About us

Hello!

I first learned about the vegetarian lifestyle during my first year at university. An exchange student from the Netherlands told me, “More people in Europe are becoming vegetarian if they are concerned about environmental issues.” I remember that, at the time, I could not see the connection between vegetarianism and environmental issues.

At age 20, I lost the dog who had been with me for 12 years. This led me to think about the dogs and cats bred and killed for human convenience in the pet industry. From there, I no longer wanted pigs, cattle, birds, or fish to suffer or lose their lives for my meals.
The more I learned, the more I came to understand that vegetarian and even more vegan choices were better not only for animals and the global environment, but also for people facing hunger without enough food.

I had chosen Kyoto University’s Faculty of Agriculture because I wanted to help solve environmental problems. Academic studies and large-scale research can be an important part of solving environmental issues too, but they require considerable time and funding. On the other hand, I realized that adopting a vegan lifestyle was an effective action I could take immediately to reduce my environmental impact.

First I became a vegetarian when I was a student. During an internship in Belgium while I was in graduate school, I often met vegetarians. The lifestyle was widely respected, and vegetarian options were always available. Influenced by that experience, I returned to Japan and, in my final year at university, began working to introduce vegan meals at the university cafeteria.
That was the beginning of VegeProject.

The initiative certainly required persistence, but with the help of many people, we succeeded in introducing vegetarian meals that met vegan standards at the cafeteria. Vegetarian students were of course delighted to have these meals as an option. I also saw many more students who were not vegetarian choosing and enjoying them as part of their everyday meals. It was the moment I realized that society can change.

After graduating from university, I continued working on VegeProject while employed at a private company. On the day I had the opportunity to interview Sir Paul McCartney, I decided to devote myself to this project. I then left the company, and made VegeProject an official nonprofit organization.

Changing long-standing habits overnight can be difficult. However, I believe society will become a little better if more people make vegetarian or vegan choices, and if those who want to go vegan have the support they need. Today, offering vegetarian and vegan options also presents strong opportunities for businesses.

Would you like to start working with us?