In Japan, a dish called “vegetable curry” or “vegetable ramen” may still contain meat or fish. To a foreign visitor, this can seem confusing. If the word “vegetable” is in the name, it may sound as though the dish should be free of meat and fish. In Japan, however, the word does not necessarily mean that no animal products are used.
For example, many Japanese people would not find it strange if vegetable curry contained pork. The word “vegetable” may simply mean that vegetables are used generously or are one of the main features of the dish. The same is true of vegetable ramen. It may come piled with cabbage and bean sprouts while still using a pork-bone broth and including slices of chashu pork.
There is also another reason this feels natural in Japan. People sometimes choose a “vegetable” dish because they want to eat more vegetables for health reasons. They may think, “I haven’t eaten enough vegetables lately,” and order vegetable ramen or vegetable curry. In that situation, the goal is not necessarily to avoid meat or fish. It is simply to add more vegetables to the meal. Ordering vegetable ramen because you want some vegetables does not mean you were also trying to avoid the tonkotsu broth or chashu.
Fish-based dashi works the same way. A dish centered on vegetables may still use broth made from bonito flakes or dried sardines. In Japan, seeing the word “vegetable” in the name does not automatically suggest that meat or fish has been completely excluded. “Vegetables are the main feature” and “vegetables only” are not the same thing.
This can make things difficult for vegetarians and vegans. Even if the restaurant is not trying to imply anything special, someone may see “vegetable dish,” assume it is suitable for them, and then discover that it contains meat or that fish was used in the broth. From the Japanese side, the answer may be, “But it does have plenty of vegetables.” The problem is that this is not the question the customer was asking.
If you need to avoid meat or fish, it is better not to rely on the dish name alone. Ask whether meat, fish, or animal-based dashi is used. When possible, looking in advance for restaurants that specifically cater to vegetarians or vegans is usually safer.
In Japan today, completely avoiding animal-based ingredients in ordinary restaurants is still not always easy. Even when no meat or fish is visible, they may still appear in broth or seasonings. But eating habits and expectations change over time. Vegetarian and vegan diners cannot simply be treated as though they do not exist, and the number of restaurants and menu options that accommodate them is likely to keep growing.