Short answer: “I am vegan” in Japanese is 私はビーガンです (watashi wa biigan desu). Dashi is the usual hidden fish ingredient, so ask right after: だしは魚から作られていますか？ (dashi wa sakana kara tsukurete imasu ka?), “Is the dashi made from fish?”
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These vegan Japanese phrases cover everything from explaining your diet to asking about dashi. Eating vegan in a Japanese restaurant tends to go smoothly. Staff are usually attentive and menus often have pictures. Pointing gets you further than you would expect. What catches people is dashi: a stock made from dried fish that turns up in soups, sauces and rice dishes that look completely plant-based.
These vegan Japanese phrases come from several trips to Japan, solo and with others, mostly through trial and error. They start with the basics: how to say vegan in Japanese, then the full restaurant script from the door to the check.
How to Say Vegan in Japanese
Vegan in Japanese is ビーガン (biigan), sometimes written ヴィーガン (viigan). Both are the English word in katakana and both are understood. To say “I am vegan”, use 私はビーガンです (watashi wa biigan desu).
You say
| 日本語 | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ビーガン | Biigan | Vegan (most common spelling) |
| ヴィーガン | Viigan | Vegan (alternative spelling, same word) |
| 私はビーガンです | Watashi wa biigan desu | I am vegan |
| ベジタリアン | Bejitarian | Vegetarian |
| 肉も魚も卵も乳製品も食べません | Niku mo sakana mo tamago mo nyuuseihin mo tabemasen | I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy |
What Staff Say and How to Answer
From the door to the bill, the script almost never changes. Most of it washes over you. A few moments need an actual answer:
No response needed
| 日本語 | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| いらっしゃいませ | Irasshaimase | Welcome |
| こちらへどうぞ | Kochira e douzo | This way, please, just follow |
| 少々お待ちください | Shoushou omachi kudasai | Please wait a moment |
| ごゆっくりどうぞ | Goyukkuri douzo | Please take your time (after serving) |
何名様ですか？
Nanmei sama desu ka?
How many in your party?
| 一人です | Hitori desu | Just me |
| 二人です | Futari desu | Two people |
| 三人です | San-nin desu | Three people |
| 四人です | Yo-nin desu | Four people |
ご注文はお決まりですか？
Gochuumon wa okimari desu ka?
Are you ready to order?
| はい、お願いします | Hai, onegai shimasu | Yes, please go ahead |
| もう少し待ってください | Mou sukoshi matte kudasai | A moment more, please |
| これは何ですか？ | Kore wa nan desu ka? | What is this? (pointing) |
以上でよろしいですか？
Ijou de yoroshii desu ka?
Is that everything?
| はい、以上です | Hai, ijou desu | Yes, that is everything |
| あと〜もお願いします | Ato ~ mo onegai shimasu | I would also like ~ please |
The Most Important Vegan Japanese Phrases
Of all the vegan Japanese phrases here, these are the ones to keep ready. Showing them on a phone works better than trying to say them out loud:
You say
| 日本語 | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 私はベジタリアンです。肉と魚を食べません | Watashi wa bejitarian desu. Niku to sakana o tabemasen | I am vegetarian. I don’t eat meat or fish |
| 動物性のものを一切食べません | Doubutsusei no mono o issai tabemasen | I don’t eat anything of animal origin |
| だしは魚から作られていますか？ | Dashi wa sakana kara tsukurete imasu ka? | Is the dashi made from fish? |
| 植物性のだしはありますか？ | Shokubutsusei no dashi wa arimasu ka? | Do you have a plant-based dashi? |
How Asking About Dashi Actually Works
Most restaurants will try to help if you ask clearly. The challenge is not unfriendliness. It is that vegan is not a well-understood category. Vegetarian (bejitarian) is more familiar but still means different things to different people.
The most effective approach: show the dietary restriction phrase on your phone, then point at a specific dish and ask about dashi. Most staff can answer that. If they cannot, they will ask the kitchen.
Set menus (teishoku) tend to be harder because the components are fixed. Ramen, curry and izakaya dishes usually have more room for substitution or separate ordering. Tofu and vegetable dishes at a kaiseki or shojin ryori restaurant need no explanation at all.
For vegan restaurants nearby, HappyCow Japan is the most reliable starting point.
Vegan Japanese Phrases for Ordering Dishes
You say
| 日本語 | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これはビーガン向けですか？ | Kore wa biigan muke desu ka? | Is this suitable for vegans? |
| かつお節は入っていますか？ | Katsuobushi wa haitte imasu ka? | Does this contain bonito flakes? |
| 卵なしで作れますか？ | Tamago nashi de tsukuremasu ka? | Can it be made without egg? |
| すみません | Sumimasen | Excuse me (to call a waiter) |
| これをください | Kore o kudasai | I’ll have this one (pointing) |
How to Ask for the Check in Japanese
To ask for the check in Japanese, say お会計をお願いします (okaikei o onegai shimasu). At an izakaya you will also hear お勘定 (okanjou), which means the same thing. In many restaurants the bill never comes to the table: you take the slip to the register (レジ, reji) by the door and pay there. Tipping is not expected.
You say
| 日本語 | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お会計をお願いします | Okaikei o onegai shimasu | The check, please |
| お勘定お願いします | Okanjou onegai shimasu | The check, please (casual, common at izakaya) |
| 別々にお願いします | Betsubetsu ni onegai shimasu | Separate bills, please |
| カードで払えますか？ | Kaado de haraemasu ka? | Can I pay by card? |
| ごちそうさまでした | Gochisousama deshita | Thank you for the meal (on the way out) |
If the restaurant is loud, catching someone’s eye and crossing your index fingers into a small X is a common way to signal for the check.
Staying in a hotel? Check-in at the front desk is a different word in Japanese. The Japanese hotel phrases guide covers that script.
FAQ
How do you say vegan in Japanese?
Vegan is ビーガン (biigan) or ヴィーガン (viigan). “I am vegan” is 私はビーガンです (watashi wa biigan desu). Add that you don’t eat meat, fish, eggs or dairy, because the word alone is not always understood the same way.
How do you ask for the check in Japanese?
Say お会計をお願いします (okaikei o onegai shimasu). In many places you then pay at the register by the door rather than at the table.
Is miso soup vegan in Japan?
Usually not. Even at vegetarian-friendly restaurants, miso soup is often made with fish dashi. Ask 植物性のだしはありますか？ (shokubutsusei no dashi wa arimasu ka?) to check.
What if the staff do not understand vegan?
Show the phrases on your phone instead of saying them, and be specific: no meat, no fish, no dashi, no egg, no dairy. Pointing at a dish and asking about dashi works better than any label.
For deeper context on vegan food in Japan, the post on how to eat vegan in Japan explains the hidden animal ingredients to watch for. The vegan izakaya guide shows what a relaxed evening out can look like, and the konbini phrases cover the convenience store. Save these vegan Japanese phrases on your phone before you land. They work for ramen, izakaya plates and packaged food alike.