A Healthy and Delicious Day – A Walk and Vegan Food
Fukuoka may be famous for its seafood, but it’s also home to a variety of delicious plant-based eats. In this second part of our series, we highlight traditional anko sweets, inventive vegan ramen, and refined tofu kaiseki—perfect for pairing with a scenic stroll through the city.
Sweet treats with red bean paste are also popular for hanami (Maizuru Park’s plum garden).
One classic example of a simple yet beloved traditional Japanese sweet is anko (red bean paste). Made with just beans, sugar, water, and a pinch of salt, anko is much more than just sweetened beans. It can be sandwiched between flour-based dough or mochi and then baked or steamed, served in a soup-like form as zenzai, or spread on bread. While it does contain sugar and should be consumed in moderation, it is free of fats, butter, and dairy, making it a comparatively healthier option than many Western sweets. Plus, anko retains the fiber, minerals, and nutrients of beans, making it a longtime favorite among health-conscious snack lovers.
Anko-based sweets are widely available in street stalls and small shops, making them a great snack to pick up while exploring the city.
One must-visit spot is Hakata Hiiragi, a small shop near the Chuo Ward Office that specializes in taiyaki, a classic Japanese snack loved for over 100 years. Taiyaki is a simple yet satisfying wagashi, made by pouring a wheat-based batter into a fish-shaped mold, stuffing it with anko, and then baking it. Many specialty shops focus solely on taiyaki, each with its own unique approach to batter, filling, and baking techniques.
Hakata Hiiragi
• Address: 2-4-38 Daimyo, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• Hours: 10:30–18:00
• Closed: Sundays, New Year’s holidays
• Tel: 092-725-3783
• Official Instagram
At Hakata Hiiragi, the anko is made in-house, slowly simmered from Hokkaido-grown adzuki beans and Okinawan raw sugar. The batter consists of just salt, wheat flour, water, and baking soda, carefully baked for 30–40 minutes before being filled with anko. This slow baking process results in a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior, perfectly complementing the mildly sweet, flavorful red bean filling. Even the small amount of oil used for baking is corn oil, and with just five simple ingredients (adzuki beans, raw sugar, wheat flour, salt, and water), Hakata Hiiragi’s taiyaki is a safe and wholesome treat. Best of all, it is completely vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
“I’ve been making taiyaki for over 20 years, including my training days,” says owner Daichi Yoh. For the best experience, enjoy Hakata Hiiragi’s taiyaki fresh off the grill.
After savoring a warm taiyaki, there are plenty of great spots for a stroll nearby. Head west to Maizuru Park, home to the Fukuoka Castle Ruins, or visit the adjacent Ohori Park, which features an art museum and a Japanese garden.
And as you head north, you’ll be greeted by views of the fresh fish market and Hakata Port Tower, giving you a true sense of Fukuoka as a port city.
As a port city, Fukuoka is renowned for its fresh seafood and sushi, enjoyed by both locals and tourists. While many sushi restaurants are scattered throughout the port area, we are introducing something different—a vegan ramen created by a sushi restaurant.
Sushi Shima
• Address: 2-10-3 Minato, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• Lunch: 12:00–14:00 (closed Mondays)
• Dinner: 18:00–22:00
• Closed: Sundays
• Tel: 092-753-6512 (12:00–21:00)
• Official Website / Instagram
Just a short walk from Ohori Park and the Nagahama Fish Market, Sushi Shima is a high-end sushi restaurant known for its omakase-style courses designed for food lovers. Owner Akinori Nakashima, born into a family of sushi chefs, leads the restaurant with precision and dedication. However, it was Sayuri, the proprietress, who, inspired by her time living abroad, wanted to create a space where vegans could also enjoy a sushi restaurant experience. This led to the introduction of a tonkotsu-style vegan ramen lunch set (¥3,850, reservation required).
This entirely plant-based course includes:
• Seasonal small dishes (during our visit, sesame tofu and shiitake mushrooms)
• Vegetable pickles (ginger)
• Inari sushi and a sweet treat (ohagi)
The tonkotsu-style vegan ramen features a soy milk-based vegetable broth with thin wheat noodles (similar to somen), creating a light yet umami-rich flavor reminiscent of traditional tonkotsu ramen. Even those who avoid animal products can now enjoy an authentic sushi restaurant experience at the counter.
For a traditional Japanese vegan dining experience, head to one of Fukuoka’s most renowned tofu cuisine restaurants, located in the heart of Tenjin. Known for its health-conscious menu and attentive service in kimono, this restaurant also offers private rooms and table seating.
Umenohana Tenjin
• Address: 1-15-6 Tenjin, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka
• Lunch: 11:00–14:30 (L.O.)
• Dinner: 17:00-21:00 (L.O.)
• Closed: December 31
• Tel: 092-737-4080
• Official Website
A well-established local restaurant chain, Umenohana is loved not just by vegans and vegetarians, but also by locals who enjoy fresh, healthy cuisine.
Their Vegan Friendly Course (¥5,800, reservation required) features ten carefully crafted dishes made from Umenohana’s original tofu, yuba (tofu skin), and seasonal vegetables. Even the dashi (soup stock), a cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, is entirely plant-based.
The course includes:
• Seasonal vegetable tempura
• Tofu mochi (soy milk thickened with kudzu starch)
• Grilled yuba mille-feuille (seasoned and grilled to resemble eel)
• Freshly made tofu prepared at the table
• Soup, pickles, and dessert
For lunch, the Vegan Lunch Set (¥3,800, reservation required) is also a great choice.
Looking for more plant-based options—maybe a vegan burger or a takeout vegan bento? Check out part one of this report here.
