Dietary guide
Shojin ryori: Japan's original vegetarian cuisine
A tradition older than 'vegan'
Shojin ryori is the Buddhist temple cuisine that has been entirely plant-based for centuries. Its dashi comes from kombu (kelp) and shiitake — never fish — and it builds depth from tofu, yuba (tofu skin), sesame, fu (wheat gluten) and the seasons. For vegetarians and vegans, it is the safest, most refined tradition in Japan.
Tokyo's temple tables
Fucha Ryori Bon near Iriya serves 300-year-old Chinese-influenced temple cuisine in garden tatami rooms. Komaki Shokudo offers affordable temple-style sets under the Akihabara arches. Sougo in Roppongi gives shojin a Michelin-trained, sake-paired upgrade. Itosho turns tofu into 'eel' by hand, and 330-year-old Sasanoyuki built its name on silken tofu. For a modern twist, SAIDO's plant-based 'meat and fish' once topped the world vegan rankings.
What to know
Many temple restaurants avoid even garlic and onion. Reserve ahead, arrive unhurried, and let the seasonal course unfold. See our vegan and vegetarian explainers for the dashi traps elsewhere.
Places we’ve confirmed
Fucha Ryori Bon
Multi-course fucha-ryori banquet in a private tatami room
A 1959-vintage temple-cuisine institution near Iriya where John Lennon and Yoko Ono once dined, serving 300-year-old fucha-ryori in garden-view tatami rooms.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Anniversary
- Private room
Komaki Shokudo
Kuchifuku set — nine seasonal vegan sides with rice and miso soup
A casual, affordable vegan cafeteria run by a Kamakura temple lineage beneath the Akihabara rail arches, where even garlic and onion are forsaken in true shojin style.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Solo
- Casual
Sougo
Seasonal shojin kaiseki paired with sake and wine, refreshed every three weeks
A refined Roppongi shojin restaurant led by chef Daisuke Nomura, formerly of two-Michelin-starred Daigo, pairing plant-based Zen cuisine with carefully chosen sake and wine.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Anniversary
- Business
- Date
Itosho
'Eel' sushi and namasu crafted entirely from tofu and burdock
A reservation-only tatami refuge where a chef who trained 25 years at Takayama's Kakusho turns the seasons into meat-free trompe-l'oeil — tofu that tastes like eel, burdock that becomes sushi.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Anniversary
- Private room
Sasanoyuki
Kinugoshi silken tofu, said to be invented here in Edo
Founded over 330 years ago, this Negishi institution claims to have invented silken tofu in Edo, and still serves a quiet tofu-kaiseki course beside the poet Shiki's old hermitage.
- Vegetarian
- Anniversary
- Business
SAIDO
Plant-based 'meat & fish' course made entirely from vegetables
Once crowned the world's #1 vegan restaurant on HappyCow, this Jiyugaoka temple of 'new washoku' conjures convincing meat and fish dishes from nothing but vegetables — and welcomes vegan and Muslim diners alike.
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Halal
- Dairy-free
- Date
- Anniversary
FAQ
- Is shojin ryori always vegan?
- Traditionally yes — no animal products at all. Modern vegetarian places may use dashi or egg, so confirm if you're strict.