kakima

[kakima]

WriterofthePrompts Ultimate Ask Masterlist

I’ve decided to make a masterlist of asks I’ve done to make them easier to find for you guys (and for myself). I split them into categories as best as I could by genre and topic. Also, some asks have some helpful tips in the notes as well to check out (some are marked but not all) and if you have anything to add that you think would help, feel free to reply or reblog with your addition. I’ll try to keep it updated with future asks. (Update: you can now see the Ultimate Ask Masterlist 2 and my list of Random Writing Tips)

Now without further ado, the strangest and most wonderful list I’ve ever made.

World Building

Urban fantasy prompts/creating urban fantasy world (also linked under fantasy)

Links to help with world building

Creating a pantheon of gods

Things to research when writing a historical novel (also linked under Historical)

Using metaphors in descriptions

Too much world building?

Asking questions to develop a magic system

Wizard school ideas

Why magic would drain from a world

Tips for descriptions

Reasons for civil war

Character Development

Writing confusion in your character

Obstacles to character goals: traveling abroad

Reactions to sadness

Reactions to a devastating event

Showing a character’s anxiety towards something

Showing a character’s secret without revealing it

Reasons a character would die for another

Secrets in a character’s past

Culture shock with loss of rules

Growth of a trainee witch

Characters provoking other characters

Dealing with moving to a completely new place

Why a 19yo would allow a strange boy to live with her

Why a character would want a do-over in life

Showing a character going from good to bad

Possible good messages when the villains aren’t reformed

Kid growing up surrounded only by adults

Quirks for characters

Showing friendship with reserved characters

Introducing an antagonist

Introducing side characters

When you don’t think your character’s backstory fits

Writing Different Types of Characters

Writing antiheroes

The reluctant hero

Writing a violent character afraid of their mind

Making an immoral character likeable

Not a normal girl

Sympathetic villain

Making sure your character isn’t just a flirt

Writing intelligent characters

When your hero isn’t very heroic

Confident characters

Writing an antisocial character

Character Family

Visiting family for the first time

Showing closeness in siblings (opposite twins)

How a joker and a quiet character can become friends

Daughter of a party organizer prompts

Parent jobs where the kid needs to keep up appearances

The mom that left comes back…a vampire

Including character’s parents

Why a character would leave another

Sibling relationships

character with an abusive father (and how to show fear)

Romance

Writing a slow paced love story

love interest vs the ex revamped

Platonic male x female relationships

Random places to get married

Suspense and romance with a “different” male lead

sad relationship prompts

Asexuality and romance

Mutual pining

Romance with large age differences

Childhood friends falling in love

Fluffy unique first kiss

Ways of showing commitment in characters (vampire edition)

Friendship to romance

Small situations for a couple story

fantasy creature and human fluff

characters meeting and falling in love during war

Why best friends might fall in love

Unlikely soulmates prompts

Sci Fi

Using dreams as energy

Time travel prompts (asked for male x female protags)

Time travel: how saving someone can go wrong

Reliving memories

Android characters

Writing humanoids in post apocalypse

Consequences of growing a baby in an artificial womb (theoretical)

The evil AI that characters can’t (shouldn’t) destroy

Girl and guy get trapped in the same body

Rich people in post apocalypse

Discovering you have a doppelgânger

Superheroes

Teenagers, hormones and their superpowers

Weird superpowers

Superhero kids reluctant to be superheroes

Aliens

beings traveling to Earth

Why an alien wouldn’t be able to leave Earth

Reasons an alien would be sent to live on Earth

Human/alien team surviving on hostile planet together

Fantasy/Paranormal

Urban fantasy prompts/creating urban fantasy world (also linked under world building)

gods losing their powers

creations turning on their creators

How elemental powers might work

Why NOT to destroy the world when it’s your goal

Mistreated genies

Tropes of a fantasy (also linked under Writing Motivation/Tips)

Male character ideas in a fantasy

Immortal woman prompts

Beauty and the Beast revamp

How Death and a teenage girl become adventure teammates

Powers for magical beings writing down history

Girl meets demon from forest behind her house

Reverse fairytale prompts

Revamped fairytale prompts 2

Manatees being confused by mermaids

a princess befriends a baby dragon

Making a character believe in a cure for a curse

Egyptian gods living among us

A love between the sun and the moon

What fantasy creatures do on Halloween

Human and fantasy creature become pen pals

Creatures

Monsters and urban legends

Fantastic creatures

A little bit on dragons

Kind dragons

Magic and Witches

witch x wizard romance

witch prompts

Witch being protective over a human-turned-doll

magical boarding school

Ideas for curses

A young witch exploring the boundaries of her powers

Traps a wizard could set for a thief

Angels and Demons

Angels and demons

Angel as a human on earth

Jobs for angels and demons who fall in love

Physical impacts on a demon who keeps dying and coming back

Demons hunter prompts

Vampires

Human meets vampire 1

Human meets vampire 2

How to hide your vampirism from your family

Royal vampires

Vampire hunter gets bitten by a vampire

Reasons a locked up vampire would go after your character

Why a vampire and vampire hunter would work together

Vampire x werewolf forbidden love

Ghosts

Helpful ghost prankster prompts 1

Helpful ghost prankster prompts 2

Human and ghost solving mysteries together

1776 woman with supernatural abilities prompts

A medium whose friend is in a coma

Medium question Pt. 2: their fatal flaws

Battle Scenes

Writing Battle Scenes Tips

How to lead up to an action scene

Keep reading

[kakima]

So You Want To Make a Character..

I’ve got a few generators you can use.

Need some clothes?

Try Here Here or Here Definitely here Steam punk clothing Char Style preference Dress

Need an Appearance idea?

Humanoid generator? check Non-Humanoid? Got that too and this and maybe this Need Monsterpeople?  I’ve got you. Maybe you need Cats?

Need some details and shit like that?

Bam Backgrounds and stuff? yep Personality. you need that shit Need something fandom related? World-building? location? got ya City generator hell yeah make your own god damn laws Oh shit someone died Landscape. CHAR DEVELOP QUESTION GEN Profile Thingy Have some dates Quirks

You thought I was done? Nope. Motha. Fuckin. Names.

So many fuckin names MOTHERLOAD OF NAMES

Plant Names Magic Book title

Just search ur ass up some names man

Items. Yeah. You heard me.

Medicine? got it Items out the ass more items wow

Other shit.

Wow Yep Plots More writing stuff This site has everything so fucking go for it Need AUs? How the shit did these two meet? Fanfic plots. you bet your ass. (tag me in the shit u write i wanna see what you get) What does it do thing (you come up with a better name for this one. fuckin fight me.

You bet your ass I will continue to update this. If you’ve got something I should add to this hmu. Now, go forth! Make characters and live yo life. UPDATE: Added more shit everywhere.

[kakima]

The Vampire Diaries - Click and Drag!

🌸Mobile- make a screenshot

🌸follow me

[kakima]

☼ Masterlist ☼

☼  Masterlist is updated regularly & subject to frequent change  ☼

☼  Writing Help Posts  ☼

Useful Writing Resources **This is my most popular post**

Useful Writing Resources II

Resources For Romance Writers

Resources For Fantasy & Mythology Writers

Beginning A Story And Sticking With It

Tips and Advice For Aspiring Writers, Authors, and Poets

How To Write An Article That People Will Read

How To Motivate Yourself To Write

Improving Flow In Writing

Kiss Scenes 101: How to Write The Perfect Kiss

Step-By-Step Plan: Editing Your Own Writing

Novel Planning 101

How To Write A Good Plot Twist

How To Foreshadow

Setting: How To Describe The Setting In Your Stories

Tips For Fanfiction Writers

Tips For Writers Who Want To Post Their Work Online

Commentary On Social Issues In Writing

How To Incorporate Health Into Your Writing Routine

What To Cut Out Of Your Story

How To Fall In Love With Writing

Constructive Criticism: How To Give, Receive, and Utilize

Tackling Subplots

How To Make A Scene More Heartfelt

Tips For Songwriters

How To Develop A Distinct Voice In Your Writing

How To Perfect The Tone In A Piece Of Writing

20 Mistakes To Avoid When Writing Young Adult Fiction/Romance

☼  Prompt Lists  ☼

Individual Prompts

Challenges For {Types Of} Writers

Tol & Smol Prompts

Enemies Turned Lovers Prompts

Best Friends Turned Lovers Prompts

Study Date Prompts

Skinny Love Prompts

Seasonal Prompts: Spring

Dark Quotes & Prompts

50 Things Couples Can Do Together 

50 More Things Couples Can Do Together

Forbidden Love Prompts

Angst Prompts

☼  Synonyms Lists  ☼

Body Types: Words To Describe Bodies and How They Move Around

Words To Describe…

Words To Describe Someone’s Voice

All About Colors

A Writer’s Thesaurus

☼  Playlists  ☼

Chaos Killed The Dinosaurs Chaos and impeding doom. We’re all in the middle of it, so let’s suffer together and try to our universal struggle more poetic. Listen On Spotify

Sweet Dreams & Beautiful Nightmares This playlist is a beautiful mix of sweet melody and sinister undertones. This playlist will help you drift into a peaceful sleep and comforting nightmares. Listen On Spotify

Ambient Ambient tunes to calm you down and inspire you. Whether turned on for a relaxing evening, a late night of deep thinking, or just something to listen to that’s catchy, but not too heavy, this is perfect for any time. Listen On Spotify

Classical & Instrumental Whether you’re studying, reading, sipping Earl Grey, writing, etc. this playlist will relax and inspire you. Listen On Spotify

Badassery Embrace your inner badassery and do it to the perfect soundtrack. Listen On Spotify

Stay Wild  Everyone needs adventure and some risk in their lives. Sneak out, dance, experiment, and have fun while you’re young and free. Roll down the windows, activate your soundtrack, and stay wild;) Listen On Spotify

Like Or Like-Like You may be going through a breakup or relationship troubles in general. Sometimes you just need to listen to music and either cry, or get mad. Here’s the perfect soundtrack. Listen On Spotify

I Was Never What You Wanted A lot of people are in that bubbly, exciting place, where you’re trying to figure out if they like you back. Here’s to new romance and the pain and butterflies that come with it. Listen On Spotify

Soaked To The Skin With Emotion These song’s are bursting at the seams with emotional weight, and it can be therapeutic to indulge in someone else’s overwhelming thoughts. These songs are relatable, nostalgic, depressing, and honest, and they’re well worth a listen. Listen On Spotify

New Old Favorites Classics and love songs ~ From Sinatra to Lana, this playlist takes you back to the good old times.. whenever those were. Listen On Spotify

“Just Friends” “Just friends” don’t look at each other like that… Listen On Spotify

Calmly Sad Sometimes it’s important to take the time and let the emotions flow. For those rainier days, here is some calm music to listen to while you clear your system of whatever is bringing you down.  Listen On Spotify

Skin Emotion is like skin. Some is soft, some is rough, some is dark, and some is light. All emotion should be felt, through our skin and inside our bones. Here’s a list of songs to sit back and let sink in through the skin.  Listen On Spotify

Wordsnstuff’s Writing Playlist

☼ Miscellaneous ☼

Book Recommendations

Word Counts Converted To Novel Pages

Mental Illness Awareness

10 Easy Changes You Can Make To Your Lifestyle To Be Happier And Healthier Almost Instantly

25 Study Tips To Make Your Life Easier

Reasons To Improve Your Lifestyle

How To Make Study Dates More About Studying (And Have Fun At The Same Time)

Study Environment & How To Make Studying Easier

Healthy Forms Of Motivation

How To Have A Productive Mindset

So You Want To Start A Blog

☼  Tags  ☼

Q&A

Photos/Quotes

Reader Submitted Writing

**How to Navigate My Blog**

Side Notes {Based On Frequently Asked Questions} 

You can request playlists. Send me a quote, phrase, concept, etc. and I will make it!

If you have a request, I prefer if you send it through my ask box, rather than private message. I get a lot of messages from people and your request may be drowned out or forgotten about. My ask box is where I keep track of reader suggestions/input, so please use that instead. 

Anonymous is disabled on this blog for multiple reasons surrounding negative messages that have nothing to do with my actual content, as well as for the purpose of replying privately in order to prevent my followers’ dashboards from being spammed with random asks.

PICTURES // QUOTES // REBLOGS // FAQ

For A VERY useful fact, click here

[kakima]

let’s rest a little bit of art and just look at roses (they say there was a time I could do photography but… this one is actually nice)

[kakima]

Mother’s day sale! All weekend long my entire site is marked down 15% off and an additional 20% off when your order 2 or more caps when you use the code “MUVA”. 100% hand painted by me! While supplies last, go get yours. Available in the U.S & Canada💅🏽💁🏽😋🎨

urbaanmisfit.net urbaanmisfit.net urbaanmisfit.net

[kakima]

I’m thinking I would like to dance in the rain with this person. I would like to lie next to him in the dark and watch him breathe and watch him sleep and wonder what he’s dreaming about and not get an inferiority complex if the dreams aren’t about me.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (via kiiiittypancakes)

[kakima]

my favorite pages of my movie journal, posing pretty

[kakima]

If anyone is looking for quirky, romantic, funny indie flicks on netflix, I recommend Stuck in Love, Safety Not Guaranteed, Daydream Nation, and Ira and Abby. You’re welcome. 

[kakima]

indie movies: a recommendation list

Safety Not Guaranteed

Sleepwalk With Me

Bottle Rocket

The Puffy Chair

The Science of Sleep

Once

Your Sister’s Sister

In A World…

Little Miss Sunshine

The Daytrippers

Dazed and Confused 

Before Sunrise

Strictly Ballroom

My Dinner With Andre

The Breakfast Club

Ruby Sparks

Ghost World

My Own Private Idaho

Lost in Translation

Garden State

ACOD

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Melvin Goes to Dinner

Much Ado About Nothing

Another Earth

Be Kind Rewind

The Kings of Summer

Moon

I love all these movies so feel free to ask me about any of them!

more movie recs can be found here (or other places like in shoes)

[kakima]

Adult World (2013)

[kakima]

What's an indie film?

Indie is short for independent and means that the movie was produced without the backing of a major studio. Indie films are sometimes refered to as art house films because they didn’t get shown at big chain theaters only at small theaters

I’m very much obsessed with indie films. I’ve been watching tons of them lately and I decided I should share them with you guys! These are basically most of the movies that I would label as indie films (though some of them are quite popular). So turn the lights off and maybe grab some popcorn and enjoy the films c: (bolded are absolute recommends). If you’re having trouble with any of the links, please let me know!

500 days of summer / across the universe / adventureland / almost famous / a teacher / beasts of the southern wild / bottle rocket / dakota skye / dazed and confused / donnie darko / drugstore cowboy / eternal sunshine of the spotless mind / flipped / for a good time, call / ginger and rosa / ghost world / greenberg / heathers / in a world / is it fall yet? / it’s a disaster / it’s kind of a funny story / juno / kids / kings of summer / liberal arts / like crazy / little birds / moonrise kingdom / nancy, please / safety not guaranteed / sassy pants / sex drive / shortbus / spring breakers / struck by lightening / stuck in love / submarine / teenage dirtbag / toast / tonight you’re mine / the art of getting by / the first time / the lifeguard / the perks of being a wallflower / the spectacular now / the to do list / the way way back / the virginity hit / thirteen / triple dog / upstream color 

[kakima]

Vegan in Tokyo, Japan; Part 2

As you saw in my earlier Japan coverage, the options for vegan food in Tokyo aren’t lacking. Of course, that was only half of the fun, so get ready for more delectable vegan dining in the Land of the Rising Sun!

On a drizzly afternoon, we headed to Der Akkord bakery, home of vegan, organic breads & pastries for some carby goodness. The small bakery on a side street instantly welcomed us with the smell of fresh bread & the staff was warm & inviting, offering us samples right away. We couldn’t help but order way-too-many items! We started with a steamed bun filled with beans & curry, plus a partial loaf of the soft & hearty Sesambrot, then moved on to their Fruchtebrot, at the suggestion of Mel from Veglicious.  This chewy bread with 2 types of raisins & walnuts is SO good & took me back to the days of ordering Raisin Bread from Grain D’or with my Mom. We also sampled some of the sweets available, the Apple Pie & Pumpkin Pie, which have a whole wheat biscuit-like crust that’s almost savory with lightly sweetened fillings, & the Cocoa Banana Cake, which almost seemed like a raw cake made from bananas & walnuts. As if we hadn’t ordered enough, the staff was kind enough to give us a free Azuki filled roll & a chewy, delicious roll raisin flecked roll called “Kurbisbrot”!

Later that night, we headed out intending to have a night of drinks & karaoke with Dan & Laura, but imagine our surprise when our destination was closed for a holiday! (This is far too common in Japan.) Luckily, we had a map with vegan options marked & despite the rain, we hiked along the river, where we saw the largest toad I’ve ever seen, & made our way to the primarily vegan Cafe 8 (honey is used in some cookies). A favorite of local veggies, with multiple cookbooks under their belts, Cafe 8 has a bit of a posh atmosphere, unlike their casual eatery, Pure Cafe. Still, we felt welcome at our candlelit table, as we ordered up a starter of Fried Tempeh & Avocado in Teriyaki Sauce. These little bites were delicious with their crisp tempeh, avocado slices, & lotus root in a tasty teriyaki sauce! The Seasonal Vegetables with Herbs were a little oily, but an amazing assortment of Japanese vegetables like Burdock, Green Pumpkin, Purple Yam, plus other roots & veggies I’ve never had before! The “Tofu Hamburg Steak” was a familiar patty, this one made of tofu & tempeh, in a tomato based sauce. It was served up with a salad in Tahini sauce & a side of roasted Potatoes & smoky Mushrooms. For dessert, the Apple Crumble Cake was a nice finish to the meal with it’s sweet apple pieces & crunchy crumbs with a bready cake. The Caramel Banana Pudding also delighted us with it’s soft bread, sweet banana pieces, & a bit of caramel, with a side of tofu cream, that was a bit beany, but not bad. I can see why locals love Cafe 8!

Eat More Greens is a vegetarian cafe & bakery with mainly vegan dishes, which are clearly marked on the menu. Claiming to take their cues from the cafes of the Lower East Side & East Village of New York, we expected to feel right at home, as those are two of my favorite places to be & luckily, that was the case! We started with the amazing Autumn Potato Salad which was an assortment of both crisp & soft vegetables in a creamy sauce that we loved so much, we seriously debated ordering seconds. Next, the Black Sesame Curry with Sweet Potatoes & Mushrooms was a hearty, Indian inspired dish with lentils, rice, & a delicious salad. The Pumpkin Moussaka was a creamy, delicious dish with pumpkin, 2 types of mushrooms, tomato, & a crisp top covered in pumpkin pieces & bread crumbs. I savored each bite!  Unfortunately, the desserts were a letdown after the excellent food. I was excited to see an Eclair on the menu, but in the end it was a dense bread roll, cut & filled with pastry cream & topped in chocolate with almond bits. My partner likened it to a hot dog bun, yikes! The Chocolate Gateau fared better with it’s dense, rich, chocolate with a raspberry compote, but the seeds from the raspberry were so distracting, I couldn’t enjoy it. The star of the show is supposed to be their cinnamon roll, but they were out when we dined there. Overall, we LOVED Eat More Greens & would certainly recommend it. We found the portions to be larger than most Japanese restaurants & left very satisfied.

Hanada Rosso is a sleek cafe hidden in a building off right off Meiji Dori, just a jump away from the famous Takeshita Dori in Harajuku. Decorated in all white with adorable accents like hot pink chopsticks, I loved the visuals of this dining spot. We opted for the Chef Special, which not only rotates daily, but only 10 are available each day. A delicious set of Katsu with teriyaki & mayo sauces over brown rice with cabbage was served up, along with a side of salad in a light, oily dressing. We also had the “Vegetable Hamburger Steak”, another bun-less burger, although this came with a baguette on the side. It was dressed in a tomato sauce, of course, but with very thin noodles as well, very “American”. Not so American, was the side of Lotus Root & other local vegetables in a sesame dressing.  We finished with two desserts, one being the special of the day, which was described as Chocolate cake in Yuzu sauce. It wasn’t very sweet & more like a zucchini bread with a chocolate sauce & soy foam. Many desserts at macrobiotic places are “healthy” & this was no exception. The parfait threw us for a loop, in addition to soy ice cream, it had 2 types of dango, soy foam, & a coffee drink poured in to it, but it also had BEANS! Yes, there were whole beans floating in my parfait. I’d like to say it was delicious, but it was more strange than anything else.

Before heading to the airport, we intended to eat a nice meal at Brown Rice Cafe, a whole food macrobiotic cafe, frequented by ladies who lunch. Due to the long wait, we realized we didn’t have enough time, but luckily, there’s Brown Rice Deli right there as well! The deli has a selection of bento boxes & dishes, all vegan, as well as baked goods, some of which are vegan & are clearly marked. We opted for a tasty bento with brown rice, topped in tempeh & curry sauce, with a side of pickled vegetables, a vegetable sesame salad, & umeboshi plum. We also had Inari that was stuffed with brown rice & curry, which was not like the sweet Inari we’re used to. They seem to like the curry at Brown Rice Deli, so we also had a bowl of the curry which was hearty with many types of beans, lentils, & chickpeas in a spiced tomato curry sauce. For a treat, we had two muffins, the so called “Tofu Muffin” which was fluffy & lightly sweetened, filled with walnuts, & topped with roasted soybeans, & the Pumpkin Muffin which was sadly underspiced, but filled with chunks of pumpkin slices & pepitas, & topped with a Oat & Pepita crumb top. Overall, Brown Rice is a good option whether you’re dining in or taking out.

I have no complaints about the vegan options in Tokyo! It was nice to have a selection of places to go to in a country known for fish based dishes. In fact, we didn’t even make it to all of the places recommended to us by either guidebooks or the internet! It’s amazing what you can find with a bit of research.

THIS POST ORIGINALLY DEBUTED ON “THE URBAN HOUSEWIFE” BLOG. PLEASE CHECK ALL LOCATIONS TO SEE IF THEY’RE STILL OPEN BEFORE VISITING.

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Vegan in Tokyo, Japan; Part 2 was originally published on Melisser.com

[kakima]

Vegan in Japan, a survival guide.

It’s a myth that it’s impossible to be vegan in Japan. It seems like it’s a rumor that’s been going around for ages & while things have certainly gotten easier with the booming macrobiotic scene, Buddhist cuisine, or Shojin Ryori is animal free cooking that has been going for thousands of years. It’s not a foreign concept that foods would be vegan in a culture where dairy is rarely used, although the word vegan is still very much unknown in Japan. So, while it’s certainly possible to be vegan in Japan, it’s not like in other countries where you can let them know you’re vegan & they’ll whip something up.

Common mistakes vegetarians make in Japan are with things that are normally veg-friendly, but in Japan are not. Soups contain fish stock, potato chips can have chicken or beef powder on them, soy sauce can contain fish, soy milk contains animal derived calcium, & bonito (fish) flakes run rampant & show up on things as simple as white rice. My recommendation is to seek out places that are aware of veganism, but honestly, this can add up financially. Still, there are many options out there, so here’s a guide to tricks & treats in Japan.

Getting around! First of all, you NEED a Tokyo City Atlas. These guides not only help you navigate the confusing & non-sequencial addressing system in Japan, but it also has maps of the railways & transit options. Another thing I strongly suggest is a Japan Rail Pass, which may seem expensive, but will cover all of your travel from to & from the airport, rides all over the country on the Shinkansen, & travel within Tokyo. It pays for itself quickly if you visit places outside Tokyo. Next, I recommend picking up the Japan Vegan Restaurant Pocketguide. We bought ours in the Shinjuku Kinokuniya bookstore, but you may want to purchase yours in advance. While we had a lot of mishaps with this guide, like unclear hours of operation & places no longer existing, ultimately, it was a useful. Another item you may want is the Vegan Passport, which can be used to explain veganism all around the world. Now, on to the food!

An amazing thing we found out from the Wandering Vegans that made us jump for joy was Japan has Vegan Doughnuts! New York City staple Doughnut Plant NYC has been making egg-free doughnuts 1994, using a 1910 recipe from the owner’s Grandfather, but unfortunately, their doughnuts in the States are not vegan. At their Japanese branches however, many of which are located in train stations, the special of the season was Soy Milk Doughnuts! The options available to us were Rose Hip & Ebisu Pumpkin. Both were slightly chewier & heartier than traditional doughnuts, but still fluffy & fabulous! The Rose Hip was covered in sweet, pink frosting that reminded me of a Simpsons pink doughnut, while the Pumpkin was well spiced & our favorite of the two. We had also heard there was a Soy Milk Cinnamon Bun & on our last day, we tracked it down! Thick & chewy with not only a thin glaze, but a thick sugary coating as well, this bready bun was lightly spiced with walnuts & raisins rolled up in to it. Now if only we can get the NYC locations to carry the soy milk options! Letter writing powers, activate!

Convenience Stores or “konbini” are everywhere in Japan; 7 Eleven, AM PM, Family Mart, Lawson, they’re on every corner. The good thing is they have a fair amount of options for vegans. One such option is sushi, with the most common variety being the rice filled tofu pockets called Inari. You’ll find these at every konbini, as well as a small selection of other rolls like Natto (fermented soybean) rolls & cucumber rolls. Beware, the soy sauce packets could contain fish, so you may want to buy your own soy sauce to be sure. Another common option is Onigiri, a triangle or oval of white rice with a filling, wrapped in nori. Many onigiri contain fish, but there are also options like Umeboshi & Kombu. Once again, these can contain “katsuobushi” or bonito fish flakes, but my photos contain a type I know is safe, do your research or attempt to ask a clerk about other brands.

On the crunchy side of things, there’s a few snacks vegans can partake in, but buyer beware, most chips have animal based ingredients in them! Calbee produces two options, their plain potato chips being the only vegan potato chips in Japan, & their Veggie flavored chips. Tohato has “Potato Ring Snack”, which are little rings of potato, but make sure you get the white bag, as the others contain chicken. Rice Crackers or Senbei are another option which you’ll find many places, but many contain fish! It never ends, right? Please check out my photos to see the actual bags of these items, so you know what they look like. We carried print outs or digital versions on our phones of items we knew were safe. Trust me, you won’t be reading packages!

To quench your thirst, there’s refreshing green tea or beer from the many vending machines, of course, but there’s also soy milk available in shops! Some soy milk contains oyster calcium, so stick to the brand pictured for a tasty range of flavors. I believe we tried all of the flavors, which were Vanilla, Chocolate, Banana, Strawberry, Matcha, & seasonal options; Sweet Potato & Chestnut! We enjoyed them all, especially the seasonal flavors, plus the strawberry & banana tasted like Quik mix or other powdered drinks from your childhood. These little soy milk boxes are readily available in most shops, so drink up!

Typically, when it comes to sweets, not many options are available in a corner mart, but you’ll find a few to enjoy in Japan! My favorite treat was actually from Seiyu Supermarket, but supposedly it’s available in some corner stores as well (although none I went in). Kracie makes an amazingly creamy & delicious soy ice cream that comes in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, & Matcha (Green Tea). It reminded me of those little cups of vanilla ice cream with chocolate swirl that you would eat in elementary school on special occasions! Another option is a Yuzu Lemon Sorbet that is available in some Family Mart locations, a bit icy, but still tangy & lovely. You must look for the specific brand pictured, as most sorbets in Japan have milk in them. Finally, we found ourselves hooked on these crazy Gari Gari Kun popsicles that are available in every convenience mart! They come in a few flavors like Soda, Cola, Orange, & Muscat grape, & seem to have a hard outer layer with an icy center. The blue icy pop, “Soda” was by far our favorite & I even bought myself a Gari Gari Kun pen at Tokyu Hands to pledge my love for the man with the giant mouth on the outside of the wrapper!

One more treat you’ll find all over Japan is Daifuku, or Mochi. Sweets shop around tourist areas & markets, or even convenience marts will have these glutenous rice balls filled with various sweetened smooth fillings. The most common flavor we saw was Azuki, aka red bean paste, but we were also happy to find Chestnut paste filled. We tried one with whole red beans in it & I have to say, I don’t recommend it! The beans were slightly firm & chalky, distracting from the smooth paste in the center.

Finally, there is a fast & easy option you can find all over Japan when you’re in a pinch or if you just want to eat on the cheap, MOS Burger. A fast food burger joint, like those in America, MOS Burger has an English menu with photos & one standard vegan option, a Kinpira Burger. Bascially, the Kinpira burger is two rice patty buns, filled with a sheet of nori, plus pickled burdock & carrot pieces with sesame seeds. It’s small, tasty, & will hit the spot! Those with big appetites, may want to order two. We ate at MOS Burger in Nara, when we found out the other two veg-friendly options in town were closed for the day. It’s great to have an option when Plan A isn’t available!

We adored Japan & while we had a few moment of frustration when it came to food, it was typically because a restaurant we had planned to eat at was closed, not because we lacked options in moment of hunger. With a bit of planning, veganism in Japan is not difficult, so get out there & explore! Don’t forget to to go my Flickr account for a complete visual guide to Japanese Vegan Food.

THIS POST ORIGINALLY DEBUTED ON “THE URBAN HOUSEWIFE” BLOG. PLEASE CHECK ALL LOCATIONS TO SEE IF THEY’RE STILL OPEN BEFORE VISITING.

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Vegan in Japan, a survival guide. was originally published on Melisser.com

[kakima]

I happened to pick up a book about my favorite Japanese print artist last year - just a few days after seeing the fantastic Studio Ghibli documentary The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness - and so a bit of a mashup of the two was the natural result.

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[kakima]

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[kakima]

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