Herbivorous and Happy in Japan

Imagine a country where the consumption of fish, fowl and flesh is prohibited by an ordinance enacted by the powers that be. That would be a (vegetarian's) paradise; no need to try and try again to communicate your dietary restrictions. Now imagine that country is Japan. Impossible!? No, not if this was Japan between 676 and 737 when the country was under a vegetarian ordinance declared by Emperor Temmu, a devout Buddhist, during his reign (672-686). However, these idyllic (for vegetarians) conditions did not last forever. Even though Buddhism, known for its strict vegetarian dietary principles, had become the official state religion, Emperor Shomu (724-749) allowed the consumption of fish and shellfish in 737. The fall from this pure vegetarian's paradise occurred very gradually during the ensuing 1,130 years. However, Japan was essentially a nation of vegetarians supporting the "pesco" prefix every now and again on special occasions. It was not until the beginning of the Meiji Era (1868-1912) when the dietary delights of the Western world arrived, that Japan started to slide down the slippery slope of carnivorousness and landed in vegetarian purgatory, slightly closer to hell than heaven.

Japanese essentially has two words that mean vegetarian: bejitarian and saishokushugisha. Saishokushugisha is written in Chinese characters and literally means "a person of vegetable eating principles". This word came into use slightly prior to the beginning of the Meiji Era when English words ending in ism connoting an ideological concept, as in vegetarianism, were translated en masse by the Japanese intelligentsia to create a modern Japanese vocabulary. Bejitarian, written in katakana, Is a direct loan word from the English "vegetarian" and came into popular use after the 1960s. A bejitarian is defined as being a saishokushugisha in Japanese dictionaries. Perhaps this narrow definition of a vegetarian as being someone who consumes a diet of vegetables (only) is the reason why occasionally Japanese people have asked me whether a bejitarian can eat tofu or beans. As with any generalized label, nothing can be left to be assumed that it is understood.

An integral part of experiencing a foreign culture is enjoying the nourishment provided by the hosts of the culture. However, it seems that this is the excruciating part of the vegetarian's experience in Japan due to language, differing cultural conceptions of vegetarianism, and the fish flaky nature of even the most seemingly innocuous food like miso soup, generally made with a fish stock base. But, as I said, this is a purgatory and not a hell: saving graces can be found with a little communication and explanation.

Shojin Ryori

Vegetarians will be delighted to find that one of the most traditional and exquisite Japanese cuisines is shojin ryori (a vegetarian meal, also known as temple cuisine). The word shojin means devotion (but also non-meat eating) since it is used to describe the meals of devout Buddhist monks. The cuisine was established by Dogen, the 13th century monk also credited with founding the Soto sect of Zen Buddhism. However, a shojin ryori meal tends to be difficult to find and finance. Temple towns like Kamakura and Kyoto offer a relatively wide selection and price range. Remember though that in these temples, shojin ryori is part of the meditation and remains a religious rite.

The Sushi Bar

For vegetarians, the sushi restaurant may seem like a torture session, but there are numerous selections for a painless palate:

Inari-zushi

rice wrapped in sweet tofu skin

Kappa-maki

cucumber roll

Kampo-maki

dried gourd shaving roll

Natto-maki

fermented bean roll

Oshinko-maki

yellow pickled daikon roll

The Tempura Restaurant

Tempura is fish or vegetables battered or fried in sesame or vegetable oil. Tentsuyu, the generic name for the dipping sauce, contains fish flakes. An option to the dipping sauce is lemon extract sauce. Vegans should be aware that sometimes the batter contains eggs.

The Izakaya

The izakaya, or Japanese-style pub, offers various vegetarian victuals form the familiar fried potatoes to tomato salad and traditional Japanese pub snacks. A word for the wise: Always ask them to hold the fish flakes ("katsuo bashi de onegaishimasu!") on the salads and agedashi-dofu (dried tofu). A selection:

Daikon sarada

radish salad

Edamame

boiled soy beans

Osembei

rice crackers

Tofu sarada

Tofu salad

Umeboshi onigiri

riceball with pickled plum

Yaki onigiri

fried riceball

Yu-dofu

boiled tofu, seaweed stock soup

Acknowledgments

By Tracey Delaney (March 2000 Saitama News)