Inbound visitors to Japan topped 40 million in a single year for the first time in 2025, and the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) revised its hospitality guide, noting that “the number of international visitors with diverse dietary and religious practices, such as vegetarians, vegans and Muslims, is considered to be increasing.” So where are the hotels and ryokan whose vegan-friendly meals are actually being praised in guest reviews? The HotelBank Editorial Team ran an NLP analysis of guest reviews from the past 24 months and found 30 properties with 10 or more positive mentions of vegetarian/vegan meal options, totalling 535 mentions. This article sorts those 30 properties into four types — shukubo (temple lodgings), retreats, city hotels and onsen ryokan — and examines how mention volume and density differ, which languages the mentions are written in, and the untapped potential of halal options, where only three properties met the same criteria.

More Vegetarian and Muslim Visitors — JTA Recommends “Shared Menus” and Clear Labeling

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), international visitor arrivals in 2025 reached 42,683,600 (estimate), up 15.8% year on year and a new record. As the visitor base broadens, the absolute number of travelers with dietary restrictions for religious, ethical or health reasons grows as well. The JTA previously published the “Muslim Hospitality Guidebook” (2015, expanded 2018) and the “Vegetarian/Vegan Guide for Food Service Operators” (2020), and in April 2024 merged the two into the “Hospitality Guide for Vegetarian/Vegan and Muslim Travelers.”

What stands out in this guide is its emphasis on lowering the barrier to entry. In a JTA web survey conducted in December 2023, about 40% of vegetarians and vegans said they “relax their dietary standards when traveling abroad,” and among those who had visited Japan, about 70% said they had done so. Among Muslim respondents, about 20% said they “don’t mind at all” if a kitchen is not dedicated, and about 40% said it is “a little uncomfortable but unavoidable.” In other words, not every traveler demands fully dedicated facilities. The guide recommends designing menus around dishes that general guests, vegetarians and Muslims can all eat (for example, a vegetable tempura rice bowl made with kombu and mushroom dashi), and stating ingredient and cookware handling clearly as a “policy.” The takeaway: communicating what you accommodate matters more for being chosen than how strict you are.

So where is that “communicated accommodation” actually landing? We identify the properties where it has been recorded as praise in reviews written by guests in their own words.

30 Properties Praised for Vegan-Friendly Options in Reviews

The table below ranks properties with 10 or more positive mentions of vegetarian/vegan options in reviews over the past 24 months by number of mentions. Tied at the top with 33 mentions each are Shukubo Ekoin, a temple lodging on Koyasan, and Wakuu Shimoderamachi, located in the temple district of Tennoji Ward, Osaka. Hotel IMU kyoto-shijyo follows in third with 31, with Rengejoin (30) and Sojiin and Mount View Hakone (29 each) rounding out the top group.

By location, Koya, Wakayama accounts for 10 properties — one third of the total — followed by Kanagawa with five (four in Hakone, one in Yugawara). Yamanashi, Nagano, Aichi and Hiroshima have two each, and Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Gunma, Hyogo, Gifu and Tochigi one each, spread across 13 prefectures. The defining feature of this list is its range: not just big-city hotels, but temple lodgings at sacred mountain sites, ryokan in hot-spring towns and minshuku in old post towns.

Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (NLP analysis of guest reviews, past 24 months as of November 2, 2026; 30 properties with 20+ reviews and 10+ positive vegetarian/vegan mentions; 535 mentions in total / 21,518 reviews in total)

Note that mention counts depend on total review volume. THE KNOT TOKYO Shinjuku has gathered 20 mentions, but with 4,682 reviews in total its mention rate is 0.4%. By contrast, at Jamu in Yamanakako, 20 of 61 reviews mention vegetarian/vegan food, for a mention rate of 32.8%. The same “20 mentions” describe completely different kinds of property. Organizing these differences by type reveals at least three distinct patterns in how vegetarian/vegan options get recognized.

Shukubo, Retreats and City Hotels — Three Types, Three Ways of Being Recognized

We grouped the 30 properties into temple lodgings (shukubo) serving shojin ryori Buddhist cuisine (11), retreat/wellness properties that make plant-based food a central theme of the stay (2), city and airport hotels (4), and onsen ryokan, minshuku and others (13).

Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (NLP analysis of guest reviews, past 24 months). Mention rate (combined) = total mentions within the type ÷ total reviews. Types classified by the HotelBank Editorial Team

Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (NLP analysis of guest reviews, past 24 months, N=30 properties). Horizontal axis: total reviews (log scale); vertical axis: mention rate; bubble size: number of mentions

First, shukubo. The 11 temple lodgings collected 208 mentions in total; against 3,349 reviews, that is a mention rate of 6.2% — about 2.5 times the 2.5% for all 30 properties. Shojin ryori is a cuisine that uses no meat or fish, so for a shukubo, plant-based food is not a newly added menu but simply the meal it has always served. Guests mention the food as part of the “staying at a temple” experience, and vegetarian/vegan mentions accumulate steadily as a result. Besides Koyasan, Kakurinbo on Mt. Minobu (6.8%) fits the same pattern.

Next, retreat/wellness properties. Yugawara Retreat Goen no Mori (23.2%) and Jamu (32.8%) have only 173 reviews between them, but their combined mention rate reaches 26.6%. Reviews include comments such as “the vegan food was extremely delicious” and “experienced vegan cuisine for the first time,” describing plant-based food as the very purpose of the stay. In terms of mention density, this type ranks highest. Small properties such as the minshuku Hatoguruma Kawabata in Nozawaonsen (17.1%) and Kashiwaya Ryokan in Mihama (10.1%) also exceed 10%, suggesting that the smaller the property, the more readily its food identity translates directly into reputation.

The third type is city/airport hotels. The four properties have 97 mentions in total — a little under half the shukubo figure — but with 9,024 reviews, the mention rate is just 1.1%. That does not mean plant-based food is an afterthought. Reviews of THE KNOT TOKYO Shinjuku include comments like “Vegan breakfast”: at a city hotel where most guests are not seeking vegetarian/vegan food, it is clearly earning praise from those who are. For city hotels with large denominators, the absolute number of mentions, rather than the rate, is the indicator of traction. Also worth noting is Centrair Hotel at Chubu Centrair International Airport (13 mentions), which earns vegetarian/vegan praise right at the gateway to Japan.

Onsen ryokan, minshuku and others (13 properties) have a mention rate of 2.1%, close to the overall average. Many, such as Mount View Hakone in Hakone (29) and Yamaichi Bekkan on Miyajima in Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima (18), offer plant-based alternatives within kaiseki dinners or breakfast, and that effort shows up in reviews. One review of Yamaichi Bekkan notes that “few places on Miyajima serve warm vegan meals…,” indicating it is recognized as a rare option in the area.

Who Writes About Vegetarian/Vegan Food? — 70–80% in English or European Languages at Shukubo and City Hotels

The language of the mentions also differs sharply by type. We extracted up to 20 excerpts per property from the 30 properties’ mentions — 461 in total — and identified the language by script: text containing kana was counted as Japanese, Latin-script text as English/European languages, and kanji-only text as Chinese. Note that the writing language is not the reviewer’s nationality; English in particular mixes multiple markets, including Europe, North America, Australia, India and Southeast Asia.

Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (NLP analysis of guest reviews, past 24 months; 461 excerpts, up to 20 per property, extracted from positive vegetarian/vegan mentions; language identified by script)

Overall, of the 461 excerpts, 333 (72.2%) were in English/European languages, 124 (26.9%) in Japanese and 4 (0.9%) in Chinese. Japanese accounted for only 20.8% at shukubo and 27.4% at city/airport hotels, showing that most of the praise for vegetarian/vegan options comes from international visitors. Reviews of Koyasan’s temple lodgings include not only English but also Italian, French and Dutch, reflecting how naturally European demand for pilgrimage and cultural experiences pairs with shojin ryori.

Retreat/wellness properties stand in contrast, with Japanese accounting for 70.0%. At Goen no Mori, 18 of 20 excerpts are in Japanese. Properties that present plant-based food together with wellness and nature experiences are drawing in health-conscious domestic travelers as well as international visitors. This type shows that vegetarian/vegan options need not be an “inbound-only measure” — they can also reach domestic demand. For a prefecture-level look at the geographic distribution of vegetarian/vegan demand by visitor language, see Japan’s Vegetarian Inbound Map: Koyasan 4.9x Average, 654 Reviews.

Only Three Properties for Halal Under the Same Criteria — Scarcity Is the Opportunity

Applying the same criteria (20+ reviews and 10+ positive mentions) to halal options yields just three properties — one tenth of the 30 for vegetarian/vegan. Even lowering the threshold to 5+ mentions only raises the count to four.

Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (NLP analysis of guest reviews, past 24 months; 3 properties with 20+ reviews and 10+ positive mentions of halal options)

Each of the three is recognized in a different way. Yamaichi Bekkan is the only property to rank in both the vegetarian/vegan and halal lists, with one review noting that “vegans and Muslims can also dine with peace of mind.” It exemplifies, in a tourist destination like Miyajima, the JTA guide’s recommended approach of focusing on dishes everyone can share. At Ogoto Onsen Yuzanso, a reviewer wrote that they were “looking for a ryokan with halal options…,” showing a stay chosen around halal provision; it is valued as a place where an onsen ryokan experience and halal meals can go together. At Hotel Keihan Tenmabashi, breakfast mentions such as “Breakfast is halal” stand out, showing that halal options at a city hotel’s breakfast are well received.

The fact that only three properties have accumulated halal mentions means, conversely, that properties starting to offer halal options can stand out easily in reviews. As the reviews of Yamaichi Bekkan and Yuzanso show, Muslim travelers tend to search for and book properties that “cater to them.” Properties that clearly state what they offer in multiple languages are more likely to make the shortlist from the search stage onward. Halal readiness can therefore be weighed as an investment with a clear payback logic, and it aligns with the JTA’s ongoing support programs for improving the reception environment for travelers with diverse dietary needs.

Where These Properties Are — From Sacred Mountains to the Airport

The map plots the 30 properties praised for vegetarian/vegan options and the two halal properties (Yamaichi Bekkan overlaps with the vegetarian/vegan list). Concentrations on Koyasan and in Hakone stand out, while one or two “properties chosen for plant-based food” are dotted across destinations such as Miyajima, Mt. Minobu, Nozawa Onsen, Magome-juku and Nikko.

Source: HotelBank Editorial Team research (NLP analysis of guest reviews), MetroEngines Research. Circle size: number of mentions

Vegetarian/Vegan Options Fit Any Price Tier — Location ADRs Range from ¥8,300 to ¥26,700

Finally, we look at the estimated settled ADR of the municipalities where these properties are located. This is supplementary information showing the level of a typical property in each municipality, not the price of the property itself.

Source: Compiled by the HotelBank Editorial Team from MetroEngines Research. Estimated settled ADR is the average of monthly values from November 2025 to October 2026 (Toyooka, Hyogo: 11 months, excluding November 2025). Koya, Wakayama is not shown because fewer than 5 properties were covered

Source: Compiled by the HotelBank Editorial Team from MetroEngines Research (12-month average of estimated settled ADR, November 2025 – October 2026). Darker bars indicate locations of properties praised for halal options

Hakone, Kanagawa is the highest at ¥26,700, followed by hot-spring and tourist destinations Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima (¥25,300), Toyooka, Hyogo (¥23,400) and Yugawara, Kanagawa (¥20,500). At the other end, Tokoname, Aichi (¥8,300), Tennoji Ward, Osaka (¥8,800) and Minobu, Yamanashi (¥9,700) are below ¥10,000. The top-to-bottom gap is about 3.2x: properties praised for vegetarian/vegan options exist just as much in high-priced hot-spring towns as in areas below ¥10,000.

What this distribution shows is that vegetarian/vegan options are not a value-add reserved for luxury ryokan. Shukubo with their shojin ryori food culture, small retreats built around food, and city hotels offering choices at breakfast are each being recognized within their own price tier and business model. It is a measure any property can adopt regardless of rate level, and, as the JTA guide suggests, starting with “shared menus” and “clear labeling” keeps the initial burden low.

Summary — Three Perspectives for Turning Vegetarian/Vegan and Halal Options into a Strength Guests Notice

Putting the analysis together, the 30 properties praised for vegan-friendly options in reviews point to three perspectives that hotel operators can put to use.

First, put your existing food culture into words. Like shojin ryori at shukubo, many properties already serve dishes that meet vegetarian/vegan requirements. Simply highlighting, in multiple languages, the plant-based items already on the menu — kombu and vegetable dashi, tofu and yuba dishes, and so on — opens the door to recognition.

Second, measure traction with the metric that fits your type. For small retreats and minshuku, the mention rate is the guide; for city hotels with large review volumes, the absolute number of mentions shows how well the offering has taken hold. Choose the figure to track according to the size of the property.

Third, treat the scarcity of halal options as an opportunity. Only three properties have accumulated mentions under the same criteria, so properties that clearly state halal provision can still stand out in reviews. Menus built on the overlap between vegetarian/vegan and halal requirements can also, as at Yamaichi Bekkan, earn praise from both groups.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are vegan-friendly hotels increasing in Japan?
A. In its guide published in April 2024, the JTA states that vegetarian, vegan and Muslim visitors are considered to be increasing, and encourages improvements to the reception environment. In the HotelBank Editorial Team’s analysis, 30 properties had 10 or more positive mentions of vegetarian/vegan options in reviews over the past 24 months.

Q. Where are the properties praised for vegan-friendly options concentrated?
A. Temple lodgings in Koya, Wakayama are the most numerous with 10, followed by five in Kanagawa (Hakone and Yugawara). The list also includes city hotels in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo, and onsen ryokan and minshuku in Nagano, Yamanashi, Hiroshima and elsewhere.

Q. How many properties offer halal options?
A. Under the same criteria (20+ reviews and 10+ positive mentions), there are three: Yamaichi Bekkan (Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima), Ogoto Onsen Yuzanso (Otsu, Shiga) and Hotel Keihan Tenmabashi (Chuo Ward, Osaka).

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