Salads are available in most convenience stores in Japan, but what about salad dressing? It’s difficult to find vegan dressing in convenience store salads/sachets and restaurants in Japan, but supermarkets do have a good selection of possibly vegan choices. It can be a good idea to carry your own salad dressing with you. Choose something that does not need refrigeration, such as balsamic vinegar. Below are some dressings that may be vegan, but if you want to be sure, an easy option is to use balsamic vinegar.

According to the website of the Japan Vinegar Institute Headquarters, brewed vinegar/醸造酢/jōzōzu is made from things like grains such as rice, wheat, and corn, fruits, vegetables, sugar cane, honey, alcohol, etc., Therefore there is a possibility brewed vinegar is not vegan as it may contain honey. Many salad dressings listed below contain brewed vinegar.

In addition, ingredients like flavorings/香料/kouryou, amino acids, etc./アミノ酸等/aminosan-tō and flavored oil/香味食用油 may have a possibility of being non-vegan. 

SINGLE-SERVING DRESSINGS

In a review of the individual salad dressing packets at Family Mart, Lawson, Natural Lawson, 7-11, and NewDays in May 2021, we were only able to locate the following products that appeared to possibly be vegan from Family Mart and 7-11. Lawson, Natural Lawson and NewDays only had individual dressing packets with animal ingredients like fish, egg and meat.

• Family Mart Japanese-Style Dressing/ファミリーマート　和風ドレッシング. Ingredients: Sugar, edible vegetable oil, soy sauce, brewed vinegar, onion, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, salt, roasted onion paste, dried red bell pepper/seasoning (amino acids etc.), polysaccharide thickener, spice extract, flavoring.

Product contains wheat and soybeans.

Photos taken in May 2021. 

    

• Family Mart Reduced Sodium Japanese Dressing/ファミリーマート 減塩和風ドレッシング. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (contains soybeans, domestically produced), sugars (sugar, high-fructose corn syrup), brewed vinegar, soy sauce (contains wheat), processed soy sauce product (soy sauce (pure brew soy sauce)), dried onion chips, fermented rice seasoning, processed olive product, salt, roasted onion, red bell pepper/seasoning (inorganic salt etc.), thickener (xanthan), polyglutamic acid, iron gluconate.

Product contains wheat and soybeans.

Photos taken in May 2021. 

       

• 7-11 Japanese Style Dressing/和風ドレッシング. Ingredients: Soy sauce (domestically produced), onion, sugar, brewed vinegar, edible vegetable oil, salt, dried onion, concentrated apple juice, onion extract, roasted onion paste, thickening polysaccharide, spice extract.

Product contains wheat, soybeans and apple.

Photos taken in May 2021. 

    

Here is another brand of dressing that may sometimes be found in a single-serving size.

• Pietro dressing/ピエトロドレッシング. Ingredients: Edible vegetable fats and oils, onion, brewed vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, seasoning (amino acids, etc.), olives, red pimientos, spices, sweetener (sucralose).

Product contains wheat and soybeans.

The bottled Family Mart Collection Roasted Sesame Dressing/焙煎ごまドレッシング and Japanese Onion Dressing/和風たまねぎドレッシング are unfortunately not vegan. The Family Mart Roasted Sesame Dressing has egg yolk/卵黄/ranou and the Japanese Onion Dressing has skipjack tuna fish extract/かつお節エキス/katsuobushi ekisu.

Photos taken in June 2021. 

   

DRESSINGS IN BOTTLES

Brown Sugar 1st. dressing is very tasty. It won’t be found in regular supermarkets, but it is sold on the Brown Sugar 1st. website.

According to the website, it does not taste of coconut oil, so even those who aren’t coconut fans can enjoy this product. Does not harden even if stored in the refrigerator. Uses extra-virgin coconut oil. Rich in onions and aromatic herbs. The website also suggests using the Organic Herb Dressing on thin pasta. 

• Brown Sugar 1st. Organic Herb Dressing. Ingredients: Organic brewed vinegar (organic spirit vinegar, organic white grape vinegar), organic edible vegetable oil (organic canola oil, organic coconut oil), organic onion, organic coconut sugar, salt, organic spices (organic mustard, organic basil, organic black pepper, organic paprika, organic oregano, organic laurel).

Online purchase link: Brown Sugar 1st website

   

The Brown Sugar 1st Organic Spice Dressing uses organic, extra-virgin coconut oil. Does not use chemical seasoning, emulsifier, or white sugar. According to the website, it does not taste of coconut oil, so even those who aren’t coconut fans can enjoy this product. Meant to have a curry-like taste and stimulate the appetite, thus helping to increase vegetable intake. Does not harden even if stored in the refrigerator.

• Brown Sugar 1st. Organic Spice Dressing. Ingredients: Organic edible vegetable oil (organic canola oil, organic coconut oil), organic coconut sugar, organic brewed vinegar (organic spirit vinegar, organic white grape vinegar), organic onion, table salt, organic tomato, organic garlic, curry powder (coriander, turmeric, garam masala, cumin powder), organic spices (organic black pepper, organic cloves, organic nutmeg, organic laurel).

Online purchase link: Brown Sugar 1st website

   

From autotranslate from the product page, the following product is “A dressing that goes well with lettuce, made by adding fragrant roasted gold sesame and sesame oil to dark soy sauce and finishing it with grated onions.” 

• Daisho Chopped Lettuce Dressing/ダイショー　ちぎりレタスドレッシング. Ingredients: Soy sauce (domestically produced), sugar, edible vegetable oils (sesame oil, rapeseed oil, soybean oil), brewed vinegar, onions, salt, sesame seeds, mirin, ginger extract, processed garlic product, red pepper/seasonings (amino acids, etc.), thickener (xanthan).

Product contains wheat, soybeans and sesame.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi 

Photo from website. 

KEWPIE (キユーピー)

Most Kewpie salad dressings aren’t vegan, containing ingredients like fish, chicken, egg, and/or dairy. 

The following Kewpie dressings are potentially vegan, although they contain amino acid and other flavorings that may be animal derived.

• Kewpie Aged Japanese-Style Dressing/キユーピー　熟成素材の和風ドレッシング. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestically produced), pickled onions, soy sauce, brewed vinegar, sugar, sauteed onion paste, mirin, concentrated apple juice, dried onions, flavored edible oil, processed garlic, salt/thickener (xanthan gum), spice extract.

Product includes wheat, soy sauce, and apples.

Photo from website.

• Kewpie Carrot Dressing/キユーピーにんじんドレッシング. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestic and Spanish), carrot vinegar, sugar, onion vinegar, brewed vinegar, salt, dried onions, concentrated orange juice, carrot extract, lemon zest, concentrated lemon juice/seasoning (amino acid), thickener (xanthan gum), cellulose, flavoring, carotinoid pigment, spice extract.

Product contains orange, soybean, and apple.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi

Photo from website. 

According to the product page, the following dressing has a rich taste with plenty of umami and sesame oil, seaweed, green onion, and garlic.

•  Kewpie Choregi Salad Dressing/キユーピー チョレギサラダドレッシング. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestically produced), sugars (high-fructose corn syrup, sugar), brewed vinegar, salt, Welsh onion, garlic paste, sesame, soy sauce, miso, kombu seaweed stock, spices, laver, edible flavored oil/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), thickener (xanthan gum), spice extract.

Product contains wheat, sesame, and soy.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi 

   

• Kewpie Lemon Dressing/キユーピー レモンドレッシング. Ingredients: Brewed vinegar (domestically produced) (brewed vinegar, lemon vinegar), edible vegetable oil, sugar, salt, lemon peel, concentrated grapefruit juice, concentrated lemon juice, spices/seasoning (amino acids etc), flavoring, acidulant, thickener (xanthan gum).

Product contains soybeans and apples.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi

Photo from website.

The package says the following dressing can be used on meat or vegetables, but it doesn’t list any meat or other clearly identifiable animal ingredients in the ingredient list, meaning it may possibly be vegan.

• Kewpie One Dressing for Vegetables or Meat: Onion, Salt and Lemon/キユーピー　野菜もお肉もこれ１本　ねぎ塩レモンドレッシング. Ingredients: Sugars (high-fructose corn syrup (domestically produced), sugar), edible vegetable oil, brewed vinegar, dried onions, Welsh onion vinegar pickles, salt, garlic paste, soy sauce, flavored edible oil, lemon peel, kombu seaweed stock, concentrated lemon juice, spices/seasonings (amino acids, etc.), thickener (xanthan gum), sweetener (stevia), spice extract.

Product includes wheat, soybeans, and apples.

Photo from website. 

• Kewpie Non-Oil Dressing, Sesame with Flavored Vegetables/キユーピー ノンオイルごまと香味野菜. Ingredients: Soy sauce (domestically produced), brewed vinegar, fermented rice seasoning, sugar, pickled ginger, sesame, salted myoga ginger, plum flesh, salt, garlic paste, concentrated lemon juice/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), thickener (xanthan gum), sweetener (stevia), spice extract.

Product contains wheat, sesame, and soybeans.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi

Photo from website.

• Kewpie Olive Oil & Onion Dressing/キユーピー　オリーブオイル＆オニオンドレッシング. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestic and Spanish), onion vinegar pickles, high-fructose corn syrup, salt, brewed vinegar, processed garlic/thickener (xanthan gum), spice extract.

Product includes soybeans and apples.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi

Photo from website.

• Kewpie Separated French Dressing/キユーピー フレンチドレッシング（セパレート). Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestically produced), brewed vinegar, high-fructose corn syrup, salt/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), thickener (xanthan gum), spice extract, flavoring.

Product contains soybeans.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi

Photo from website.

• Kewpie Tasty Dressing, Black Vinegar and Onion (Kurozu Tamanegi)/ キユーピー テイスティドレッシング 黒酢たまねぎ. Ingredients: Onion vinegar pickles (domestically produced), edible vegetable oil, brewed vinegar (black barley vinegar), soy sauce, sugar, fermented rice seasoning, onion extract, salt, dried onions, mustard, onion extract powder/seasonings (amino acids, etc.), thickener (processed starch, xanthan gum), sweetener (stevia), spice extract, acidulant.

Product contains wheat, soybeans and apple.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi 

Photo from website.

The following dressing has the taste of fried onions and tamari soy sauce. 

• Kewpie Tasty Dressing, Japanese-Style with Onions/キユーピー テイスティドレッシング 和風 香味たまねぎ. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestically produced), onion vinegar pickles, sugar, soy sauce, olive vinegar pickles, salt, brewed vinegar, flavored edible oil, sauteed onion paste, dried onions, dried peppers, onion extract powder, spices/seasonings (amino acids, etc.)), spice extract, thickener (xanthan gum), sweetener (stevia), iron gluconate.

Product includes wheat, soybeans, and apples.

Online purchase link: Yodobashi

Photo from website.

Kurashiki Kousen products are locally made in Kurashiki City, Okayama and can be bought at supermarkets in the area or ordered online.

• Kurashiki Kousen Miwa Dressing, Carrot/倉敷鉱泉　MIWA DRESSING にんじん.  Ingredients: Rapeseed oil, carrot, mirin, onion, apple juice, brewed vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard.

Product contains apple. 

Online purchase link: Kurashiki Kousen website

Photo from the Kurashiki Kousen website.

• Pietro Dressing, Japanese-Style Soy Sauce/ピエトロドレッシング 和風しょうゆ. Ingredients: Edible vegetable oil (domestically produced), onion, brewed vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, olives, red pimentos, spices/seasoning (amino acids, etc.), sweetener (licorice).

Product contains wheat and soybeans.

Online purchase link: Pietro Online Store