First Vegan Convenience Store Opens in Japan

Credit: MATCHA

If you have ever been to Japan, then you will know that Japanese convenience stores are the best.

Called “conbini” in Japanese, these stores are so different than the convenience stores we find here in America. There are bento box lunches, steamed pork buns, onigiri, ice cream, sandwiches, you name it!

But to better cater to the widening market of vegan eaters, Japan’s very first vegan convenience store has established its storefront in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood. Simple called Vegan Store, the shop offers a variety of vegan food products, but with a Japanese twist. There are still the typical bento boxed lunches, onigiri rice balls, and other convenience store standards, but all are made in-house in order to meet vegan standards.

Vegan Store sells a wide selection of pre-packaged foods that are either certified vegan or deemed to be by the store’s product selection team. There is even a casual sit-down vegan restaurant where all dishes are also gluten-free.

Vegan Store marks a growing trend of veganism in Japan, and although it hasn’t quite reached the level of popularity it has overseas, more and more Japanese people are jumping in on the lifestyle to be healthier and more environmentally aware.

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