do fly, you won't be alone, as the Tokyo to Sapporo is the world's busiest air route. New Chitose Airport is about an hour and a half's flight from Tokyo, and flights leave from both Haneda and Narita airports. There is a Starbucks on the third floor. (Starbucks is usually the only place one can find soymilk, with an exception being Niseko, thanks to all the Australians - edit: and Tulley's Coffee). Also, the conveyor-belt sushi restaurant nearby has a few vegan options, including pickled plum, cucumber and gourd; these three can be found in sushi restaurants all over Japan, and are usually vegan. There are small dipping bowls for soy sauce under the conveyor belt for sushi, and ginger is in a box on the table. The powdered green tea is free (help yourself). Just don't be tempted by the deep fried squid legs or the  crab intestine sushi, quite a bargain at only 200 and 300 Yen respectively. The Tokyo-Sapporo route is reportedly the busiest air route in the world, and is flown by several carriers. Beware that while Air Asia (soon to close) and Jetstar offer some amazingly low fares for the route, they cancel planes regularly and when they do offer no compensation or even a refund, leaving the only option to take their next available flight, and if this isn't possible (ie if they want you to return two days later, but you can't due to work) then you just lose your money. I recommend booking early on a good Japanese airline (or taking the train).
2015 Update: Be very careful with Low Cost Carriers in Japan, and don't even think about flying Vanilla Air. Please see my LCCs in Japan website for more info. 

Whichever way you're getting there, consider using Takuhaibin to send your skis/snowboard (and luggage) to your hotel. It's probably cheaper than checking it in on your flight, and saves lugging them on and off trains. It's surprisingly cheap and simple, and can be done through convenience stores.

sushi from the conveyor belt restaurant near Starbucks, 3rd floor New Chitose Airport

Niseko
Niseko is almost a 'little Australia', and during the Xmas period I'd guess three quarters of people there, including many working in the restaurants, are Aussies, and most of the rest also foreigners, including many from Hong Kong and Singapore.

On the slopes themselves, food is mostly a matter of survival. Most places will serve white rice and "fried potatoes". King Bell on the Hirafu Slopes serve pizzas with dairy-free bases, and a pizza base with tomato sauce and basil was better than it sounded, even by the fourth one.
The Grand Hirafu Area was also the best area for night skiing, largely because the Gondola runs until late.

Best on the Niseko slopes: a vegan pizza base, chips and rice from King Bell in the Grand Hirafu  ski area.

At Annupuri, my favourite of the four ski areas, the Nook do a green salad, rice and "friend potatoes" - usual vegan fare. Beware that the last bus back to Hirafu leaves just after 8PM - I found out the hard way that it's a long taxi ride around the mountain, as easy as it seems to ski over it.

Best of Annupuri: a vegan lunch at the Nook, Annupuri ski area.

The Niseko Village Area area was the worst, with the restaurants (including the Lookout Cafe on the slopes) seemingly dominated by the Hilton Hotel, with food and prices to match. I couldn't find anything vegan, and prices for drinks were ridiculous. I don't recommend this area.

I never made it to the Hanozono Resort Area, so if there's a vegan cafe there I missed it.

For dinner, or a break during lunch, walk or take the shuttle bus to the Taj Mahal restaurant, about half a kilometre from the Grand Hirafu area. They were happy to make food vegan (and clearly made the effort to check ingredients) and the food, while the typical North Indian fare found all over Japan, was excellent.

On Sunday they have a buffet. Needless to say, little of it (basically Pappadoms and one curry) was vegan, but they cooked me roti, an additional Channa Masala and offered alternatives to other items not vegan. All up, it was a great deal at 1950 Yen (my other meals there were about the same price). The owner, originally from Bombay, has lived in Japan for fourty years, and he also has branches in Chitose (near the airport) and Sapporo. The Taj Mahal is the obvious choice for dinners or a good satisfying lunch while at Niseko.

A vegan modification of the Sunday buffet meal at the Taj Mahal - a great deal at 1950 Yen!

They also have two buses/vans in the area, one by Seicomart, offering hot food on the go. I found the quality (not surprisingly) much lower than the restaurant, so it's well worth the walk to get the food fresh from the kitchen rather than from the microwave.

Kokusai
Kokusai, which literally translates to 'international' (though I only saw one other foreigner there, among several hundred Japanese - quite the opposite of Niseko) is about a two hour bus ride from Sapporo Station. Compared to Niseko, I found its runs to be longer and wider, and I enjoyed skiing there a lot.

the view from outside the gondola at Kokusai Ski Resort

It also has two Gondolas to near the top of the mountain, so this and the wide, long runs meant that a greater proportion of my time was spent skiing than on chairlifts or in cues than at other skifields.

Kokusai base

once the sun came out, the views from the gondola were spectacular

Don't expect much for lunch though. The only thing I could find at all (other than french fries) was freshly baked sweet potato (that's kumara for any kiwis reading this) from the dining area to the far right in this photo.

enter at the far right of this building (as seen from this direction) and sweet potato are sold at the first counter.

morning tea, lunch (and dinner if you stay long enough) at Kokusai Ski Resort

Mt Moiwa Ski Resort
For a more family affair, head to Mt Moiwa Ski field, near Sapporo. This is where families come for a day skiing, and where working folk duck by for a quick night ski after work. Facilities here are very simple, and food very basic. I found nothing vegan except fries and rice.

Mt Moiwa Ski area, close to Sapporo

Note: I am writing about the Mt Moiwa near central Sapporo. There is a much larger Mt Moiwa Ski resort close to Niseko, which I didn't go to. Also note that this is a skier only area (no snowboarding).

The views of Sapporo were amazing!

To get there, take the subway to Makomanai Station, and then there is a shuttle bus (or a taxi) from there.

my favourite run at Mt Moiwa

SAPPORO

If you're in Hokkaido, chances are you'll go to Sapporo. I found it to be a very pleasant, liveable city. Being a planned city, it has straight, wide streets, and a central park-like avenue (Oodori) running right through the centre. It reminded me very much of Christchurch (especially with the hills in the distance) and of Kaohsiung, which was probably planned and built by Japanese at around the same time.

Oodori, central Sapporo

2014 Update: There are now several vegan and vegetarian options on Happycow. I have removed Jyoti and instead also recommend Lohas Rawfood and Itadakizen (details to come soon). I didn't get to try Heureuse Vie, Cafe Chienoki or Natural Food Holo.

 I recommend three places to eat in Sapporo, all from Happycow.

Aoi Sora Organic Cafe
Being Sapporo's only vegetarian cafe (it's actually vegan and organic) this should be top of the list. The meal was fresh and delicious (such a change from days of rice and French fries) and the friendly owner speaks good English. It's well worth the effort to get there.

a set lunch from Ao Sora Organic Cafe, Sapporo

Iki Laboratory
Iki Laboratory (it's really a restaurant) labels many items on its menu 'vegan' and 'oriental vegetarian' (全素 - no garlic or onion). Portions were small (as normal in Japan) but for such excellent food, it was still good value. 

potato salad from Iki Laboratory

I think these were made from gluten, but I can't remember what they were called.

parfait - Iki Laboratory

Jyoto
2014 edit
I previously recommended Jyoti for Indian food (written Dec 2012, removing it now Feb 2014). However on this visit the owner wasn't offering to make the vegetarian set vegan any more, so ordering dishes separately meant that my meal of dahl, lacha paratha (bread), samosas and "spicy potatoes" (essentially a potato curry, made with about one potato) came to about 2000 Yen. The dahl was also the only dish he suggested could be made vegan. And it was also very cold inside. So with these changes and the extra places added to Happycow, I no longer recommend Jyoti.
That said it is centrally located, and the staff clearly still understand veganism, so if you're craving an Indian meal it's still a possibility. But I'd highly recommend giving your patronage to one of the half dozen or so vegan or vegetarian restaurants in Sapporo. 

Gala Yuzawa

Gala Yuzawa ski resort

 Gala Yuzawa is where Tokyoites go for a day on the ski slopes. The station is owned and run by the JR Company, and the shinkansen station, locker rooms and gondola entrance are all in the same building - Japanese efficiency at its best. Being owned by JR, they offer an excellent package including the train (about 1.5 hours each way) and a lift ticket for around 10 000 Yen (depending on the time of year). This is less than the train itself, so the lift pass is essentially thrown in free. Tickets can be bought from major JR stations.

It tends to get quite crowded on weekends, especially with young snowboarders who seem to come more as a social outing, and they often sit down and talk on the pistes - beware. Serious skiers and boarders don't seem too fond of Gala Yuzawa, and for good reasons, however if you are just looking for an easy day on the ski slopes from Tokyo, this is the most convenient place to come.

Food wise, it's the standard green salad, chips ("fried potatoes") and a bowl of white rice. I always bring snack food with me.

ramen and rice with soymeat from T's Tantan in Tokyo Station

Since the shinkansen goes back to Tokyo station, on the way back is a perfect time to go to T's Tantan, the vegan ramen restaurant located inside the train station itself and not far from the Shinkansen entrance. It's located on Keiyo Street (an underground food "street") inside the gates of the station itself. Alternatively, if you're not carrying to much stuff, you could get off the shinkansen at Ueno Station and go to Vege Herb Saga, but call ahead first to check they are open.

Hakuba

Hakuba is a vegan oasis in the Japanese ski world, and also the site of the 1998 Winter Olympics. This is because there is a vegan restaurant right on the ski slopes and because the Hakuba Highland Hotel has chefs willing show off their culinary skills and cook up fresh, delicious and authentic Japanese food, which is probably the best Japanese food I've ever eaten.

It's not just the Olympic past which make Hakuba worth visiting.

And it's not just the food either - the views are spectacular.

But it can also get quite blizzard-like up the mountain!

Hakuba lies almost directly across the main island of Japan from Tokyo, about 50km from the West Coast. It's possible, but slow, to reach it by conventional train, with the best route being a shinkansen to Nagano (about an hour and a half), and then a bus to Hakuba (about an hour). It's a perfect location for a three-plus day excursion from Tokyo. It's generally significantly cheaper to go through a travel agent for a deal combining the shinkansen and the hotel (and possibly lift pass) than to book both independently, and it has the added benefit of the travel agent being able to explain vegan requirements.

I was fortunate to be in Hakuba after a massive snow drop in April 2012.

It was probably the result of some good research by my travel agent (Jack Rabbit Travel in Motomachi, Yokohama) and perhaps a little good luck too (given that it's not something likely to be listed in Japanese travel literature!) that she discovered that the Hakuba Highland Hotel chefs are willing to cook delicious Japanese food for a visiting vegan. Their reportiore was, understandably, somewhat limited at first, but it grew over the course of my two visits, and included egg-less tempura and various hotpots (as in Taiwan, but with seaweed as a stock).

the morning view from my window at Hakuba Highland Hotel

2013 Update: The food was even better - and quite spectacular - in my recent trip. I can't recommend Hakuba Highland Hotel enough, but it's vital to let them know in advance that you're vegan.

a typical oishii vegan dinner at the Hakuba Highland Hotel

The food was beautifully prepared (of course) and I really enjoyed trying authentic Japanese cuisine cooked by a local chef. Portions were generously sized, and a couple of times they brought out so much for breakfast (which I had to cook myself over a burner) that I nearly missed the shuttle to the skifield. 

Cooking the range of foods over the flame was quite a novelty. Allow plenty of time for these breakfasts!

But all this breakfast requires is some serious eating.

2013 addition: It just keeps getting better and better!

The mochis (top right) were pre-cooked, but they also gave me a burner to heat them up.

2013: Daiya may not have made it into the Japanese culinary world yet, but I was so sure the cheesy topping on the potato really was that I apologised and said I couldn't eat cheese. The mildly-offended waiter explained that it was made of soybean powder. Their chef is amazing!

I'm not a big fan of onsens, but the Hakuba Highland Hotel also has a nice outdoor onsen, and it's a great way to soak tired limbs after skiing, with a mountain view and snow almost up to the edge of the (covered) bath itself. The hotel is warm, clean and friendly, and a short, free shuttle-ride from the train station (where the bus from Nagano Station stops) and the ski fields.

Nearby on the slopes of Happo One Resort is the incredible Roots Cafe. It is owned by Evergreen Outdoor Centre, which was started by Dave Enright eleven years ago, when he ran courses in avalanche safety and worked as a sole ski instructor. From there the business has grown into a hive of year-round outdoor education activities. I have been pleased with my ski lessons over the last year.

Almost-vegan Roots Cafe, Happo One Ski Resort

 Five years ago Dave started Roots Cafe as a way of giving back to the community. Not only does it use locally produced vegetables and organic rice, but Dave grows some of the produce himself during the summer months. It also holds regular charity events, including one event which raised enough money to buy and deliver a new tractor for a tsunami-stricken village in Tohoku.

Roots cafe has now grown into a busy cafe, and you'll be lucky to find a seat during the busy lunch period around midday. What I tend to do is come early (say between 10:00 and 11:00) and then again for a late afternoon snack around 3:00 - 4:00, to tide me over to dinner. Note that the main courses (eg the wraps) are only available until 2:30, but there are plenty of snacks available afterwards. They also sell baked goods which are ideal for quick snacks on the ski lifts.

Snack time. Wrapped bars and biscuits are fresh from the oven, and make great snacks for the ski lifts. The tea was good too.

Unfortunately on my first visit, I simply didn't know about them, and found out by chance from a vegetarian ski instructor on my last day, and on my second visit (in April, partly to try this cafe), it had closed for the season the day before I arrived. I finally made it here in February 2013, and wasn't disappointed. It just makes the whole ski experience so much nicer when hot vegan food is so easily available.

How many ski slopes are there in the world where one can find hummus and pita platters right on the slopes?

The food is simple, healthy and delicious, and very suited to a hungry, non-vegan ski-boot-clad clientele, both Japanese and foreign. They use organic rice, and locally grown vegetables.

Lunches like this Mexican Wrap are available until 2:30.

But the Soup of the Day (here Minestrone) and snacks like these Soy Karage balls are available all day.

Cows milk is available for drinks upon request, and their burger buns contain milk powder (because they are bought from outside) but otherwise everything is vegan. Some sauces contain honey, so if you don't eat honey, then ask which products contain it (and please read this article).

The range of wraps (including falafel) were my favourite, but they also had this Chinese dish and an Indian-style curry.

Roots Cafe (and Evergreen Outdoor Centre) is on the slopes of Kokusai. The Hakuba Highland Hotel shuttle bus stops at the Gondola, from which it's possible to get to Kokusai by skiing either of the former Olympic routes (black runs). It should also be possible on green runs, but it's a bit more complicated (check a piste map). Alternatively, it's only a five to ten minute walk around the base of the mountain.

I recommend eating twice at Roots Cafe - preferably first before 11AM, and the next before the 2:30 finish of main dishes (snacks are available until 4:30) - and at the Hakuba Highland Hotel, but should you find yourself in Hakuba in need of food in the evening, the only Indian (and Nepalese) restaurant, Hindi Momo, has two vegan main dishes, Dahl and a Spinach-tomato curry, and the owner was happy to explain what was vegan. I found the dahl to be the best of the two.

Dahl and rice from Hindi Momo, Hakuba

August 2013 Edit: On my original post (on my Vegan Taiwan blog) I noted that the nearby Goryu resort has a Subway restaurant, but have since learned that the breads (like virtually all of the sauces) all contain dairy products, so I don't recommend going anywhere other than Hakuba.

Also in Nagano (a train, bus and walk from Nagano Station) are the famous snow-monkeys (Japanese macaques which bathe in "onsens" during winter. I haven't (yet) been, and am undecided about whether or not to. So far as I can tell, including from accounts by people who have visited, there are no issues of abuse, and the monkeys are not in any form of dependence or captivity. Feeding them, for example, is prohibited so as to prevent them becoming dependent on humans. One could argue that humans are intruding on the monkeys habitat, with swarms of tourists pouring through daily, while however it is a perfect opportunity for the public to see and experience the sentience of non-human animals in their natural habitat. If you do go, please let me know what you think.

View Hakuba Vegan Spots in a larger map