Vegan Wagashi in Shibuya: Best Traditional Sweets
- Makayla M.
- Oct 9
- 6 min read
In this blog, we'll review two top vegan wagashi spots in Shibuya: Tokachi Red Bean Sazae at Shibuya Station (十勝あんこのサザエ) and Kyoto Saryo Suisen in Shibuya Parco (茶寮 翠泉). In exploring their dessert menus, we’ll spotlight what’s vegan or vegan friendly and how to tailor your visit for the best experience.
Prefer Western style vegan desserts? Check out our Tokyo Vegan Dessert Guide.
What Is Wagashi? A Short History of Japanese Sweets
Wagashi (和菓子), or traditional Japanese sweets, have a long history dating back to the Heian period (794–1185), though their modern forms solidified much later. Originally, sweets in Japan were limited to naturally sweet ingredients such as fruits and nuts, since sugar was an expensive and imported commodity. The arrival of sugar from China in the 8th century, and later from Portugal in the 16th century, transformed the landscape of Japanese confections.
Why Japanese Sweets Pair with Matcha
The most significant development in wagashi occurred during the Edo period (1603–1868), when sugar became more widely available and new types of confections emerged.
During this time, wagashi became closely linked with tea ceremonies, particularly in Kyoto. Sweets were designed not only for flavor, but for appearance, seasonal symbolism, and balance with the bitterness of matcha.
The minimal use of dairy and meat reflected Buddhist dietary practices and the availability of local, plant-based ingredients.
Vegan-Friendly Foundations: The Building Blocks of Wagashi
Key ingredients in wagashi include azuki beans or red bean paste, glutinous rice for mochi and dango, agar, which is a seaweed-based gelatin, kuromitsu or black sugar syrup, and warabi or bracken starch. The reliance on these natural, non-animal ingredients is part of what makes wagashi compatible with vegan diets.
Wagashi is also deeply seasonal. Sakura mochi in spring, yomogi daifuku in summer, and chestnut-based sweets in autumn reflect not only taste preferences, but the broader Japanese cultural emphasis on seasonality and natural cycles.
Today, wagashi is produced everywhere from artisanal Kyoto kitchens to mass-produced factory settings. Shops like Tokachi Red Bean Sazae maintain the functional, everyday wagashi traditions, while establishments like Suisen contribute to its reinvention for a modern audience.
Where to Find Vegan Wagashi in Shibuya
Tokachi Red Bean Sazae: Preserving Hokkaido’s Anko Legacy
Tokachi Red Bean Sazae (十勝あんこのサザエ) is a long-established wagashi maker originally founded in Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. Its name references Tokachi, a region known for producing high-quality azuki beans, and “Sazae,” a name drawn from classical Japanese literature.
The shop is synonymous with handmade red bean paste (anko), a staple ingredient in traditional Japanese sweets. At its Shibuya Station location, located within the Tokyu Food Show, Sazae operates as a counter-based vendor selling freshly made confections for takeout.
The shop is small but efficient. Rather than functioning as a cafe, it focuses on takeaway products that prioritize freshness, texture, and ingredient transparency.
Wagashi items such as naturally vegan ohagi or sweet rice balls coated with anko, and seasonal mochi are made daily and presented in uniform packaging that clearly labels contents and allergens. This clarity is valuable for those following a plant-based diet, as many items contain only rice, sugar, and red bean paste. However, the shop is not a dedicated vegan-based store, so it is better to double check with the staff.
What distinguishes Tokachi Sazae is its commitment to the raw material: the azuki bean. Their anko, available in both koshian or smooth and tsubuan or chunky textures, is made without preservatives, emphasizing the natural sweetness and integrity of the beans.
The shop does not rely on the elaborate presentation seen in more experimental wagashi cafes. Instead, it preserves the simplicity and everyday accessibility of Japanese sweets, as they might have appeared in the mid-20th century.
The Sweets at Tokachi Red Bean Sazae
On my journey to the stall, I sampled three different fully vegan desserts. Two were mochi style, with one covered in ground sesame seeds and the other covered in soybean flour or kinako.
The rice was lightly pounded rather than made smooth, providing plenty of texture to the sweet. Inside was the highly prized anko that was just the right level of sweetness to pair with the rice. Lastly, I tried the ohagi, which had the red bean on the outside of the rice. With the anko on the outside, I tasted the sweetness first and then the rice, making it a bit sweeter.
In an environment increasingly dominated by global dessert trends, Tokachi Sazae’s focus on anko and traditional starch-based confections helps anchor Japanese food culture in its own agricultural and historical roots. Making it a special and fun stop for both vegans and non-vegans alike.
Kyoto Saryo Suisen: Kyoto Tradition Meets Cafe Culture
Just ten minutes away on foot, inside the upscale Shibuya Parco shopping complex, Kyoto Saryo Suisen (茶寮 翠泉) offers a very different take on the vegan wagashi experience in Shibuya.
Founded in Kyoto and originally known for its matcha desserts, Suisen operates with a modern cafe format with table seating, tableware presentation, and course menus. The Shibuya location was one of the brand’s first shop openings in Tokyo, bringing Kyoto’s dessert philosophy into the urban, fashion-forward Shibuya Parco.
Suisen places matcha at the center of its offerings, incorporating it into warabimochi, shaved ice, lattes, and Mont Blanc–style seasonal desserts. This emphasis reflects Kyoto’s long-standing relationship with tea culture, particularly the ceremonial use of matcha in Zen Buddhist traditions. The cafe’s visual aesthetic is modern but restrained, reflecting Kyoto’s understated style.
Although many of Suisen’s dishes are built around dairy-enhanced components such as cream and soft serve, the base elements, especially its freshly made warabimochi, remain rooted in plant-based, non-dairy traditions.
Warabimochi, a jelly-like sweet made from bracken starch and sugar, is typically served with roasted soybean flour or kinako and black sugar syrup or kuromitsu. At Suisen, this dish is made to order, served warm, and often offered without dairy by default. They also offer an English menu with vegan choices highlighted for ease of mind.
I found the warabimochi to be fun and delicious. While difficult to get on the spoon, the texture is sticky and pairs well with tea. The soybean four and black sugar syrup are served on the side, making it easy to adjust the dish to your taste.
Suisen’s function in the Tokyo dessert landscape is to elevate simple wagashi to something truly special. Its success lies in its ability to make traditional textures and flavors appealing to younger, urban clientele who may not otherwise seek out wagashi in their daily lives.
By combining regional Kyoto aesthetics with modern presentation, it plays a bridging role between the ceremonial and the casual, offering a model of how tradition can be reframed without being entirely redefined.
How to Ask for Vegan Desserts in Japanese
Following a vegan diet in a foreign country can be very tricky! Especially when you don’t know the language. To make things a bit easier, here is a short list to confirm whether a dessert is vegan in Japan.
Ask if it contains:
牛乳（ぎゅうにゅう）— Milk
卵（たまご）— Egg
バター — Butter
生クリーム — Whipped cream
ゼラチン — Gelatin
はちみつ — Honey
Example sentence to ask staff:
この商品に動物性のもの（乳製品・卵など）は入っていますか？
Kono shōhin ni dōbutsusei no mono (nyūseihin, tamago nado) wa haitteimasu ka?
“Does this product contain any animal ingredients (like dairy or egg)?”
Safe ingredient keywords to look for:
小豆（あずき）— Azuki (red bean)
もち／餅 — Mochi (glutinous rice)
わらび粉 — Bracken starch (warabi)
きなこ — Roasted soybean flour
黒蜜（くろみつ）— Brown sugar syrup
Keep this list handy when visiting wagashi shops! It helps bridge the gap between traditional sweets and plant-based choices without needing full fluency.
Final Thoughts: Two Vegan Wagashi Shops in Shibuya
Tokachi Red Bean Sazae and Kyoto Saryo Suisen represent two ends of the wagashi spectrum, both geographically and conceptually. Tokachi Sazae operates with a Hokkaido-based focus on red bean paste and traditional street-level confections, which are rooted in simplicity, practicality, and clear ingredient structures. Kyoto Saryo Suisen, on the other hand, emphasizes atmosphere, refinement, and the adaptation of centuries-old Kyoto dessert culture to the expectations of a modern cafe environment.
For those seeking vegan Japanese sweets, both shops offer opportunities. At Sazae, minimalism in preparation provides clarity and confidence in ingredient content. At Suisen, traditional components like bracken starch, kinako, and kuromitsu continue to offer more elaborate presentations in vegan-compatible foundations. Ultimately, these shops allow visitors to experience vegan wagashi not just as dessert, but as a living form of Japanese culture and history.
Interested in trying a variety of sweet and savory vegan Japanese dishes? Sign up for our Tokyo Vegan Food tour exploring Shibuya and Ebisu.
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