Vegan-friendly food options on the rise in Miyajima and Hatsukaichi
The number of vegan options available in Miyajima and Hatsukaichi is increasing in response to rising numbers of visitors from overseas and global food trends.
In 2024, the island of Miyajima, located within the city limits of Hatsukaichi, about 20km west of Hiroshima city, welcomed a record number of visitors. This increase was largely fuelled by overseas visitors visiting Japan in ever greater numbers since the country reopened after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Like Hiroshima, the breakdown of overseas visitors to Miyajima bucks the national trend of most visitors coming from Asia, with Western nations topping the visitor rankings, and although many of these visitors enjoy local delicacies like oysters and conger eel, the island and surrounding area have provided slim pickings for the growing number of visitors following vegetarian and vegan diets (not to mention Halal and gluten-free diets).
Thanks, in part, to a publicly-funded program to encourage and support local eateries in Miyajima and Hatsukaichi to offer more vegan options, in 2025, vegan and vegetarian travelers will have a wider choice of culinary options to enjoy than ever before.
Miyajima Island
Yamaichi Bekkan
Yamaichi Bekkan has been a beacon of food diversity for over a decade. Driven by a desire to provide a place where people can enjoy a meal at the same table regardless of dietary restrictions, Yamaichi Bekkan has developed a comprehensive menu that offers authentic Japanese cuisine to vegans and vegetarians, as well as accommodating Muslim diners and people with gluten allergies.
Overnight guests can enjoy full-service traditional kaiseki seasonal dinners and sumptuous breakfasts. The restaurant opens to all comers at lunch, with vegan favorites including satisfying assorted vegetable tempura sets, agedashi deep-fried tofu and salad sets, makizushi sushi rolls, and (with reservation) vegetable nigiri sushi plates.
Yamaichi Bekkan is very popular, so we recommend calling ahead to reserve your lunch spot to avoid disappointment.
Yamaichi Bekkan: Website | Happy Cow | Google Maps
Tachibana
With a history of almost 80 years. Tachibana is one of the longest-running businesses on Miyajima’s bustling Omotesando Shopping Street. Low-key and down-to-earth, serving hearty meals, with its retro decor inside and out (look out for the smiling deer that watches over the goldfish that swim in a giant urn in front of the shop), Tachibana evokes the vibe of Miyajima before the recent overseas tourist boom.
Choose to sit at low tables on chairs or kick off your shoes and enjoy your meal zashiki-style, sat on tatami mats. On the menu, packed with Miyajima specialties like oysters, conger eel, and Japanese comfort foods, is a vegetable tendon (rice bowl topped with tempura) served with kelp soup made with vegan konbu dashi.
Tachibana has made great efforts to make their menu more vegetarian and vegan-friendly, switching from white sugar to cane sugar and sourcing egg-free tempura flour. Tempura and fried potatoes are, however, not fried in separate oil. For a 100% vegan option, go for their hot or cold udon noodles, made with konbu dashi (their soba noodles contain egg white) and a side of eda mame.
Tachibana: Instagram | Google Maps
Cuillere Miyajima
Cuillere is a rare bird on Miyajima – a restaurant open after dark!
Cuillere is a modern, bright, airy dining space on a narrow side street in one of the more residential areas of Miyajima’s historical district, serving Western food, good wine, and craft beers.
Although starting focused on sandwiches and cakes, Cuillere has recently been serving evening meals to grateful visitors who find that dinner options are few and far between once they arrive on the island. Along with two kinds of pasta (soy bolognese and peperoncino), vegan dinner options include hearty baked curry doria with soy mince and country-style bean soup. We look forward to the arrival of a vegan brownie in development to complete the dining experience.
Cuillere Miyajima: Website | Happy Cow | Google Maps
Sonoma
When the young couple who run this sunny little store, packed with cool niknaks and products, many of them created by up-and-coming artists and craftspeople, and drink stand, noticed that their vegan customers were struggling to find things to eat on Miyajima, they decided to do something about it.
As well as delicious vegan, organic soy gelato and an amazake malted rice drink, Sonoma offers two ready-made vegan curries (three-bean curry and spinach curry) served with rice. A range of delicious and healthy beverages, made with carefully selected ingredients, are also on the menu. Some of these include honey, but the staff will guide you to their vegan options.
Sonoma is also a great place to stock up on vegan instant noodles, as they have the full range of T’s noodles, which you can eat in the cafe or take away. Be sure to check out what other vegan snacks they have out on the counter.
Sonoma can be found on the street from behind Itsukushima Shrine towards Momijidani Park just before the shuttle bus stop that runs to the ropeway that goes up Mt. Misen.
Sonoma: Instagram | Happy Cow | Google Maps
Rokkaku Saburo (Hexagon Cafe)
Situated just inside the main gate to Daishoin Temple (Instagram famous for its Buddhist statues wearing colorful knit hats made by regular temple-goers), this lovely hexagonal tea house is the perfect place for vegan visitors to take a break after exploring the expansive temple grounds or climbing down from Mt. Misen.
Owner-chef Okita-san has been keen to provide her customers with vegan options since she took over the cafe, and her beautifully presented vegan curry made with chickpeas, soy meat, nuts, vegetables, and spices has proved very popular. A new addition is an equally delicious soy milk-based vegan ramen dish topped with locally sourced maitake mushrooms.
Hexagon is also a registered My Mizu refill station, and anyone is welcome to pop in and refill their water bottles to help cut down on the wasteful use of disposable PET bottles.
Rokkaku Saburo (Hexagon Cafe) Instagram | Happy Cow | Google Maps
Miyajima Mori no Yado
Located beyond Itsukuashima Shine, next to the ancient Omoto Shrine, opposite the aquarium, few visitors make it as far as Mori-no-yado hotel. In particular, however, vegan diners will find it well worth their while to seek out this hotel as it offers an excellent all-vegan traditional Japanese lunch available without reservation to guests and non-guests alike.
Taking cues from shojin Buddhist vegetarian cuisine, the inventive vegan dishes presented in this set lunch change with the seasons, but we were particularly impressed by the hashed renkon (lotus root) and yuba sashimi (tofu beancurd skin).
Mori-no-yado also serves full vegan course meals in the evening, available to guests staying overnight. This makes Mori-no-yado an excellent option for vegans staying in Miyajima. The evening meal also allows one to sample a broader range of delicacies, such as their vegan “grilled eel.”
Mori-no-yado is still off the radar for visitors from overseas. However, as well as an inclusive food policy (they offer gluten-free meals as well as vegan meals), located next to tranquil Omoto Park, and with an impressive carp pond viewable from the lobby and onsen hot spring bath open to all, Mori-no-yado is well worth seeking out when visiting Miyajima.
Miyajima Mori no Yado: Website | Google Maps
Momiji-so
This rustic cafe with outdoor seating in pretty Momijidani Park offers tasty vegan kitsune udon (hot udon noodles topped with fried tofu) and matcha tea. They also serve a vegan curry and rice dish. Momiji-so is a lovely place to relax in the open air, and the food goes down particularly well after hiking up and down Mt. Misen.
Other vegan options on Miyajima Island Akushu Restaurant | Starbucks Coffee
Miyajima-guchi Area
Douze Miyajima
A short distance from Miyajima-guchi ferry port, just off the main approach from Miyajima-guchi Station, Douze Miyajima is a small bistro that serves French-influenced cuisine utilizing the finest ingredients, many of which are sourced from the local area.
Head chef Mukai-san has developed several creative dishes that will please vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores alike.
The star is the miso grilled vegetable platter served on fragrant magnolia leaves. For a dish that appears so simple, the depth of flavor and smoky aroma delight the senses, and it serves well as a main that can be supplemented by salad, sides, and vegan pasta dishes. In addition to the vegan dishes, several more can be considered vegetarian.
Although the number of vegan dishes available at Douze Miyajima is limited, with local craft beer, locally made spirits, and a great selection of carefully selected wines and sake to accompany your meal, it is an excellent place for a treat after your visit to Miyajima Island.
Other vegan options at Miyajima-guchi: Hiroshima Ramen Momiji | Chinchikurin
Wider Hatsukaichi Area
Tonkatsu Taiichi
Admittedly, we were surprised when we heard that Hatsukaichi tonkatsu restaurant Tonkatsu Taiichi was interested in developing a vegan menu, especially as it prides itself on the quality of its pork cutlets, but it soon became clear that the owner was highly motivated and determined to make their menu more inclusive.
Tonkatsu Taiichi now not only offers a vegan fu-katsu (deep-fried wheat gluten) set, which comes with homemade pickles, rice, and vegan miso soup. Having never visited a tonkatsu restaurant before, it was fun to enjoy the experience of grinding up our sesame seeds and mixing in the vegan-certified sauce.
In addition to their fu-katsu Tonkatsu Taichi now also offers a delicious grilled vegetable plate and a hearty tofu steak, topped with a glazed shimeji mushroom sauce – both completely vegan.
Tonkatsu Taiichi is 8 minutes walk from Sanyo-jogakuen-mae streetcar stop on the Hiroden Line, an approximately 15-minute ride from Miyajima-guchi Streetcar Station.
Tonkatsu Taiichi: Website | Google Maps
Felderchef
Located in the hills above Hatsukaichi, this German bakery is appropriately named “Chief of the Fields”. Along with its recently opened sister store Mehl near Itsukaichi’s cruise ship terminal, these little Europen oases have produced authentic German bread and Europen pastries for a decade.
Now, in addition to its satisfyingly robust rye loaves, Felderchef has begun experimenting with a series of bread products and cookies that are vegan and gluten-free. From March 1, you can enjoy a vegan and gluten-free lunch plate with a half-and-half pizza made with vegan cheese, vegan cookies, and a drink at the cafe attached to the bakery in Hatsukaichi.
More vegan options in the wider Hatsukaichi area Big Apple Cafe
Miyajima and Hatsukaichi Vegan Dining Map
A note about vegan and vegan-friendly
While we understand the desire of the vegan community to have access to more 100% vegan restaurants, given the current lack of options, GetHiroshima and our parent company JizoHat takes a flexible and pragmatic approach. Our aim is to encourage restaurant owners and chefs along the path to providing more vegan options, and at times, that includes introducing food options that may use condiments that contain additives of unknown provenance or are cooked in the same oil as animal products. Where this is the case, we do our utmost to make it clear to our readers that this is the case.
