Guides
One topic at a time, taken as far as you need to make a decision.
Eating plant-based in Japan
Restaurants, convenience stores and home cooking — where people actually get stuck, and how to get around it.
Reading Japanese allergen labels
Eight mandatory items and twenty recommended ones — what the system guarantees, and what it does not.
Choosing a food subscription
What to check before signing up to a plant-based or organic subscription box.
Understanding vegan leather
“Not animal-derived” and “better for the environment” are separate claims. What the materials actually are.
Upcycled tableware and tools
Coffee grounds, bamboo powder, rice husk — what to look at in objects made from by-products.
Vegan cafes and in-store pickup
Ordering online and collecting in a shop — a model Japanese ethical retail has repeatedly tried.
How to read ethical labels
Claims with legal backing, and claims a company simply makes. That distinction does most of the work.
Reducing plastic in the kitchen
You do not need to replace everything. Start where the volume is.
Choosing fair-trade chocolate
Fair trade has been discussed more intensely around cocoa than almost any other food category. Here is what the certifications actually cover.
What is ethical consumption?
There isn't one definition of “doing it right.” What separates ethical, sustainable and fair trade as terms.
How to choose fair trade products
It isn't only coffee and chocolate. The main product categories, and what to check beyond the certification mark.
A practical gluten-free food guide
What's actually available at convenience stores and supermarkets, by category, from rice-flour bread to seasonings.