When we booked a week-long holiday to Yakushima for the end of October 2024, we thought we were going to have amazing weather. Summer is over, so the oppressive heat and humidity would be finished. Moreover, typhoon season is usually only until the beginning or middle of October, so we should have been fine. Unfortunately for us, a freak typhoon made the entire experience much wetter than it was supposed to be. Fortunately though, when looking for things to do despite the rain, we came across Ne Vegan Restaurant as an ideal place to have lunch.

Located right next to the Yakusugi Museum (about the famous Jomonsugi and other Ancient Cedar Trees), it was one of the best lunches we had on the island.

Ne Vegan Restaurant reminded me of a large wooden cabin set in the mountains. The aesthetic is entirely wooden inside. It is set up with many Japanese elements, such as sliding doors at the entrance and wooden floors throughout. However, unlike many places in Japan like this, you leave your shoes on except for one, clearly marked area.

Ne Vegan Restaurant has 6 large tables where guests can eat. Ne Vegan Restaurant is a cross between a restaurant and a café. They also make their own cakes, biscuits and other baked goods (including breads, biscotti and muffins) that are for sale – all of which are vegan and most of which are also gluten free.

The menu at Ne Vegan Restaurant changes every day depending on what they have available. While they try to use as much local produce as possible, being a small island, Yakushima has to import a lot of what people use to sustain the small, permanent population and larger tourist population.

When we ate there, there were two meal choices available: a vegan karaage (Japanese chicken) bowl and a Buddha bowl. Each was packed with a variety of vegetables on a bed of Japanese rice:

Afterwards I decided to finish with a dessert: a chocolate cake and oat-based scoop of vanilla ice cream, both of which were very rich and delicious. I am glad I shared it because, even with such a small portion already, the richness made it extremely filling. Another additional perk of having a non-dairy ice cream is that it takes forever for it to melt, so there was no need to eat it quickly.

It was also pouring with rain that day, which only added to the atmosphere. You can see some short videos below of the place and the atmosphere:

Getting to Ne Vegan Restaurant is simple. From Ambo, Miyanoura or the airport, go to the eastern side of the island and then follow the signs for the Yakusugi Museum. You can park at this location.

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