Good times in Kyoto and Kobe

7 October 2009

I experienced my first vegetarian festival last weekend, and it was, in a word, delicious. On Saturday evening we headed to a pre-festival vegan buffet in Kyoto central. The Kyoto Vegetarian Festival is an annual event, but the vegan buffet made its debut this year. Judging by the good attendance, food and times had by all, I’m sure it will happen next year too.

There were a handful of gaijin (foreigners), and a lot of Japanese folk of all ages at the buffet. There were even some cute vegan kids running around, munching away and giggling under the tablecloths. The dinner was about exchanging stories, but the big veg fest itself was about showing people how easy it is to be vegetarian or vegan, and why it’s so important that we go flesh-free. We all had to say a few lines on why we were vegan – I could only manage English, but I mentioned environmental, animal and, oft-forgotten, human rights reasons.

On Sunday, after a night spent on a hard tatami mat floor, trying to remain undetected by spider mites (the price one pays for cheap accommodation), we headed to the veggie festival, which was held at Okazaki Park, near the famous Heian Shrine. There were about 100 stalls and hundreds and hundreds of people. We pigged out on organic vegan quiche, cake, waffles, falafels … curdled soya milk … then got some souvenirs. The curdled soya milk, while not particularly favoured by me, is a favourite here. Mmm, tasty.

There were some organizations which support organic community farming, handing out stuff in Japanese, and some organisations against fur, animal testing, and the like. I got a bright yellow no-fur t-shirt, which I will be wearing to a protest in November.

Kyoto, it seems, is a great place for vegetarians. Nearby Kobe, which also begins with a K (I really needed a way to introduce Kobe, ok) has some good points of its own. One is that it is where Arjuna was set (an anime about a girl who has to save the earth); the other is that it is home to Modern Ark Farm Café. It is not a farm at all, but they serve delicious vegan and veggie meals (including cake and that tasty wheat meat) – all organic as far as I can tell.

Vegan and organic seem to go together in Japan, which is great. Organic fruit, however, is a rarity. I found my first organic apple at a natural foods store in Kobe, and it cost about R40. Ouch. It was big and tasty though. Organic bananas imported from Mexico are easy to find, but I have to question how fair the trade is …

Next episode: Balcony gardens, artificially sweetened oranges, and more.