Kyoto Prefecture’s Kameoka City is aiming to become a eco-friendly model city, and has been an early adopter of initiatives such as the banning of plastic bags, or the introduction of organically grown ingredients in their school lunches. As an extension of these efforts, the city is now also encouraging the spread of plant-based foods. This initiative is expected to also add value to local agriculture, promote the consumption of local produce and strengthen inbound tourism within the city.
On February 19, 2025, a tasting event showcasing plant-based and vegan dishes was held for local food service providers. The event aimed to support the introduction of vegan options across the city.
Plant-based food tasting event in Kameoka
As introduced in a previous article, last year, VegeProject Japan’s representative Haruko Kawano conveyed the importance and potential of vegan options to Mayor Takahiro Katsuragawa of Kameoka. The mayor expressed his agreement and support for promoting vegan initiatives for the environment. This encounter led to VegeProject Japan’s collaboration with Kameoka City in exhibiting a vegan meat booth at the Organic Lifestyle EXPO in Kyoto 2024, as shared in this article.
Following a speech by Mayor Katsuragawa, Kawano gave a lecture on plant-based and vegan catering. She introduced the basics of vegan and plant-based diets, their significance, and practical ways to implement them in restaurants. While some businesses may find vegan options challenging at first, she emphasized that many animal-based ingredients can be replaced with soy or other plant-based alternatives. Regardless of the cuisine or store type, there are always ways to adapt—and delicious vegan dishes can resonate with a broader audience.
Speech by Mayor Katsuragawa and lecture by Kawano
The tasting event featured dishes such as “cutlet curry” made with soy meat, ground “meat” dishes using papaya, and a vegan “egg-over-rice” recreated using plant-based ingredients. These dishes were served by Aogiriforest LLC., a company specialized in oriental vegan meals. The meals surprised and delighted participants, who could sense the evolution of this food category.
Participants included local restaurants, bakeries, patisseries, farmers, and business owners, as well as Kameoka city council members, all of whom deepened their understanding of plant-based and vegan concepts.
The event was also covered by the Kyoto Shimbun (Kyoto News) newspaper.
We extend our gratitude to the Kameoka City Hall staff for organizing this opportunity and to everyone who attended the tasting event.
If you represent a local government considering a similar initiative, or if you are a food service business exploring the introduction of vegan or plant-based menu options, feel free to contact us at the email address below:
contact[at]vegeproject.org *Please replace [at] with “@”
We also introduce some of our past projects with local governments at the link below:
・Consulting and Partnerships for Vegetarian and Vegan Options