A dish can look vegetable-based and still contain fish stock, meat extract or another animal ingredient. JNTO's vegetarian and vegan guide highlights the importance of checking ingredients beyond the visible pieces of food. Use a dietary label as an introduction, then explain the exact ingredients you avoid. This is particularly helpful when your definition of vegetarian or vegan differs from the listener's understanding.

Make a short explanation

Write a clear Japanese description of your preferences with help from a reliable speaker. Separate a personal dietary choice from an allergy, because the questions and safety requirements may be different. Include stocks and sauces if they matter to you. Keep the note brief enough for restaurant staff to read during service, and offer to wait while they check with the kitchen.

Ask about the whole dish

  1. Choose a possible dish and ask what its soup, stock or sauce contains.
  2. Check toppings and finishing ingredients separately.
  3. Ask whether an ingredient can be left out before cooking, rather than removed afterward.
  4. Confirm whether the kitchen can make the change.
  5. If the answer is unclear, order something else or try another restaurant.

Do not assume that a photograph, an English menu heading or a previous review confirms the current recipe.

Prepare for an unfamiliar area

Before a trip, locate several options near your accommodation and transport route. Contact a set-menu restaurant or lodging in advance because substitutions may need preparation. Keep an easy backup meal that meets your own requirements. At a supermarket, check the labels on sauces sold with otherwise suitable foods; the main ingredient and the accompanying seasoning are separate questions. Record useful Japanese ingredient words as you encounter them.

Keep the conversation practical

Staff may want to help but lack complete supplier information. Thank them for checking and accept a clear refusal when the kitchen cannot accommodate the request. A smaller, accurately described menu can be more useful than many loosely labelled choices. When you recommend a place to others, state what you asked and when you visited instead of presenting every item there as suitable. Recheck at later visits, since recipes, staff and ingredients may change.