Some neighborhoods just click. Asakusa is one of those places where I keep finding myself, and among all the vegan restaurants Tokyo has to offer, the ones here might be my favorites.
This guide to vegan restaurants Tokyo focuses on one neighborhood: a full day in Asakusa. Not because they are the fanciest, but because they fit the neighborhood. Lively, layered, and with the kind of character that is hard to find in a city that changes as fast as Tokyo.
This is what a perfect day in Asakusa looks like for me as a vegan. I have done it exactly this way, more than once.
Morning: Tarot Cards, Matcha and Kitchen Knives
Cafe Tarot
Start early. Cafe Tarot opens at 7:30 and the morning slot is worth it. The concept sounds gimmicky but it works: a tarot card simply comes with your order, and there is a little booklet to look up what it means. Whether you believe in any of it or not, it sets a nice tone for the day.
The vegan Egg-Sando is my go-to every single time I come here. At some point I stopped being able to tell the difference. Same taste, same texture as an egg sandwich. Whether that says something about my memory or about the sandwich I am not sure, but it no longer matters.
Cafe Tarot is technically in Asakusabashi, about a 15-minute walk from Senso-ji. I use that walk as a gentle start to the morning before the neighborhood gets busy.
Kappabashi Street and Sensing Touch of Earth
From Cafe Tarot, walk towards Asakusa through Kappabashi Street. This is the wholesale district where restaurants buy their equipment, but as a tourist it is one of the more interesting shopping streets in Tokyo. Japanese knives in every size, lacquerware, ceramics, ramen bowls. Things you actually want to bring home.
My personal weak spot is the baking section. There are baking molds and tools in every shape imaginable: cookie cutters for winter, bread pans, madeleine molds, mini gugelhupf tins, little cake forms I have no practical use for and buy anyway. Easy to spend far longer here than planned.
Halfway through the street, Sensing Touch of Earth is worth a stop. A small, quiet cafe with very good matcha served with oat milk on request. A calm moment between all the shopping.
Vegan Restaurants Tokyo: Lunch at Marugoto Vegan Dining
Marugoto Vegan Dining Asakusa is fully plant-based. The restaurant is tiny but the staff is genuinely warm and the curry is excellent. If the weather is good I walk along the Sumida River before or after eating. A few minutes south you reach the bridge that appears in Wim Wenders film Perfect Days. Not dramatic, just a quiet concrete bridge over the river. If you have seen the film it hits differently.
Marugoto on HappyCow has recent reviews if you want to check the current menu before going.
Afternoon: Senso-ji and the Area Around It
After lunch, head towards Senso-ji. The whole temple grounds are worth the time. The Asakusa Shrine next to the main hall is quieter and genuinely beautiful. The small stalls and side streets in this part of the neighborhood have a different pace than Nakamise-dori.
One thing worth knowing: Senso-ji is one of the places where you can buy a goshuin-sho, the book used to collect temple seals. The seal itself is beautiful. The queue here is also very long, so either factor in the time or plan to start your collection somewhere with a shorter wait.
If you get hungry again during the afternoon, Hatoya’s Vegan Fruit Sandwiches is a short walk from the shrine: seasonal fruit in plant-based cream, open from 11 to 16. Kanmi Mitsuya nearby does freshly made shiratama with kuromitsu or kinako, naturally plant-based. Both are worth a stop if you have room.
Popular but not personally tested
Kimono rental and rickshaw rides are very present in this area. I have never done either myself, but they seem like a fun way to experience the neighborhood if that is your thing.
Evening: Veganic Monkey Magic — Vegan Restaurants Tokyo
This one needs planning, and it also needs a warning: the chef runs the whole restaurant dressed as a monkey. It sounds absurd, and it is, a little, but the food is genuinely fantastic. A 10 to 14 course vegan kaiseki menu based on what is seasonal that week, served to eight guests in a small inn. Around 5,000 yen per person. The sake tasting alongside is worth adding.
Open Thursday to Saturday only, reservations required. Check availability before planning the rest of the day around it.
A Few More Vegan Restaurants Tokyo Worth Knowing
If Monkey Magic is not available on your day, Vegan Izakaya Nowhere opened in December 2024 near Tokyo Skytree and is fully plant-based. Vegan Eat Tokyo Asakusa is another solid option, Japanese-Italian fusion, open daily — one of the most consistent vegan eat Tokyo Asakusa spots in the neighborhood. Vegan Eat Tokyo on HappyCow.
If this is your first time navigating vegan food in Japan, the honest guide to eating vegan in Japan is a good starting point. And if you end up at a convenience store between meals, the vegan konbini guide covers what to actually look for.
Where to Stay Near These Vegan Restaurants Tokyo
The area between Asakusa Shrine and Asakusabashi is a solid base for this kind of day. Hotels and hostels here tend to be reasonably priced, the neighborhood is quiet, and the transport connections are excellent. Multiple train and subway lines put most of Tokyo within easy reach.
Asakusa is a reliable base when exploring vegan restaurants Tokyo has in this part of the city. Every asakusa vegan restaurant in this guide is within easy walking distance of the neighborhood.
All vegan restaurants Tokyo listed in this guide are personally verified. For a broader look at vegan restaurants Tokyo beyond Asakusa, HappyCow has the most complete listing. This guide covers the best vegan restaurants Tokyo has in Asakusa — one neighborhood, one full day.
