Vegan Japan

march 2008

saterday march 29

februari 23
Vegan Ex-President of Slovenia Dies at Age 57

Janez Drnovsek was Prime Minister from 1992 - 2002, and President from 2002 - 2007.

He baked his own bread, ate only organic veggies and fruit, didnt have a tv and wrote several succesful books about alternative lifestyle.

The president always fully expressed his vegan opinion publicly, like in his 2007 Eastern Message.

2007 eastern message by the president

article

YOUTUBE interview

Raw Vegan Video Diary of Chubby Girl

Here's a nice video diary from a Japanese - Hawaiin woman on a Vegan Diet for Dietary reasons. "its day nineteen of my vegan diet and i've lost ten pounds" WOW, that's great ! congratulations !

Jen's Raw Food Vegan Journal

saterday march 22

New Vegan Macrobiotic Restaurant !

Next month april 11th Maman Terrace will open a new branch in Tokyo Aoyama.
Currently there is a Little Maman in Shinagawa station, and a Maman Terrace in Osaka. Another Maman, The Petit Maman opened one year ago in Kyoto, already closed however...

and a Not-So-Vegan Raw Food Cafe..

Raw Food Cafe LOHAS in Sapporo has Fish on its menu and shows that "raw food" doesn't mean necesary "vegan food".

If you don't know it yet, Fish are animals just like Cows or Pigs. They can feel pain. They are not vegetables who dont feel pain.
Fish usually die slowly suffocating in the air.
Methodes of fishing are devostating for the sea environment.
On average 10-30% of the catch is "worthless" to the fisherman and thrown away. >_<
And many fish are now getting endangered.
Many other animals such as albatrosses, dolphins and sea turtles die unnecesary because of commercial fishing.
Fish are now so scarce that a commercial fishing ship travels thousands of miles to catch fish. This costs huge amounts of fuel and is very very polluting for environment. In fact, the amount of the fuel is so big and expensive that governement helps fishing company and $$ subsidize $$ the fuel!!
In short, there are many reasons not to eat fish.

Let's hope that LOHAS in the future will become a VEGAN Raw Food Cafe ! (^_^)
Its not impossible, other restaurants like Pita the Great in Tokyo stopped serving fish a couple of years ago and have become 100%vegan since !

3rd Vegan Japan Lunch Party !

In june the third Vegan Japan Lunch Party will be held
(see here photo from the second Vegan Japan Lunch party, on januari 20)

more info herwin1234@hotmail.com

MySpace Vegan Group

anyone who is into MySpace ?? here is a nice japanese Vegan Group on MySpace !!

No Animal Testing DEMO Osaka

this sunday, march 23, a big Anti-Animal Testing Demo was held in Osaka.
Most Animal tests are for cosmetics, chemicals, Fashionable Medicines, and Research that doesnt lead to practical implications. Animal Tests are cruel and obstructing development of better Animal-Free development of medicines.

Photo's are made by 1000夏.

Dr Greek explains in book "Sacred Cows and Golden Geese" (recommended!) why "animal tests" are in fact obstructing the development of good medicines.
Americans For Medical Advancement
Japanese For Medical Advancement

sunday march 16

GF ?

Last week i did put add from Rit'z on the webpage. Some people were surprised and did wonder if the girl on the photo next to me, is my new GF.
Noooo, she isnt, she is just Ritz'n staff. ;-)

Ritz'n recently opened an english version of their website.

Vegan Links

Recently i put some (japanese) links from websites with Vegan Recipes on the Japan Vegan site. (the links are at the japanese section)
Here is another link with Vegan Macrobiotic Recipes. It even has Tofu Cream Lemon Pie which looks so delicious. Recipes are in japanese, an excellent way of practicing japanese! ;-)
Vegan Macrobiotic Recipes

Here is article about Natalie Portman who collaborated with design of vegan shoes. wow, what a cute shoes ! >_<
Natalie Portman is a famous hollywood actress who is vegan and actively promotes veganism.
While so many veggie hollywood stars and other veggie celebreties in the west so openly talk about vegetarianism and veganism, and promote it, and positively influence young people, in japan it's so diferent.
Japanese celebrities and even ordinary people hardly will express that they are vegan/vegetarian when they are with non-veggies, out of fear that other people think they are "strange", and will reject them.

Japan Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide

I am so busy with writing and editing and designing !
just the other week i got information from my Mixi friend about some 100% vegan restaurants in Sendai. Sendai now has a total of 4 100% vegan restaurants.
Cities with at least 4 100%vegan restaurants will be visited by me and featured in the new Pocketguide with photo's.
New "at-least-4-vegan-restaurant" cities in the new Pocketguide will be Nagoya, Sapporo, Okinawa (yeah, i know, its not a city but a whole island..), Nara and Sendai.

saterday march 8

Hello ! (^_^)

Cool add !!

This month the vegan restaurant Ritz'n made this cool add about the Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide.

Vegan Ramen !

All over japan in regular ramen shops there is a new item on the menu : "No Pork, No Chicken, No Fish, Vegetables Only Ramen" .
And to make it absolute clear they add, "Vegetable-only soup stock is used " !
In Tokyo alone about 60 regular shops offer this Vegan Ramen.
Let's support this new Vegan ramen and eat it at your nearest ramen shop !!!

New Vegan Restaurants

This month and next month, three new 100%vegan restaurants will open in Tokyo ! (in Ogikubo, Shinjuku, and Aoyama...)

Shojin Ryori Restaurants

The expensive Aoyama shojin ryori restaurant Gesshinkyo recently closed. It was expensive, not delicious, and a cook/staff that was so stressed out and rude that it was funny. (^_^)

Another Tokyo shojin ryori restaurant , DAIGO, i did eat there a while ago. Expensive but very delicious food , good service and beautiful private room.
After some contradictory information, it has been established that Daigo uses fish stock >_< for its cooking.
Actually, that is not so nice because Shojin Ryori should not use any fish ingredients, because shojin ryori is strict vegan.
Daigo will not be in the next edition of the Pocketguide.

If you want to have a good (and less expensive) Vegan Shojin Ryori experience in Tokyo, i recommend Bon

Actually, Bon is Fucha Ryori, the classic chinese style of Shojin Ryori.

saterday march 1

Spring Flowers for You ...

Spring is in the air ! at my balcony pigeons did make a little nest and laid eggs. and today i did make photo's from the early beautiful spring flowers that are blooming in the city.

Under oak trees is a field of small white and purple spring flowers, with occasional big bright yellow flowers.

a Letter from France

Today i received an envelope from France with a letter that started with "dear Herwin" and money in it !! (^_^)

the Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide is sold to people all over the world, from Hong Kong, Australia, U.S.A, Germany, Holland, of course Japan, and this week for the first time a pocketguide was sold to a customer in France !
Vegan David and his japanese wife, both living in France, are soon visiting Japan , and in order to have a more pleasant vegan experience they ordered the Pocketguide. I hope it will be useful to you David, enjoy!

letter from France