Vegan-friendly restaurants are increasing in Nishinomiya, which is an environmental education city. They will open booths at the 7th Nishinomiya Vegan Festival on May 26.

The Japan Vegan Association (Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture; Representative Director: Kumiko Miyake), which holds Vegan Festivals as part of the Nishinomiya Partnership for Environmental Education, has called for the introduction of vegan menus at restaurants in Nishinomiya City with the cooperation of the city, and has now reached 35 restaurants that accept vegan food. The number of vegan restaurants in Nishinomiya City has exceeded 35.

Vegan meals available in Nishinomiya City

Based on the experience of the board members, who sometimes skip lunch because there is nothing to eat on the go, we explained to non-vegan restaurants that vegans can eat there.

Vegan food is spreading around the world as a decarbonized diet, but there are few places in Japan where vegan food is available, and we hope to be able to entertain the increasing number of foreign tourists in Nishinomiya City as a result of the Osaka Expo.

The representative of the association himself has offered suggestions and advice on vegan menus that can be prepared with existing ingredients, and in the two months since the start of this activity, 35 restaurants, including Chinese, Italian, Thai, Indonesian, and Japanese restaurants, have confirmed that they are able to offer vegan menus. Some restaurants are eagerly working on new menus, and the number is expected to increase in the future.

Nishinomiya City is known as the sake capital, and sake went down to Edo (present-day Tokyo) to become part of the city's territory. The awareness of environmental conservation grew up in order to protect the water used to make sake, and this provided the soil for holding the Vegan Fest as an environmental learning event. Sake tasting will be offered this time.

The 7th Nishinomiya Vegan Fest will be held on Monday, May 26, and Chinese restaurants, which will offer vegan courses, will open their stores for the first time, allowing visitors to experience the event without having to go to the restaurant.

The 7th Nishinomiya Vegan Fest May 26

■About Nishinomiya Vegan OK Store

The city's Commerce and Industry Division cooperated and called on the city's restaurant associations and other organizations to introduce vegan food. 35 stores are now vegan-ready, having begun checking and providing guidance at their stores since March. 35 stores continue to provide explanations one by one, and more are expected to follow.

About "Nishinomiya Vegan Fest

Fully plant-based rice and sweets will be available from Hyogo Prefecture and beyond, selling a selection of delicious meals that contribute to the 8 goals of the SDGs. At the panel exhibition, you can learn about the situation of livestock farming, agriculture trying to coexist with wildlife, and recycling-oriented forestry, etc. The stage talk is about environmental conservation and living in Japan and abroad. Workshops include crafts to learn about forests.

The holding of this festival received the Citizen's Activity Award at the 7th Japan Vegetarian Award.

■Stage Talks

What is Vegan? Keynote speech and what is happening to wild bears 12:00

　Director of Japan Vegan Association

A story about Kora, a company that protects forests in Indonesia 12:30

　Riho Murata, Director, Hidamari General Incorporated Association, Representative of Reforestation Project elf

Heartfelt concern for Palestine in the Middle East - What is happening to people, animals, and the environment 13:00

　Chie Takahashi, Representative of Bridging Chopsticks, winner of the Overseas Activity Award at the 9th Japan Vegetarian Award

Environmental Learning Picture Story Show and Storytelling 14:00

　Chiyono Tanaka, Storyteller, winner of the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award, Storytelling Kyandoru Tanaka

What we, as consumers, can do to protect wildlife in Borneo 15:00

　Yuichiro Ishizaki, Executive Director, Association for Forest and Livelihood, Utan

Meals and Sweets

The meals and sweets will be sold mainly with pesticide-free and chemical seasoning-free meals and sweets that are gentle to the body without environmental impact, and gluten-free sweets are also available.

Chinese food will be available for the first time at the Vegan OK Nishinomiya business.

Vegan Cafe Moonbow, located in a shrine in Ehime Prefecture, as well as other out-of-prefecture restaurants from Nara, Kyoto, Okayama, Nagano, Tokyo, Hokkaido, and other prefectures will also be open.

■Workshops

Children and adults can learn about Borneo's forests and enjoy crafts.

■Naturally Farmed Vegetables

There will be vegetables for sale that are grown only from the bounty of the earth, without the use of animal compost.

■Panel Exhibition

Nishinomiya Nature Observation by Nishinomiya Nature Conservation Society

Biodiversity Conservation Project

Livestock animals

Wild bear survey

■Free of charge (in Nishinomiya Nature Conservation Society)

Vegan emergency bread recommended by the Ministry of the Environment 100 persons

Free bread will be given to those who answer the environmental study quiz. The quiz is written on the voucher.

Courtesy of Meat Free Monday All Japan, approved by Paul McCartney.

https://www.meatfreemondayjapan.com

■Free individual health consultations with doctors

You can consult with a physician, director of the city's Ashida Clinic, about the nutritional benefits of a completely plant-based diet and any other health concerns you may have.

12:40 - 14:20 (Reservations recommended at headquarters)

■Barter "Gururi" (until 3:00 p.m.)

https://onepeace-net.com/gururi.html

This is an environmental conservation contribution project of One Piece Co., Ltd. an apparel manufacturer with the No.1 sales record on the Rakuten market. Please bring items you want to give away and we will exchange them for items you want.

Outline of the 7th Nishinomiya Vegan Fest "Environmental Conservation and Food, Clothing and Housing

Date ： May 26, 2025 (Monday) 11:00-17:00

Location ： Rokutanji Park, Rokutanji South Park (adjacent to Nishinomiya City Hall)

Access : 1 min. walk from "Shiyakusho Exit" of Hanshin Nishinomiya Stn.

　　　　 　 10 minutes walk from JR Nishinomiya Station

　　　　 　 15 minutes walk from Hankyu Hanshin Kokudo Station

Contents ： ・Carbon-carbon complete plant-based food and sweets, eco-goods,

　　　　　　　Fair trade, environmental education, etc.

　　　　 　 Panel exhibition for environmental study

　　　　 　 Lectures on environmental study

　　　　 　 Environmental study lectures ・Environmental study lectures ・Kamishibai (picture-story show)

　　　　 　 Borneo orangutan stuffed animal photo shoot

　　　　 　 Zero yen barter

Admission: Free

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veganfestjvs

For inquiries about vegan festivals and vegan-friendly stores: info@vegan-japan.info