When our son was Bar Mitzvahed, we told him that we’d take him anywhere in the world that he wanted to go, and he chose Japan (primarily because of Nintendo, I think). Our 13 and 17 year olds had a blast. The then 17 year old is heading back this year with her boyfriend
EDIT - it was dinner with you that made it fabulous @jordan_whitehead
Hey there,
revisiting this thread to pose a few questions since my family and I are taking a similar trip this coming spring (april '26).
Any other things if you were to go again to check out in that route? We are a group of 7 adults, all who drink; 2 vegans on our trip which complicates some of the eating component but all up for things wine and sake related!
Are they willing to make an exception for Dashi? I found it ubiquitous, my vegetarian wife was willing to accept it. If not, you may need to stick mostly to Italian and vegan places. look in Happy Cow for vegan places or places that accommodate vegans.
We enjoyed Vegan Ramen Uzu, in Kyoto. They have a Tokyo branch too.
Restaurants in Buddhist temples are usually vegan.
Ya they basically prefaced that Dashi is an absolute no for 1 so happy cow only dining for them and we planned on lots of temple food in Kyoto anyway!
Luonto is magic
Upon a google search, are you referring to this (Hiroshima prefecture)? If so, added to list of potentials but no guarantee we make our way there.
Anything in or nearer Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka that you recall?
There is one in Tokyo (I searched as well).
@Shan_A, can you tell us a little more on what type of wine?
On the menu, only one vegetarian pasta, with olive oil and cheese.
More time in Kyoto is the one thing I’d change from our trip. I wasn’t wine-focused- and I think I covered a lot of what we did with food above- so I don’t have much to offer other than, you guys are making me wish I was going back soon!!
Thanks for the reply! We are planning on 6 days in each of Tokyo and Kyoto. 1-2 of the days “in” Kyoto will be for excursions to Nara and Osaka. Much still unplanned but I need some wine-related things on my trip, even if Sake-only. I love the unfilited/nigori styles but whether pure rice or added alcohol, it’s all yummy.
Ah looks like you are right! I missed that. I shot them an email to see if they can accommodate our party size and two vegan diners… either way may go for wines.
Luonto is the temple to wine. I’ve been meaning to upload on Instagram. He is a hero to all of us.
Worked in finance. Started collecting. Now has 30,000 bottles. He opens 100 at a time in his wine bar. Last time I was there, I had by-the-glass, 2009 Fourrier, 2009 Denis Mortet, 2014 Gouges, and I was able to try a few of the Hokkaido reds and whites! And his chef is amazing. Seriously good food.
It is a temple to Burgundy and the greatest wine bar I have ever visited.
You can see on Instagram the bottles he is opening… and he’s super nice. Be sure to ask price by glass ahead of time though! Not cheap in some cases…
Is getting a reservation realistic?
I’ve got a couple of days in Tokyo coming up this month.
Yes. Just ping him on Instagram. Super small spot with 6 or so bar seats and a handful of 4-tops.
For sake, brewery tours are fun, but you may want to supplement them with visits to sake bars. They are typically small, and run by sake geeks who’d gladly guide you through different styles of sake from all over the country. (In contrast, on a brewery visit, you’d probably only get to taste what they produce.)
No specific recommendations (and small sake bars may not have any online presence besides Instagram), but you can find them via local blogs and the like, and from your hotels.
I have no high-end dining tips there but, for grabbing a quick meal with a group that includes vegans, I’d suggest large chain restaurants – their food may not be the best but they tend to be more prepared to accommodate dietary restrictions. An example is Curry House Coco Ichibanya. Their “vegetarian” curries are mostly vegan, and they can even bring out retail-packaged allergen-free curry and heat it up for you, if needed.
Tacos Al Pastor and a Frozen Strawberry Margarita in Shibuya, Tokyo.
From my most recent trip in Japan.
Yeah, that’s definitely going to work for the vegans…
So ture. You can’t just go to any restaurant and expect to see, say, vegetarian or vegan options.
So the key is to do your research ahead of time. For that, there are plenty of free online guides for dining out in Japan with various dietary restrictions (and they are FAR better than what’s available in Japanese).
And, for when you don’t have time for advance research, you can print and bring with you these cards that explain your dietary restrictions in Japanese.
But keep in mind these cards are kind of a last resort. Japanese “culture of perfection” being what it is, servers and chefs may just say “no” (to be accompanied by length and profuse apologies 
) because they can’t be absolutely 100% sure every ingredient and cooking method they use meets the requirements.
This is such an important point for visitors to understand, and one I try and share as often as I can. Some western tourists have encountered situations where they felt like foreigners weren’t welcome, or reservations wouldn’t be taken from non-Japanese speakers. More often than not, when this is true, it’s because the culture of perfection, and desire to avoid embarrassment, is so strong that they would rather avoid situations entirely, if they are afraid they won’t be able to perform as they should. While there are, sadly, some situations where certain clientele aren’t welcome (and the reasons for this can be various and complex), it’s very often not what you think.
I emailed him through the contact form on the website and he got back to me right away. He said they don’t have their dates set for my visit but to reach back out in a couple months when they do. He said they could accommodate vegan diners and take my party of 7.
