Thanks to the globalization…
Japanese people respect nature and season, because we believe that this is what is created by God in animism, so we often celebrate seasonal events by holding some festivals.
Although this may not be something interesting for Muslim travelers, we are sure that many of you are still interested in participating Matsuri or festival, because that is very unique and perfect to feel Japanese culture.
What is great is that there are now some Halal food stalls found close to Fushimi Inari fox shrine in Kyoto… Let’s see what is available there today!
*Food stalls is subject to change or close, depending on the timing and season. Please check the info carefully before visiting.
Is festival only during summertime?
Although many festivals are held during summertime in Japan, this is not always true in many ways. We have festivals throughout a year, and some touristic spots have them regardless of timing or season.
Fushimi Inari, known as fox shrine in Kyoto, is one of them. With more and more tourists from overseas, there are so many food stalls on the street, and people can enjoy the Japanese festival ambiance when they visit the place.
As introduced in the article, not many food stalls are confirmed Halal or Muslim-friendly. However, thanks to the globalization, now some of the food stalls have realized that they need to prepare Halal or at least Muslim-friendly products to attract Muslim travelers in Japan.
Here is the list of Halal food items at Fushimi Inari shrine.
Walking on the street to Fushimi Inari, we have found as many as 3 food stalls claiming themselves as Halal!
Takoyaki
Takoyaki, octopus ball, is one of the most popular snack for many people. In most cases, the sauce can contain animal-derived ingredients, which can be pork broth. As Takoyaki also can be cooked in an oil that has animal fat, it is a food item that we need to check well before trying.
This food stall at Fushimi Inari confirmed that they are using plant-based oil and Halal Takoyaki sauce.
Tornado fried potato
This relatively new food item became popular because of its shape, and now we can find it almost everywhere in a festival! Tornado potato, as name says, has unique shape but the ingredients are rather simple.
Fried in a plant-based oil, this Tornado fried potato can be complete Halal! Try the fresh one if possible.
10 yen Pan
This bread stuffed with melting cheese was first imported from Korea, and it went viral among Japanese people.
As it is difficult to confirm all of the ingredients from the package, we so far did not confirm them as Halal, but the food stall at Fushimi Inari has claimed that they are Halal.
Are they really Halal?
We have talked to the men who run the food stalls, and they have told us that they are using Halal ingredients. However, in general, food stalls are still considered as “street food” so that the hygiene and other preparation is not processed just like in the restaurant.
There is even a chance that they are not aware of hidden ingredients such as emulsifier or food additives, so we would appreciate if you could judge if the food is Halal or not at your responsibility.