Hitchhiking in Hokkaido, Japan – a solitary excursion to the lakes – Plant-Powered Nomad

It was early afternoon, and I was sitting on the train going from Tokyo to Hakodate, the first of three trains to Sapporo where I was planning on spending the night. Relatively well organised for once, I already had a couchsurfing host organised for this part of my trip round Japan. I sat back in my extremely cosy seat on the Japanese Shinko high speed train, and Google mapped how to get from Sapporo train station to my host’s apartment. The answer: an 8 hour train to the far North of the island. Shit.

Maybe it’s just me, but I have an unfortunate traveller’s habit of looking at a country on a map and vastly underestimating the size of the country and the time it will take to cross from one end to the other. I’ve done this countless times, and it’s resulted in some rather frantic and exhausting situations – from a 36 hour bus journey from Bogota to Quito to attempting to hitchhike Berlin to Munich when I didn’t start out until early afternoon, and having to spend a night in a tent by a gas station somewhere in rural Saxony.

Hitchhiking in Hokkaido, Japan

Good morning from my tent in a field in Saxony.

On this occasion, I was lucky enough to have reliable data on my phone and I spent the next half hour sending out a frantic copy and paste couchsurfing request to around 12 hosts in Sapporo – which pretty much exhausted the remote city’s supply of active users with references. It certainly didn’t help that I was travelling during Golden Week, a holiday in Japan where Japanese head back to spend time with their families, and foreigners living and working in Japan use their rare time off to go travelling themselves.

Sure enough, the replies soon started coming in: “Sorry, but no…” “Sorry, I’m not here…” “Sorry, I’m going camping in the North…” until, about an hour after I sent the request, I received a “Yes! You’re welcome!” Just in time, too, I was Googling fields around Sapporo that were suitable for camping in, and the local laws on the legalities of doing so.

Hitchhiking in Hokkaido, Japan

Lake Shikotsu as the sun started to set.

A shy, sweet, quiet girl who barely came up to chest height on me (she was so tiny that when I weighed myself on her electronic scales, they had her height programmed and so told me bluntly that I’m obese) my host met me at the station that evening. When I explained that I had been thinking of nothing but food for the past 5 hours, she kindly drove me to a supermarket where I bought tofu, noodles, some vegetables and a few things to take with me when hitch hiking and camping that weekend. We got back, I cooked, we talked a little and then slept.

The next morning I set off a little later than planned, and found myself waiting extreme amounts of time for the trains. I was heading for two lakes, lake Toya and lake Shikotsu. After taking the train (free using my Japan rail pass) to a more remote area a little out of Sapporo, I found a likely looking piece of road where plenty of cars going in the right direction and a spot where they would be able to pull over. Then I stood with large smile on my face, and my thumb held jauntily out.

After barely 5 minutes, a jovial middle-aged American lady with a large car full of Japanese children pulled over and asked where I was going. “Lake Toya,” I replied. “Oh, we can go that route,” she replied, and rearranged the children to make room for me. She introduced them as her foster children, adopted children, and children of her foster daughter from twenty years ago. Now a widow after her Japanese husband of 20+ years died suddenly from a heart attack five years previously, she clearly had no shortage of love in her life and was happily integrated into the sleepy North island of Hokkaido.

Hitchhiking in Hokkaido, Japan

Lake Shikotsu, this time without people.

When she dropped me off at my first lake, I felt much happier about my decision to hitchhike. I arrived at golden hour, and it was beautiful. I wandered around for a while, although my large bag stopped me wandering as much as I would have liked. Do hikers who are on the go for months at a time get used to these things?? I ate a late lunch. Then I decided it was time to hitchhike out before it got too dark.

Apparently, the route I wanted to go was the opposite of the one drivers go in. Eventually, after a lot of cars stopped and were sent on their ways without me, I decided it would be best to be taken to a train station, any train station, from where I could catch a train to the next place. I had wasted a lot of time at this point, and it was really beginning to be dark. Unperturbed, I cheerfully answered the curious questions that the Japanese couple asked me using their translation app. The questions started out simple: “where are you from?” “How long are you here?” But soon got more complex: “You are how many years without people?” “Why you climb mountain don’t catch squirrel?” (I may have made that last one up, but you get the idea – the questions got weird).

By the time I had been dropped off at the station and then waited for a while for a train, it really was getting dark. I cheerfully forged ahead and arrived at the other end, in the town closest to Lake Toya. Using my phone I navigated my way out of the city and onto a road leading out towards the lake. It was a very dark road – it was now around 9pm. Occasionally a car would pass and I would turn around and stick out my thumb hopefully. A man stopped and indicated he’d take me to the campsite I pointed out to him. I told the voice inside my head saying I was silly to get in the car with a man at night in rural Japan to be quiet, and I hopped in the car. It was fine. And he gave me a map when he dropped me off at the other end (a map that I carried for longer than I wanted to before guiltily throwing it out a week or so later).

Hitchhiking in Hokkaido, Japan

Beautiful Lake Toya.

A man with no English (I was getting used to this) checked me in took and my 400yen for the night. As he walked me to my spot he pointed out the bathroom (toilets and sinks with freezing water, no showers) and I sidestepped round the Japanese children running around everywhere with sparklers. Much like the campsites of my childhood that we went to in Wales where everyone else was British, everyone else here was Japanese. I pitched my tent (I have a little one like this) and climbed into my sleeping bag with my kindle and my head torch. The wonderful thing about really tiny tents is they warm up fast.

After breakfast of soy milk I’d brought in a bottle and cereal (about all I could find in a Japanese supermarket that was vegan, but you can read about being vegan in Japan here) I packed up and went on my way. I could not. Get. Into. The. Lake. There were bushes, fences, and private land signs everywhere. So much for my idea of waking up and just wandering down to the water. I stuck my thumb out again and a family picked me up ten minutes later, and drove me for fifteen minutes to another campsite where I could finally get access  to the lake. It was beautiful, and peaceful, and tranquil.

Hitchhiking in Hokkaido, Japan

Swans by Lake Toya.

I hitched back in the early afternoon, managing to get a ride with a man who took me most of the way and even bought me tea at a convenience store. We couldn’t communicate with anything other than okay, and after a while he gave up trying to speak Japanese to me, but it was a pleasant enough ride. He put me out at a lay-by by the side of a mountain pass when it was time for him to go a different way, and ten seconds later two students pulled up and took me right into the city. They had been driving up for the past two days, something I didn’t envy, but I had come across them at the right moment. They took me back to my host in time for dinner.

If I went back did it again…

This weekend was one of my favourite parts of my three weeks in Japan, but here are the things I would change:

I’d plan my route better. I’m not the most organised person at the best of times, but waiting for an hour between trains, getting lifts in the wrong direction because I’d become stranded, not knowing where the entrance to the lake was… it all added to the adventure, but wasted a lot of time.

I’d give myself more time. Maybe this is a bit of a no brainer considering what I said above.

I’d use that time to hitchhike over the whole island. Because Hokkaido is really, truly, beautiful. And peaceful. And friendly. Actually… I just want to go back and hitchhike all of Japan.

I’d carry less. If possible. But that’s a general life goal of my travel. Still, I was carrying a ridiculously heavy bag for a lot of it.

If you want to be really organised and book places in advance, you can do so through booking.com, which has a good selection for Hokkaido.

Disclosure. Clicking on the links will take you to buy/book things. If you do so I’ll get a small percentage at no extra cost to you, whatever it is. This is massively helpful to me and will help pay for my next latte as I compile more hopefully helpful and amusing posts for you to read. I only ever recommend products I use or at some point want to buy.

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15 stories behind the ink – tattoos from awesome travellers

Have you ever noticed that a lot of travellers have tattoos? I was standing on a train recently in Bangkok with a lot of other travel bloggers, and it being a hot country we were all showing a lot of skin – and a lot of tattoos. It occurred to me that travellers make up a very high percentage of the tattooed population. And so, I asked some fellow travel bloggers to share the stories behind the things we’ve got inked while travelling in far off lands. Incidentally, we’re all vegan travellers and you can read about why some tattoos aren’t vegan here. For my last tattoo (the bird) it was totally spontaneous so I connected to their wifi and did a quick Google of the ink they use. Luckily, it was vegan. He pretty much freehanded it so the transfer paper wasn’t an issue. And I carry a little pot of Lush ultra balm (Lush Ultrabalm Body Balm 1.5oz Tin which is lip balm, chapped hands balm, and excellent spontaneous vegan tattoo aftercare. It lasts forever, too (I used it for both of mine and still have 1/3rd left – enough for my next one?). On with the stories.

Amélie – Mostly Amélie

Durian fruit tattoo

I wasn’t going to get a travel tattoo because I think they can sometimes be a little tacky, but I have developed such an obsession with durian fruit while in Thailand that I decided to go ahead and get one tattooed on my leg. The meaning goes beyond the simple fact that I am passionate about the stinky fruit: I would say it’s a bit of a metaphor for the quest for new and exotic things I am on when exploring new countries. And the crown and “hail to the king” writing is a bit of a cheeky double sense wink to what is called the “king of fruits” and the country where I got the tattoo, Thailand and its beloved king.

Amélie is a hungry fun-loving vegan Canadian graphic designer and travel writer who’s ditched the 9 to 5 lifestyle in favor of something that lets her roam the world at her own will and follow her ever itchy feet. She is currently cycling between Istanbul and Berlin. Follow her adventures on her blog Mostly Amélie. You can also catch her on Facebook.

Randi – Veggie Visa and Just a Pack

Watercolour travel tattoo

Watercolour travel tattoo

I remember admiring Michael’s tattoo while sitting across a table from him the first time we met. It was the first one I had seen in this style and it was magnificent. The colors, the meaning, even the fact that he got it in Nicaragua made me envious.

Nearly a year later, I found myself in the same small surf town with Michael where he got his sunset backpacker tattoo. I was constantly surrounded by people with fresh ink from the same artist, Guy Mark.

I knew I wanted one of Guy’s incredible watercolor tattoos but couldn’t decide on the subject. For days I wrestled with different ideas but in the end was drawn to the splatter marks that appeared as an accent on so many of his tattoos.

About an hour before my appointment I decided I would ask Guy to design an abstract piece for me that loosely represented my intense connection to, and love for, water.

Randi is the co-founder of the travel website Just a Pack and Veggie Visa. She is a vegan, loves to cook, and is happiest when lying on a beach in a foreign country.

Facebook: Just a Pack & Veggie Visa

Twitter: Just a Pack & Veggie Visa

herbivore clothing co elephant tattoo

HERBIVORE CLOTHING CO. ELEPHANT TATTOO
Tattoo Charlies in Louisville, KY

In the fall of 2011 I set out on what turned into a pretty epic adventure. I had quit my job earlier that year, got rid of almost everything I owned, and moved into a renovated Chevy van. My Dad helped build a bed in the back of it and everything! The goal was to try and eat at every vegan restaurant in the United States.

About six months into the journey I landed in Louisville, Kentucky. I’d discovered a lovely coffee shop offering a variety of vegan treats, called Highland Coffee, on Bardstown Road.

Looking around the coffee shop I realized I was about 10 tattoos short of “fitting in.” Almost everyone around me was covered and I had but one wee vegan “V” on my left wrist at the time. So, I sent out a tweet about how I needed some more ink, in order to fit in. Seconds later I received a reply from @TattooCharlies. It read, “@wtfveganfood We can help! 39 years of quality in Louisville, cruelty free inks too! No animal ingredients or testing.” I loved this for many reasons but mostly that a business took the initiative not only to keep an eye out for potential client opportunities, but to start the conversation on a note that made it clear that they “get me.” Amazing!

After a few more tweets we moved our chat to email. I learned that the shop owner had recently become vegan, as did his family, and before I knew it he’d invited me in to get a tattoo.

I hadn’t exactly planned ahead for this so when I walked in on the day of my appointment I peered down at my shirt, looked up at the artist and said, “Could you put this on my arm?” I was wearing a grey fitted tee from the Herbivore Clothing Company. It had a picture of an adorable, bubbly elephant on it that read, “I’m vegan and I love you.”
About 30 minutes later I had my first forearm tattoo as well as a horseshoe on my right wrist.
Van travel tattoos
GERTY THE VAN TATTOO
Scapegoat in Portland, Oregon

My dear friend George (@linchipin on Instagram) is a fellow vegan foodie traveler. We first met a couple of years ago when he’d arranged a vegan lunch for some local San Fran vegans, when I’d arrived in the area during my road trip. After the meal a few of us walked across and back, over the Golden Gate Bridge, then went out for some donuts. It was an awesome day! George and I stayed in touch thereafter and would occasionally chat online about boys and food (of course).

We had a few opportunities to hangout over the years, one of which was only about a month ago when George met me in Portland, Oregon. I was there on book tour and he came out for the food and to finally get our matching tattoos! We’d been talking about getting matching “Gerty” tattoos ever since George finished reading my memoir, Will Travel for Vegan Food. He said he’d felt inspired by the journey and wanted to get a tattoo of my road trip van (ie, Gerty – short for Gertrude).

So, we planned ahead for my arrival in Portland and each booked appointments with our favorite artists at Scapegoat Tattoo; a vegan owned and operated shop on Stark St. in Portland, Oregon.

I started the day with some folks from the Farm Animal Rights Movement (FARM), protesting a local dairy company, then met up with George to grab some food from Homegrown Smoker, Back to Eden, and Sweetpea Bakery, before heading to Scapegoat. I got my piece done by Aron Dubois (a black outline of the van, hand drawn rendering by artist Jacki Graziano)​ and George’s was done by John Wilson (his was based on Jacki’s art as well, and then John added in some color and accent imagery).

Even though Gerty is no longer with me she will now forever be “with” me, carrying me through life’s adventures, as she’d once done during my “Will Travel for Vegan Food” cross country road trip. D’aww.

'Limitless' tattoo in Sanskrit

SANSKRIT TATTOO
No Coast Tattoo in Fargo, ND

Just before I left for my road trip my mom gifted me a t-shirt that, hidden on the *inside* bottom seam, contained the mantra, “I am limitless.” This phrase stuck with me and has very much become how my family, friends, and adventures have made me feel; as I nomad around, living out my wildest and most passion-driven dreams.

Post road trip I landed in Chicago for a few months before heading to Fargo to visit North Dakota and check it off my bucket as I only had 2 states in the country left to visit, at the time. As I was prepping to leave Chicago I had a sudden urge to finally get this piece of art that I’d been thinking about for a few years (since I got that shirt from my Mom). Since I ran out of time to plan ahead, I made an agreement with myself while on the flight out to Fargo: ‘If there happens to be a tattoo shop located across the street from whatever place turns out to be my favorite coffeehouse, only then would I commit to getting the tattoo.’

After the third or fourth day in a row at Atomic Coffee, on Broadway, I happened to notice a tattoo parlor…you guessed it, immediately across the street from the coffeehouse. THE BEST PART—I walk up to order a soy mocha latte and the woman behind the counter says, “You know, you look a lot like this vegan chick I follow on Instagram. She travels around for vegan food.” We have a good laugh, I find out she’s vegan, AND she ( @ramblinfever_ ) just so happens to be a tattoo apprentice at the shop located… yep, just across the street.

And so it goes (in Sanskrit): “Limitless.”

Kristin Lajeunesse is the author of Will Travel for Vegan Food: A Young Woman’s Solo Van-Dwelling Mission to Break Free, Find Food, and Make Love. In 2011, Kristin quit her job and moved into a renovated van in an effort to eat at and write about every vegan restaurant in the United States. Find out what she’s eating now on Facebook.

Cristina Luisa – Chronicles of a Travel Addict

Argentinian tattoo

GEOMETRIC DESIGN 
Buenos Aires, Argentina

The first tattoo I got while traveling was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Eight months beforehand, I’d bought a one-way ticket to EZE and swore I’d never return to the U.S. But after living in Argentina and backpacking through five other countries, my pockets were empty and I decided to return. Finding myself drastically changed from my time in South America, I wanted something permanent to always remind me of all that I had discovered. And so, two nights before my northward flight, my Ecuadorian friend and I decided we’d get tattoos together. I had been pondering this ink for months, and I still was at a loss as to how to put all of my experiences into one little tattoo. I thought of the Incan and indigenous cultures in South America and their belief in the power of four- a perfectly balanced number representative of the sacred animals, elements, and cardinal points. Overestimating my rusty artistic abilities (I had drawn my first tattoo, after all!), I drew a square- a symbol of strength and solidity. I then drew another square within, which would be colored purple to represent the third eye chakra. This would help me to see clearly and maintain my passion for travel when I returned to the United States. Coincidentally, my friend stuck with the geometric theme and got a small dot. I’ve debated on removing this tattoo, as it’s not the hottest piece of ink, but I can’t bear to erase the reminder of my beginnings as a traveler.

Kuching Iban tribal tattoo

IBAN TRIBAL OWL 
Headhunter Studio – Kuching, Borneo

Tap, tap, tap. Tap, tap, tap. I lay on a bamboo mat in Kuching, with one man stretching the skin on my back and the other nailing ink along my spine. I had just landed in Borneo – a land I never dreamed I’d actually visit- a few hours prior and here I was, already getting inked. After serendipitously discovering Headhunter Tattoo Studio, I met Ernesto Kalum, a world-renowned artist, and jumped at the chance to get a traditional Iban tribal tattoo. Ernesto designed an intricate owl for me, representing protection, wisdom, freedom, and solitary power. The nail-tipped bamboo repeatedly submerged the ink into my skin for over three hours. There was no comparing the pain this traditional method set upon me with that of a mechanized needle. I reminded myself to breathe. Three quarters of the way through, I couldn’t take it anymore and needed pause. The owl was headless, and I seriously contemplated leaving it like that. But I’m not one to surrender. 45 painful minutes later, skin freshly swollen, the results were breathtaking. I’d endured this unexpected rite of passage, and my Iban owl will forever remind me of the tenacity and bravery I possess.

Dia de los Muertos Gato tattoo

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS GATO
Martian Arts Tattoo Studio – Portland, Oregon

 

In 2013, I went through a major life change, propelling me to finally to take a road trip from the Bay Area, California, up to the Pacific Northwest, hitting up Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Vancouver, BC, Canada. I’d been to Seattle once before, but Portland and Vancouver were completely new territory. For some mysterious, cosmic reason, I knew I’d eventually move to Portland before ever stepping on its green city streets. Once I arrived, I was equally drawn into Martian Arts Tattoo Studio’s colorful Victorian lair, seating myself and preparing for two new tattoos done by Joanne. This incredibly talented woman, and her husband Jerry- also a brilliant tattoo artist- would eventually become my good friends as I settled into Southeast Portland. Flash forward to Halloween 2014, and I once again felt the rush of the needle buzzing into my skin. I lay on my stomach in a meditative state as Joanne etched a Day of the Dead cat calavera into my calf. This was partly an homage to my Mexican roots, but more so a dedication to my cat Cuddles, who grew with me through the awkward preteen years until my carefree post-college years. She was my soul mate, my best friend, and is still very much alive in my dreams. And now, her memory has manifested into gorgeous artwork that will be close to me, no matter where I go.

Cristina Luisa is a travel writer, photographer, and freelancer with a passion for animal rights and all things Latin America. Follow her journey on Chronicles of a Travel Addict.

Amelia – Plant-Powered Nomad

Japanese Mandala tattoo

THREE MANDALAS 
Shi Ryu Doh – Tokyo, Japan
I had known I wanted a tattoo on my back for a long time, and being a traveller it seemed logical to get one while I was in a different country. When I moved to Taiwan I did a Google search for ‘tattoo artists in Japan’, and that led me to Shi Ryu Doh. The moment I saw his work I knew I needed to something by him, as he specialised in mandalas. Mandalas are something I’ve always loved: the geometry, the symmetry, how grounding they are. Traditionally they also represent journey through life, and so it seemed appropriate that I got them at the start of the biggest journey I’ve been on so far. A year after first finding the artist I flew to Tokyo, Japan, having quit my job and decided to travel full time, and spent two days being tattooed by the artist, Ron. His studio was tiny and full of beautiful Balinese (mainly) artwork, collected on his travels.

Thailand watercolour bird tattoo

WATERCOLOUR BIRD
Forever Tattoo – Chiang Mai, Thailand

I’ve wanted a watercolour bird for years, more so since I worked in the Amazon doing bird research and working with them. I admired a friend’s tattoos in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and asked if she’d got any here. She told me three of them were from a studio right by our guesthouse, and so I decided to wander in and have a look. “I want a bird, coming out of lots of colour, and it needs to be a bird that isn’t recognisable as one type of bird,” I told the man behind the desk. “You’ll have to show me what you mean,” he told me, looking confused. I pulled up my favourite watercolour artist, and scrolled down the images until I found a bird. “Like that, but with a longer tail, and more colours,” I said. The artist did it in his style, filling the colour in totally freehand, and this is what I came out with two hours later. It couldn’t be more perfect: it has colour, movement, and symbolises freedom.

After 5 years of flirting with travel I became fully nomadic when I quit my job in Taiwan in July 2015. Now I travel the world doing Yoga and eating delicious vegan food. Follow the links on the right to find all my social media doodads.

Giselle and Cody – Mindful Wanderlust

Cody

Animal rights tattoo

NITNOI 
Jodi – Chiang Mai, Thailand
During our time at Save Elephant Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we met a solitary little dog named Nit Noi, who would roam the park as a lone wolf, and really didn’t like people touching her. She wore a red ribbon around her neck for this reason, to alert people not to come too close as she would growl or possibly bite.
While working at the dog clinic, Nit Noi came in as a patient and was diagnosed with a contagious canine venereal cancer. She had to stay in the clinic for quite a few months; and during that time, Giselle, and I cared for her, bringing Nit Noi in and out of the clinic, comforting her, and spending time with her.
Nit Noi grew to trust us. Months later her cancer was cured, and she was able to roam freely again around the park. The one thing that changed was her willingness to interact with us. She would always approach us, and I would give her belly rubs, while people would gasp and tell me to be careful as she was one of the dogs with a red ribbon. I spent a lot of evenings just giving Nit Noi love, and she would follow us around the park when we would go on elephant walks with our friend Jodi. I became very connected to Nit Noi, and decided to get a tattoo of her by Jodi.
And there was no better person to give me this tattoo, as Jodi would carry Nit Noi around as a little puppy around the park. Nit Noi is now passed, so this tattoo is especially meaningful.
Meat is murder tattoo
MEAT IS MURDER
Jodi – Chiang Mai, Thailand
This little tattoo is self explanatory. What makes it special, is that Jodi’s 8 year old son Raki drew it up, and Jodi tattooed it on me.
Giselle

Nepalese rose tattoo

ROSE 
French Artist – Kathmandu, Nepal
The traditional rose on my hand is an especially significant tattoo to me although I had never desired to get my hand tattooed until that day. 

Cody and I were in Kathmandu, Nepal having some lunch when two men approached us and asked if we were there for the Nepal tattoo convention.

We told them that we were not, but that we would check it out, and so we did.
I had absolutely no intentions of getting tattooed at the convention but something came over me after seeing so much beautiful work that day that I decided to get my hand done by a French artist. I knew that getting my hand done might deter someone from hiring me in the future, but it was at that moment that I had decided that I would live my life exactly as I wanted to-freely, and with no regrets, and I have been doing that ever since. The rose on my hand represents freedom, and living my life for myself, free from the expectations of others.
Thailand cat paw tattoo
OWL 
Good Times Tattoo, Jason – Saskatoon, Canada
During our many times in Thailand, Cody and I lived and worked at PAWS in Bangkok for 2 months, and fell in love with a little one eyed street cat named Owl who was rescued by PAWS. We had no choice but to adopt her and take her back home with us to Ontario where she had a wonderful life at my mom’s place with a green backyard where she played and rolled around in the warm sun. We spent a lot of time with Owl, and got to learn that she was a sweeter cat than we had even known in Bangkok.
Cody and I moved to Saskatoon for 5 months this past July and said goodbye to Owl for a while. Sadly, two months into our living here, my mom contacted me to tell me that Owl was very ill.
I flew home immediately to be with her, to give her fluids, and make her comfortable until the day we had to say goodbye. It was extremely painful to see her go, as she was such an affectionate cat who was so full of life.
As soon as I flew back to Saskatoon, our good friend Jason tattooed this memorial of Owl’s little paw reaching down from a cloud on my leg.
I love this piece, as every time i see it, it reminds me of our lovely Owl.
Spider tattoo Thailand
SPIDER 
Lady Luck – Koh Lanta, Thailand
I think by now you’ll have noticed that I adore nature, and all of the creatures that help it to thrive.

While volunteering at Lanta Animal Welfare on Koh Lanta, Thailand, Cody and I found a very talented artist named Bezt, at a great professional shop on the island named Lady Luck. I literally just chose this beautiful spider out of Bezt’s book of art, and let him choose the colours for the design. There is no deep meaning to it. I just love the bold traditional design, and nature, and all of the creepy crawlies.

Giselle and Cody started traveling full-time in 2012, and through Mindful Wanderlust the couple shares slow travel stories, great cruelty free food, cultural experiences, animal rights, education, musings on life, and colorful travel videos. Keep up with them on Facebook.

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Nara Deerpark, Japan – Why it made me uncomfortable

Nara deerpark unsettled me. Actually, it did more than that, I was distressed and unhappy for the majority of the time and nearly left. The thing is, nobody warned me about the uncomfortable side of Nara. It wasn’t peaceful, and it wasn’t nature. At least, not until I finally found my way round the back of the temple where there’s a huge open green area with a herd of deer and no tourists.

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The peaceful part

So what was it that unsettled me? Well, for a start a lot of the male deer have their horns cut off. This prevents their natural behaviour in the wild, which is to rut in mating season. Then there was the attitude of the tourists towards the deer. If girlish shrieking and deer selfies are your thing, then you’re going to be in heaven. But it was clear that a lot of people are uncomfortable around animals and viewed them as something cute, a commodity. Then when the deer moved (usually as they were taking a selfie with them) the person would scream and run away to a safe distance. The deer aren’t aggressive, but if you get in their face then, yes, they’re probably going to make a sudden movement. To get away from you. I saw women come up to sleeping fawns and start clapping loudly in their face to wake them up and get a photo. Not cool. I hope her children do that to her. And of course, if you have food, you’re going to get a lot of attention from the deer. It seemed like everywhere I looked someone was running away screaming and scattering deer crackers everywhere, followed by a small herd of confused and hungry animals.

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“Run, dad, run!”

Another problem I had was the amount of trash generated by tourists that I then saw deer eating. I saw a woman throw a plastic candy bar wrapper to the ground, unconcerned that the deer she was walking past promptly moved in to eat it. Luckily a guy got there before me and removed it, but I’m pretty sure there are plenty of deer who aren’t that lucky. I saw an entire newspaper being eaten by a deer, and while paper in small quantities won’t harm an animal’s digestive system, the inks and the other chemicals that now go into papers will, in large quantities. I removed multiple other things from the mouths of deer, too, and if you’ve been to Japan you’ll know that they haven’t really caught on to the idea of trash cans. This left me wandering around with an armful of things-that-aren’t-deer-food for about an hour. I got some odd looks.

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What’s in the news today?

What I took away from Nara (apart from an armful of trash) was the question of why can’t we ever let nature be? Would it be too hard to put a fence up between the tourists and the deer, and keep a little separation? Looking from a distance, and taking photos? Rather than sawing off their antlers, disturbing the fawns just trying to suckle from their mothers, and filling their digestive tracts with plastic?

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People, people everywhere

Ever noticed that you only read about the positive side of places when you’re looking into visiting, and you have to dig a little deeper to uncover the real side? Maybe I was expecting some cute fluffy fairytale of happy animals all frolicking around, at least with the outdoor animals (cafes I was always cynical about). This is not to say don’t visit Nara – just be prepared, treat the deer respectfully, and take your trash away. Maybe bring some vegetables and sit around the back away from the tourists.

 

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Somewhere to avoid, however, is the animal cafes. Cat cafes, goat cafes, owl cafes, llama cafes, pig cafes… the list of animals that Japan puts in a small room with cushions, cakes and coffee is extensive, and expensive. An hour in a cat cafe will set you back around 1000jpy. I passed a goat cafe that has a miserable, lonely, unhealthy and unhappy goat sitting outside in a tiny cage. If you’re going to go to an animal cafe, choose a cat cafe that has rescue cats for adoption. That way you’re not supporting the purebread cat industry, and you’re not keeping owls awake when they’re trying to sleep.

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Unhappy goat

Remember, when visiting Japan, be responsible in your cute tourism.

Have you been to any animal cafes in Japan? Or to Nara? Or the animal islands? Think I’m over or under reacting? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

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Vegan Eats in Kyoto (and Hiroshima)

Kyoto. Kyoto, Kyoto, Kyoto. The end of my trip and the place that most frustrated me about Japan. It’s pretty, it’s full of temples, and it’s full of tourists (myself included, I know). I was so looking forwards to the vegan food in Kyoto, as everyone I talked to about it employed hyperboles such as “it’s a vegan paradise!” and “if I had to chose one city to be trapped in, I’d chose Kyoto!” (If you’re reading this and you know this was you, go and sit in the corner in shame.)

Therefore, this list will include an addendum of ‘places I wish I ate but they were always closed when I tried to go without explanation, or they’re not open on weekdays, or they only do lunch.’

Sensing my frustration yet? And while I’m at it, why for the love of all things tofu, do the cafes in Kyoto operate on bar hours? When I wake up in the morning, I want to go somewhere and work and drink coffee before, are you listening Kyoto? Before 11.30am.

Okay, rant over, let’s get on with the food. And don’t worry if I don’t seem that enthusiastic – I’m saving the best for last.

Cafe Matsuontoko

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Avocado Burger

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Chocolate brownie with ice cream of unknown flavour

This place I started off with cool feelings about, but it won a place in my affections because it’s pretty much always a safe bet for somewhere that’s open, it keeps hours I can get on board with, and the burgers aren’t extortionately expensive. But they’re a bit small (the whole burger will fit in the palm of my hand, my hands are pretty manly but not that big) and they don’t have that much in them: a patty, avocado if it’s the avo burger, maybe some lettuce and a sauce. Notice singular of everything. Maybe the UK spoiled me, but I like my burgers to be bursting with flavour and huge. The taste is okay, I quite liked the avocado burger and the teriyaki burger which are the two I tried, but they’re fast foody and nothing to write home about. The cafe itself is dark and gloomy with slightly odd seating, but some people like it.

The brownie is pretty good, the cream that comes with it is good too. Although right now, I’m writing this from a month long live-in yoga course which is making me detox from sugar and, by extension, cake. So everything cake like seems excellent right now.

A burger with fries will cost under 1000jpy, and the desserts are around 650. These burgers seem to be very subjective – opinions range from meh to delicious – so don’t take my word for it, go and try them if you want something a little indulgent and comfort foody.

One last anecdote: the staff may seem a little unfriendly at first, but one night I ate there alone, tried to pay and then found that I’d left my purse at home. They had no problem at all about me saying that I was going to go away and come back.

Do or don’t? Do

Food: 3.5/5

Atmosphere: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Happy Cow

Morpho Cafe

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fish burger

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unexciting pizza

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chocolate cake

I don’t know why or how, but for some reason I seemed to be on a grand burger adventure in Japan (and yet I didn’t eat any vegan sushi, because whenever I tried places were closed! So strange). On Happy Cow the fish burger is highly recommended, so I went with the crowd and went for that. My friend had the corn and potato pizza, which was unexciting to say the least. The burger reminded me of the fast food burgers I used to eat in Berlin: the right amount of grease, the right amount of mustard… it was pretty tasty and not too expensive. We asked the man does it need an extra side of hand cut fries, he said no, we said “how many does it come with?” and he replied oh, six or seven. We ordered a side.
The cake afterwards was good, but it was shaped like it should have had a gooey chocolate centre and it didn’t, instead it was a little dry.

Do or don’t? Do

Food: 3.5/5

Atmosphere: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Happy Cow

Falafel Garden 

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Baba Ganoush and Falafel pittas

This place is omni, not vegan, but whatever is vegan is clearly labelled on the menu. If it’s not labelled as vegan, it’s not vegan so don’t be caught out by the fact that some of the desserts look like they should be vegan – they aren’t. I kept trying to get falafel in Tokyo (read about that here) but it was always closed, so it was amazing to finally get my fix after over a year in Asia. The owner is Israeli and has been making falafel in Japan for 20 or so years, and his falafel is amazing – definitely some of the best I’ve had. Generous potions, lots of sauce, moist, full of flavour… I went back here three times because like Cafe Matsuontoko, they’re a safe bet for when other places are closed. They also do an excellent Baba Ganoush. A medium is 680jpy, and a plate of two different ones is a little over 1000 if you’re hungry. You’ll pay a lot less in Israel or Berlin, but in Japan it’s a cheap meal.

Do or don’t? Do if you don’t mind them also serving animal products.

Food: 4.5/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Value: 4/5

Happy Cow

Cosy Cafe at Tamisa Yoga

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Quiche and some pretty tasty soup

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cake and chai

You’ll never guess what I’m about to say – I tried to go here twice before I managed, and both times they were shut. Argh! Was it worth it when I managed? I’m not really sure. It was nice but unmemorable. The quiche was good, the salad was good, but for what it was and the amount of food it was pretty expensive. I had a cake and a coffee after my dinner and it was pretty good, but I would have liked some sauce on my cake. Or something to make it a little more moist. However, the have a (I think raw) mango cheesecake that was always sold out when I was there, and it looks delicious. I had a chai tea latte that was good, but the one I had in Tokyo was a little better. All in all, a little average. The location is nice, it’s part of a yoga studio and they sell health food store things too. The staff were very friendly, and one commented on my vegan t-shirt (hurrah!).

Do or don’t? Maybe I’d go for coffee and cake, but not for lunch.

Food: 3.5/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Happy Cow

Vegans Cafe

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The place itself is full of things about veganism

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Pizza!!!

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Vegan soft serve, but no muffins on top like the Sunday

BY FAR the best in Kyoto, people aren’t exaggerating when they say that this is somewhere you have to go. I tried twice to go here and it wasn’t until the third time that I finally managed. It was worth it, I just wish I’d been able to go a couple more times and experience the full magnificence of their Ice Cream Sunday with muffin crumbled all over it, I also didn’t get to try their cake. I ordered one of their pizzas (creamy vegetable) with a thin crust (recommended), and it was so so good I would even compare it to Sfizy Veg in Berlin, which still holds the title of best vegan pizza I’ve had (except my own that I would make in Glasgow, hem hem) but only just.

And now the catch. They’re only open 11.30-16.30, and they’re closed on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes they’re closed at other times, too, just for fun. The pizza is about 2000, but it will fill you up to bursting point and is worth it.

Inarishrine

Inari Shrine – just round the corner

Do or don’t? If you only eat at one place in Kyoto, go here. You can combine it with a trip to the Inari shrine, as it’s nearby (the top rated tourist attraction in Japan).

Food: 4.8/5

Atmosphere: 4.5/5

Value: 4.5/5

Happy Cow

Hiroshima – bonus city

Art Elk Cafe

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The Bomb Dome – round the corner from Art Elk

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Strings of origami cranes

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The Bomb Domb

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Udon Noodles

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Chocolate cake

There aren’t any vegetarian or vegan places in Hiroshima, but there are a few vegan friendly places with vegan cake. I went to Art Elk Cafe, which has a small menu just for vegans including udon noodles, a tofu meal set, cake and coffee with soy milk. The owner is very friendly and speaks good English – very rare in Japan – and she’s knowledgeable about vegans. The cake was soft and chocolatey, and came with fresh fruit scattered around the plate.

Do or don’t? Do

Food: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Happy Cow

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Vegan-ing out in Tokyo

By which I mean eating out. I needed at least two weeks to get round the vegan restaurants in Tokyo and I didn’t have that, so this is just a smattering. Ohhh the glory of vegan food in Tokyo. One note: the servings all over Japan are quite small, for this reason I haven’t given any of them particularly good ‘value’ ratings except ‘T’s’, which is significantly cheaper. Most came in around 1000jpy-1400jpy for a main, and 500-700jpy for a dessert.

Cori Vegan Foodstand

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cori2This is one of my favourite places that ate at in Tokyo, in fact so good that I decided to go there for my birthday. Luckily it was open then, but not the next time I went there. However, as you’ll find out later, going somewhere and finding out they’re closed has become a theme of my Japan trip. The spicy veggie plate was my favourite thing (but not spicy). You can also buy organic berry wine here, which is delicious and has large berries floating in it. It’s in a place called Commune 246 which is a really cool area to just hang out, and especially if you’re travelling or eating on your own it’s also a good place to meet people. You’re looking at 1000yen for a smallish plate of food, although smallish plate should be assumed for all the meals in Japan, they’re not big servers.

Do or don’t visit?: Do

Taste – 4/5

Value – 4/5

Atmosphere – 5/5

Happy Cow

Hanada Rosso

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I power-walked here and made it 5 minutes before last orders, and it was worth it. It’s on the pricier end but it makes up for it with flavour, and then some. This is one of the best burger patties I’ve had so far, it was rich, moist and tomato-y. It also wasn’t a fast food burger, which I keep encountering in Kyoto, much to my surprise. The cheesecake was good, but a little too baked for my liking. Pure’s cheesecake definitely has the edge, and it’s maybe only a 10 or 15 walk from Hanada Rosso. The interior was nice but there was nothing that made it special, and it was a little too cafeteria for me.

Do or don’t visit?: Do

Taste – burger 5/5, cake 3/5

Value – 3.5/5

Atmosphere – 4/5

Happy Cow

Pure Cafe

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This is attached to the Aveda store which, as you might guess, means that it’s expensive. It packs out around lunchtime and you might have to wait for a table, but it’s worth it. I had the special, which was a soy meat dish, and it was okay but not exceptional. It came as a set and the soup was pretty good, too, but oniony so if that’s not your thing it’s best to check before ordering. I heard their tempeh is excellent, and I’d have liked to try a few other things on the menu, too. The cheesecake is definitely where they shine: it was delicious, and has a texture very similar to what I remember real cheesecake being like.

Do or don’t visit?: Do

Taste – main 3/5, cake 5/5

Value – 4/5

Atmosphere – 4/5

Happy Cow

T’s Tantan

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I may get shot for this by the T’s Tantan groupies but… I was not a T’s Tantan fan. Maybe it’s after a year in Taiwan, but the noodle soup I ordered just didn’t have any wow factor for me. It’s in Tokyo station, though, which makes it very convenient until they randomly close and tell me I can’t come in (I was trying to give it a second chance, fate was against me). It’s good for a cheap, fast meal that’s pretty tasty, but it’s not something I’d go out of my way to eat. It’s a bit difficult to find: follow the signs for the Keiyo line and eventually you’ll see it on your right.

Do or don’t visit?: If you’re going through station, do

Taste – 3/5

Value – 5/5

Atmosphere – 3/5

Happy Cow

Hangout

Hangout

Hungry in Tokyo at 10pm? This is the place head to, last order is 11.30pm and they close at midnight. It’s a Japanese vegan version of a tapas bar, so you order several small plates. The staff were very friendly, and they also offer alcohol. I tried the gyoza, the vegetable rolls, and some fried soy meat things which were excellent. They were all good but quite simple, I especially felt the gyoza I’ve eaten before for less money. I’d order the rolls and the soy meat again, though. The place was cool, but would have felt cooler with more people: it was dead when I went. Maybe I’m just hard to please, or maybe I should have tried more, but for what it is I felt the price tag was a bit hefty. For a meal for two expect to pay around 5000jpy before you start adding drinks.

Do or don’t visit?: Do, but it wouldn’t be my first choice

Taste: 4/5

Value: 3/5

Atmosphere: 3.5/5

Happy Cow

Nagi Shokudo

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I have to admit I really like having to take my shoes off and getting to sit on a raised platform to eat, either cross-legged or with the spaces under the tables. It makes me far more inclined to hang around and get comfortable. This is one of the best places I ate. For the lunch/dinner set pick 3 things off the menu and they add rice and soup. Every small serving was delicious and full of flavour, I particularly liked the okra which was prepared in a way I hadn’t tasted before. I didn’t try their cake, which was a mistake as I now wish I had, as I’ve since been cake eating my way around Japan.

Do or don’t visit?: Do

Taste: 4/5

Value: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Happy Cow

From Earth Cafe OHANA

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Everything here is in Japanese, but you can get by as it’s all vegan. I tried the burger, and my couchsurfing host had a black bean fried thingy – I think it was the special. It was considerably better than the burger, there wasn’t even a comparison to be made. My burger was dry and bland, and I had to ask for ketchup, but the black bean thingy was full of flavour. I tried the cake afterwards which was good, and came with Matcha ice cream. It also came with these odd rice crispy things which periodically appear in Japanese food, and I remain confused about why they were there. The place is also a health food shop, and it’s exceptionally cute.

Do or don’t visit?: Do

Taste: 2/5 for the burger, 4.5/5 for the black bean thingy.

Value: 4/5

Atmosphere: 5/5

Happy Cow

Sky High

The cold-pressed juice and green smoothie trend has, no surprise, hit Tokyo and this is one of several juice bars. It’s all vegan, and also offers sandwiches for about 1000jpy. One of my couchsurfing hosts went here and sent me a message, after which I joined him. His message went something along the lines of ‘vegan eating is expensive! I just spent 1800jpy on a juice and a sandwich with some bits of carrots in it.’ The juice was delicious, between 800-1000jpy depending on which you choose (you can also get a large one, which is better value) but I think the sandwiches probably are overpriced and you’d be better off getting a juice then going elsewhere for food. Bear in mind that fruit and veg in Japan is extortionately expensive, so if the juices seem expensive, it would cost you much more to make your own. It’s tiny but friendly and within minutes we were talking to everyone else in the shop.

Do or don’t visit?: For a juice, do

Taste: 5/5

Value: 4/5

Atmosphere: 4/5

Happy Cow

VegFru

When T’s Tan Tan failed me, I set out on a marathon mission to find somewhere else open, fast. A marathon because I was carrying all my possessions on my back (I was heading to Hiroshima) and  they were heavy, and I was hungry. And it was very, very hot. I got lost on the way, and ended up wandering for twenty minutes more than was necessary. Finally I made it and sat down in a sweaty heap. I ordered the salad set, and was served a very pretty but quite small salad with some warm seedy bread and the standard green smoothie which goes with it. As usual, no English was spoken and the staff looked a little horrified at my large back and dishevelled appearance. It was a decent price and the dressing was delicious, but I wouldn’t say the trip was worth it when there are so many other amazing places to try.

Do or don’t visit?: don’t

Taste: 3/5

Value: 4/5

Atmosphere: 3/5

Happy Cow

BONUS

Coffee

If you’re a life starts with coffee person like me, you’ll be relieved to hear that there’s a small chain of coffee shops called Streamers Coffee in the Shibuya/Harajuku area. They do the best soy latte I’ve had so far in Asia, and it’s expensive but worth it. They also do something that seems to be unheard of in Kyoto for coffee shops: they open in the morning, when coffee is needed (8am on weekdays). The Shibuya shop has free wifi for tourists that says it has a 90 minute limit, but they don’t enforce it.

Places I tried to go:

Vespera’s falafel. They were consistently closed. I finally got my falafel fix in Kyoto, but sadly at a veg friendly place not a vegan one.

Happy Cow

Have you been to other places in Tokyo? Or were you blown away where I wasn’t? Let me know in the comments.

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