On Friday, March 8, 2024, the Taito City Tourism Division organized the “Accommodating Food Diversity Seminar“, with VegeProject Japan’s director Haruko Kawano as the seminar instructor.
The event was held both at the Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center and online, and was attended by many participants, primarily from businesses such as restaurants, hotels, ryokans, and retail stores.
The seminar was conducted in two parts: a lecture on “Basic Knowledge of Vegetarianism and Veganism” by director Kawano, and a discussion with model Alex Derycz, who is active as the “Vegan Prince.”
In the first part, Kawano gave a lecture on the basics of veganism and vegetarianism. She discussed the growth of the plant based market, and gave practical advice for businesses on plant-based ingredients and important points to take into account when developing vegan options.
In the second part, Kawano joined “Vegan Prince” Alex Derycz in a conversation about the current state of vegan options in Japan, and their visions for the future.
The participants raised many questions during the Q&A session. After the seminar concluded, participants reported feeling inspired to start offering vegan options at their businesses, expressed interest in collaborating with our organization on the development of local options, and noted a significant shift in their perspective on veganism.
We are delighted that many people participated in the seminar to deepen their understanding of veganism. We hope that this event will serve as a step forward for business owners in advancing vegetarian and vegan accommodations.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the Taito City Tourism Division for organizing this seminar, to all participants, and to the “Vegan Prince” for joining us.