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Dining Guide

21 restaurants across 5 areas

Curated for vegetarian/vegan travelers with celiac-level gluten allergy. GF = gluten-free. Always carry a Japanese allergy card and tamari packets.

Allergy Card

Show this to restaurant staff

私はセリアック病です。小麦・大麦・ライ麦を食べられません。醤油の代わりにたまりを使ってください。

I have celiac disease. I cannot eat wheat, barley, or rye. Please use tamari instead of soy sauce.

Safe foods

  • ✔ Plain rice (gohan) — always GF
  • ✔ Onigiri — umeboshi, kombu, nattō fillings (check labels for wheat)
  • ✔ Edamame — naturally GF + vegan
  • ✔ Mochi/daifuku — glutinous rice ≠ gluten
  • ✔ Yakiimo — roasted sweet potato from street vendors
  • ✔ Fresh fruit — Japan's fruit is extraordinary
  • ✔ Tofu (hiyayakko/yudofu) — ask for tamari instead of soy sauce

Watch out

  • ✘ Soy sauce (shōyu) — contains wheat. Request tamari.
  • ✘ Tempura batter — wheat-based
  • ✘ Ramen/udon/soba noodles — wheat (soba is buckwheat + wheat mix)
  • ✘ Dashi broth — usually bonito (fish), ask for kombu dashi
  • ✘ Miso — some contain wheat/barley
  • ✘ Okonomiyaki — wheat batter unless rice flour specified
  • ✘ Gyoza wrappers — wheat
Useful apps:HappyCowFind Me Gluten FreeVegewel.comGoogle Translate camera mode

Tokyo / Shibuya

Days 1, 2, 3, 4

Ain Soph Journey

アインソフ ジャーニー
¥¥¥

Vegan & GF gourmet fusion

Shinjuku

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan pancakes — over half the menu is GF

English GF menu. Cross-contact possible in shared kitchen. 1 min from Shinjuku-sanchōme C5 exit.

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Vegan Izakaya Masaka

ヴィーガン居酒屋マサカ
¥¥¥

All-vegan Japanese izakaya

Shibuya PARCO B1F

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan karaage with teriyaki mayo

All items vegan. QR code English menu. Small (20 seats), arrive early on weekends.

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Vegan Bistro Jangara

ヴィーガンビストロ ジャンガラ
¥¥¥

Vegan ramen

Harajuku

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan ramen with GF noodle swap (small upcharge)

Fully vegan. Dedicated GF noodle option. 3 min from Harajuku Station.

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Brown Rice Cafe

ブラウンライス
¥¥¥

Organic vegan Japanese

Omotesandō

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must trySeasonal vegan set meal (shoku teishoku)

Hidden inside Neal's Yard Remedies shop. Walk through the shop, glass door in back. 1 min from Omotesandō A1.

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Tera Cafe

テラカフェ
¥¥¥

Shōjin ryōri (Buddhist temple food)

Daikanyama

✗ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must trySeasonal shōjin set — served by monks (Wed–Fri)

Temple food, no garlic/onion. GF possible with advance notice — soy sauce contains wheat. Ask for tamari.

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Magokoro (Kamakura)

麻ごころ
¥¥¥

Organic hemp vegan cafe

Kamakura (Hase, near Great Buddha)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryMagokoro set: brown rice, tofu 'meat', tempeh, 3 daily sides

Yuigahama beach views. Farm-to-table. Fri–Sun only. 4 min from Hase Station. Perfect for Day 3 Kamakura trip.

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Choice Kitchen (Kawaguchiko)

チョイスキッチン
¥¥¥

Plant-based buffet

Kawaguchiko (Mt Fuji area)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must try40–50 dish vegetable buffet with local Yamanashi produce

15 min walk from Kawaguchiko Station. Lunch & dinner buffet. Perfect for Day 4 Mt Fuji trip.

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Kumamoto & Kyushu

Days 5, 6, 7
⚠️
Survival tips

Kumamoto is rural — GF options are genuinely limited. Stock up at konbini: plain onigiri (ume/kombu), edamame, fresh fruit, yakiimo. For Kurokawa day trip, pack snacks from Kumamoto.

Cafe Pony

カフェポニー
¥¥¥

All-vegan organic cafe

Kumamoto city (Minami Ward)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan plant-based burger with brown rice

Your SAFEST option in Kumamoto. Explicit GF + vegan menu. Macrobiotic focus. 13 min walk from Heisei Station.

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Purely Restaurant

ピュアリィレストラン
¥¥¥

Organic vegetarian kaiseki

Near Kumamoto Castle

✗ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryMonthly rotating organic kaiseki with zero-pesticide rice

Beautiful 140-year house. Contact ahead (+81-96-323-1552) for GF protocols — not a dedicated GF kitchen.

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Tofu Kissho (Kurokawa Onsen)

とうふ吉祥
¥¥¥

Handmade tofu restaurant

Kurokawa Onsen village

✗ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryAgedashi tofu, dengaku (miso-glazed), tofu ice cream

Charming thatched-roof tofu shop. Vegan-friendly but miso contains wheat — NOT celiac-safe without tamari. Bring your own GF soy sauce.

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Onomichi & Shimanami Kaido

Days 8, 9
🚲
Cycling fuel guide
  • GF protein bars (2-3)
  • Rice crackers or GF granola
  • Nuts and dried fruit
  • Onigiri from Onomichi konbini (grab 4-5 before starting)
  • Individual tamari packets (for any rice dishes you find)
  • Electrolyte powder or Pocari Sweat

Lawson/FamilyMart/7-Eleven every 15-20km along route. Safe bets: rice balls (check for wheat - 小麦), edamame, bananas, Pocari Sweat.

Use Google Translate camera mode to scan konbini labels for 小麦 (wheat). Kanji is your friend.

Komedoko Shokudo

こめどこ食堂
¥¥¥

Japanese contemporary (fermented foods)

Onomichi waterfront

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan GF ramen with rice flour noodles — your best bet in Onomichi

Owner actively develops GF dishes. Waterfront views. Request advance notice for GF prep. This is the one reliable option.

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Kameyama Goya (Innoshima Island)

カメヤマゴーヤ
¥¥¥

Asian fusion (Thai/Vietnamese)

Innoshima Island (~20km into ride)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryGreen curry (verify no fish sauce) or pho with vegetable broth

Only real island restaurant option. Confirm GF and ask about fish sauce in curries. Scenic cycling café stop.

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Osaka

Days 10, 11

Vegan and Gluten Free Osaka

ビーガンアンドグルテンフリーオオサカ
¥¥¥

Dedicated vegan + GF Japanese fusion

Umeda (near JR Osaka Station)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryEverything — ALL menu items are vegan AND gluten-free

100% dedicated GF + vegan facility. 3 min from JR Osaka Station (B1F Ekimae 4th Building). Reservations recommended. Your safest meal in Osaka.

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OKO Fun Okonomiyaki

OKO オコ
¥¥¥

GF okonomiyaki (rice flour batter)

Shinsaibashi

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan okonomiyaki with okara (soy pulp) batter instead of wheat

Separate grill for GF orders. The Osaka experience you NEED — okonomiyaki without the wheat.

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Pivot BASE Cafe

ピボットベースカフェ
¥¥¥

Vegan street food (takoyaki, okonomiyaki)

Dotonbori

✗ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan takoyaki (¥1,000 for 10 pieces)

100% vegan. Takoyaki has wheat flour — NOT GF. Okonomiyaki can be made GF on request. English menu.

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CHIBO Diversity

ちぼ ダイバーシティ
¥¥¥

Multi-dietary Japanese comfort food

Dotonbori (main street)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryVegan donburi or shōjin ryōri plate

Clearly labeled menus for GF/vegan/halal/shōjin. Staff trained on allergies. Right on Dotonbori main drag.

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Kyoto (day trip)

Days 12

Choice Cafe

チョイス
¥¥¥

Vegan + GF Japanese fusion

Higashiyama (Sanjo-Keihan)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryGrain & bean burger with salad (¥1,100)

Uses TAMARI throughout (not regular soy sauce). Broth without fish. Best celiac-safe option in Kyoto. Closed Thursdays.

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Gion Soy Milk Ramen

祇園豆乳ラーメン うのゆきこ
¥¥¥

Vegan soy milk ramen

Gion

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must trySoy Milk Snow Ramen with rice flour noodles (¥1,500)

100% plant-based. Rice flour noodles (GF). Tamari used. Weekday lunch only (11–14:00). World's only soy milk patissier.

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Shigetsu at Tenryū-ji

篩月
¥¥¥

Shōjin ryōri (Buddhist temple cuisine)

Arashiyama

✗ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryMulti-course shōjin set (¥3,300–¥8,000) in temple garden

RESERVATION REQUIRED (075-882-9725). Michelin recognized. Inside Tenryū-ji Temple (¥500 garden entry). Standard soy sauce — request tamari at booking (not guaranteed).

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Kyoto Engine Ramen

京都エンジンラーメン
¥¥¥

Vegan ramen with GF noodles

Kawaramachi (Shinkyogoku)

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryKyoto Beaning Vegan Ramen (edamame-based, ¥1,800) + GF noodles (+¥200)

In-house broth = wheat-free. GF noodles available. Two vegan options. Safest ramen in Kyoto for celiac.

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Ain Soph Journey Kyoto

アインソフ ジャーニー京都
¥¥¥

Vegan fusion (same chain as Tokyo)

Kawaramachi

✓ GF✓ Vegan✓ Veg
Must tryMatcha pancakes (¥1,800) or cutlet burger

GF + Oriental Vegan options. Kitchen not allergen-free — cross-contamination possible. 2 min from Hankyu Kawaramachi exit 9.

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