Tokyo · Ueno and Yanaka
Vegan Gyoza Yu
A small, fully vegan gyoza restaurant, not kosher, in the Negishi neighborhood, north of Uguisudani Station. The owner, who comes from Nanjing in China, has been vegan for many years and taught herself to make gyoza. The filling is made from soy meat and vegetables, and the dough is made on site. Today the place is registered as VEGAN GYOZA YU COFFEE, and it also serves coffee and craft beer.
There are 11 flavors, each with a different color of dough: shiitake, shungiku, celery, green pepper, Chinese chives, coriander, vegan kimchi, and four with miso: eggplant, green onion, ginger and garlic. You order a set of 11, one of each flavor, steamed or fried, and get a small key that explains which color is which flavor.
The gyoza are not gluten-free, and the place says so explicitly. There are about 20 seats. If you fall in love, you can order frozen gyoza on the website, with delivery anywhere in Japan except Okinawa and the islands, including to your hotel.
Good to know
- According to Tabelog, Wednesday to Friday there is a break between 15:00 and 17:00, and the official website does not mention it. On weekdays, come at lunch or after 17:00.
- No credit cards and no phone payment. Bring cash.
- Steamed is what most visitors choose. Some visitors wrote that the fried ones do not come out crispy.
- From Iriya Station on the Hibiya Line it is about a 7-minute walk, which is a good way to come from Ginza or Akihabara without changing trains.
What is nearby
Approximate walking minutes from the entrance of Vegan Gyoza Yu.
- HereVegan Gyoza Yu
- ~5 min
Shiki-an More to see
The house where the haiku poet Masaoka Shiki lived in his last years, with his room and the small garden. Rebuilt in 1950. ¥500.
- ~5 min
Taito City Calligraphy Museum More to see
A museum founded by the painter and calligrapher Nakamura Fusetsu, right across from Shiki-an. Until 13 December 2026 it shows an exhibition on his collection. ¥500.
- ~5 min
Sasanoyuki Food
A tofu restaurant that, according to the restaurant, has operated since 1691. It closed in December 2020 and reopened in August 2024 in a building near Shiki-an. One fixed meal, ¥6,000, at lunch and dinner. Not declared vegan, so ask about the dashi.
- ~8 min
Iriya Kishimojin (Shingen-ji) More to see
A small temple near Iriya Station, where the Iriya morning glory (asagao) market is held every year on 6 to 8 July, with stalls along the street.
- ~9 min
Habutae Dango Honten Food
A dango shop, sticky rice balls on a skewer, since 1819. There are two kinds, grilled or with red bean paste, ¥378 a skewer. You can sit and eat in the shop.
- ~12 min
Ueno Park More to see
The large park of Ueno, with five museums, a zoo and Shinobazu Pond.