Japan was ready for tens of millions of foreign guests. But this year’s Olympics will have to wait until 2021 because of a worldwide outbreak of coronavirus. Athletes and fans are disappointed. So are the hosts. The people of Japan will have another year to plan how to make their guests welcome. Some of those guests will be very different from people in Japan. One big difference is that many will be vegetarians.
Vegetarians do not eat meat. Vegans eat no animal products at all, including meat, milk, eggs, and honey. Many people around the world are vegetarians and vegans. But very few in Japan are. Japanese restaurants and food stores give few options for those who don’t eat meat.
Aoyama farmers’ market in Tokyo, Japan, is brimming with vegetables. It’s a rare spot in Japan—a shoppers’ paradise for people who don’t eat meat. Jasmine Ortlieb browses the stalls. She’s been a vegetarian since she was 13 years old. Ms. Ortlieb is American. But she lives in Tokyo. What’s it like to be a vegetarian in Japan? “It is very inconvenient,” she says.
Many will come to next summer’s Olympics from cultures where vegetarianism and veganism are widely accepted. What will they eat in Japan? Meat can hide even in non-meaty Japanese dishes. Cooks in Japan often start their dishes with broth made with fish. Miso soup? Sauces? These contain meat too—even when it doesn’t seem like it.
Most Japanese people love meat. But most also take hospitality very seriously. The Japanese way of receiving guests is called “omotenashi.” A person practicing omotenashi serves a guest with his or her whole heart. Officials in Japan want to come up with ideas to help make foreigners feel welcome during the Olympics. Ideas: Use government money. Help restaurants and food stores get products for vegetarians. Teach people that vegetarians and vegans eat this but not that.
Can you remember a time you stayed in someone else’s home? What made you feel welcome? Maybe your host made your bed with clean sheets and cooked food you liked. That’s what hospitality does. It thinks of the needs and likes of others first.
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. — 1 Peter 4:9
