![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/fukuoka-now.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/05\/fn162-soup.png\" "\\"fn162")
<\/a><\/p>\nI\u2019m from Britain\u2014a veritable haven for vegetarians in comparison with Japan. It\u2019s unusual for there not to be a vegetarian option on any given menu, even if it is from a small and predictable range. Even your standard burger van has a veggie burger!<\/p>\n
When I arrived in Japan, I learnt the hard way how misguided I\u2019d been: death by udon. Arriving, as I did, before full term started to a limited canteen menu, I was dismayed to find my only option was (what I have since realized is) terrible udon. The flavorless broth and stodgy noodles were garnished with only a handful of spring onions. Two weeks of that is the most effective diet I\u2019ve ever come across and almost drove me back to the airport.<\/p>\n
It was no better beyond the confines of the university. Needing to grab a bite to eat whilst exploring Tenjin, I spotted a Starbucks. \u201cAh ha!\u201d I thought, \u201cThat\u2019s bound to have a vegetarian option, just like at home. Success!\u201d I found a cheese and mushroom sandwich, even helpfully labelled in English. However, after the first bite I noticed that it was like no mushroom I\u2019d ever tasted before. I peeled open the bread for confirmation. The \u201ccheese and mushroom\u201d sandwich was, in fact, predominantly beef-based. I suppose you wouldn\u2019t bother to mention the sandwich contained bread either.<\/p>\n
Again, Family Mart helped me consume more meat and fish in my first month here than I have in the past 10 years. I grabbed one of those oh-so-convenient rice balls on the way to work and was halfway through it before I noticed the shrimp eyes staring out at me.<\/p>\n
However, I must say, that, despite their bewilderment, the customer service of the staff in Fukuoka\u2019s shops and restaurants has really shone when I\u2019ve asked for help. I recall one waitress going back and forth between my table and the kitchen, confirming what I could eat. I didn\u2019t know what many of the things she suggested were (so I played it safe and said no) but I really appreciated the effort. Also, Japanese friends have cooked me some divine food, making things I\u2019d never dreamed of from tofu and that delicious Japanese pumpkin, kabocha. Even the ladies in the university canteen have been very considerate after overcoming their initial confusion, making vegetarian versions of dishes for me. They\u2019ve even stopped laughing when I ask for karaage-don (a chicken, egg and rice dish) without the meat.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve noticed the Japanese love their food. They dedicate entire television programmes to watching presenters eat. Whenever I travel, my Japanese friends are sure to advise me on the local specialities, so it\u2019s a shame that I can only partially get involved in this. I wonder, though, if this love of food might one day turn to the vegetarian\u2019s advantage, as exotic foreign foods become more widely available. <\/p>\n
Until then, though, vegetarians take note: ALWAYS ask if what you are ordering has meat or fish in it. \u201cKore wa niku ka sakana ga haitteimasu ka?\u201d This will inevitably lead to some bemused looks as the staff assure you, \u201cOf course not\u2026 it\u2019s a cheese toasty,\u201d but hopefully you\u2019ll avoid some of my mistakes. For more tips from me, check out the NOW Blog<\/a> later this month!<\/p>\n Originally published in Fukuoka Now Magazine (fn162, June 2012<\/a>)<\/strong><\/a>
\nby Sara Whittaker
\nUK\/Student & English Teacher <\/p>\n
\nRead Part Two- A Fukuoka Vegetarian Survival Guide<\/a><\/p>\n