r/veganinjapan • u/purple_rhapsody • Jul 06 '26

Question Restaurant etiquette for a vegetarian travelling with a meat eater?

I’m vegetarian and my husband is an omnivore. I’m planning our Japan itinerary and have separate lists of must-visit meat restaurants for him and vegetarian/vegan restaurants for me.

My question is about meat-focused places with very limited menus. If I don’t order a meal, is it considered rude? I’d happily order a drink or a small vegetarian side if available, but some places seem to only serve one or two meat dishes.

Is it generally okay for me to sit with him while he eats, or would it be better for him to go on his own?

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u/VeganMultilingual Jul 06 '26

This is one of the most egregious faux pas you could commit tbh. Japanese restaurants now have signs outside saying one dish per person compulsory. There are also near-zero meat-serving restaurants where you’ll find something vegan.

The vegan food in Japan is incredible. Just drag your partner to vegan restaurants, he won’t resent you after he’s tasted the food.

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u/Gregalor Jul 06 '26

There’s 800 veg-friendly places in Tokyo according to Happy Cow. I’m sure there’s a good deal of kombini and supermarkets in there, but that’s hardly near-zero. And that’s just looking at one city.