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Answerman - Are There Any Vegetarians In Japan?

The argument is less about living things and more about the concepts of pain and suffering. Plants lack brains and central nervous systems (as do certain animals, like sponges) and are not conscious, so do not experience pain nor suffering as we define it.

Interacting with enough Japanese things over time and the phrase "Food is Culture" comes to mind when seeing this. For a people of the sea, it is only to be expected there's so much fish around. My only problem arises when someone imposes their preference onto another culture that didn't ask for it, as was highlighted by others. You don't go to a tropical island to avoid the beach. You don't go to a family reunion to avoid the family. You don't go to Japan to avoid fish. I mean you can, but the question I would pose is at what point do you restrain your own preferences for the greater culture? We visit Japan to see how they do things over there, not to show off to the locals.

For quite a while in human history we didn't think animals had as much in the way of consciousness as we now know they do, and we're likely still underestimating it.

I published a book called “Watashi no Saishokuseikatsu” (Cruelty Free Life) in 2005. It is about why I became a Vegan, my everyday life with animals, relationship with the animals and my work as a musician, basic background knowledge about Vegan and Animal Rights, recipes for Vegan dishes... (a)ll the arts I have done since I became a Vegan have to do with animals. In other words, my creative activities are a part of Vegan-Animal Rights activities as well.

The whole concept of veganism is self contradictory in a way. Vegetarians say it's wrong to kill animals when there are other things to avaliabe eat, but it's ok to eat plants which are technically living things too and plants lacking traits people have isn't a good reason to justify eating them over animals. Humans can't directly consume inorganic material, people must consume other living things. But if it's just a preference that's another story, although not a healthy one.

I assume the Indian restaurants can accommodate that.

So far as vegetarian anime character goes, the only one coming to mind is Rei Ayanami from Evangelion.

So, no "Soapboxing" on veganism- even though technically the answer kind of covered it in the article itself? Wait- so what is the point of even discussing it? Why did the article get published if people can't comment on the tenants of veganism/meat eating if we can't?? It seems more than a little hypocritical to me...

There are many Japanese who consider themselves to be vegetarians even though they eat seafood. When I mentioned to a woman I had done business with for several years that, due to her fish consumption, she was a pescatarian, she became really upset. So there are some native Japanese people who do consider themselves to be vegetarians despite their regular consumption of fish.

Might be a reason we often see fruits of some kind as centerpieces in anime, apples, watermelons... How often do we see that in Western media, other than in passing?...

In addition, while I refused any actual pieces of meat or fish, there were times when I had to eat things with animal-derived ingredients like fish sauce to avoid being rude or causing a fuss. I probably also ate plenty of things that weren't vegetarian without realising it. That's something that you just have to accept while being in Japan.

The argument is less about living things and more about the concepts of pain and suffering. Plants lack brains and central nervous systems (as do certain animals, like sponges) and are not conscious, so do not experience pain nor suffering as we define it. The whole of their responses comes down to automatic, unconscious responses to stimuli.