Restaurant search site for food minorities

Supervisor / Recommender

Arisa Sakai

Registered dietitian, molecular nutrition counselor, member of the Anti-Aging Society

Click here for introduction

Grew up watching her grandparents’ agriculture from an early age and was drawn to the charm of fresh vegetables. Longing for a job related to food, she entered the University of Nutrition Science. Upon graduation, she worked as a registered dietitian in school lunch management.

After that, she studied abroad in New Zealand, which is rich in nature, and was fascinated by the vegetarian and vegan dietary styles of the local people who coexisted with nature. Then Arisa worked at a local vegan cafe and was impressed by the fact that they make such delicious food without using any animal ingredients/products.

However, after returning to Japan, she realized the low awareness of Japanese people about vegetarian, vegan, and halal foods.
Therefore, Arisa strongly believes that if more Japanese people know about vegetarian, vegan, and halal food, it will be even more important in the future from the perspective of food sustainability, which is closely related to environmental issues.

Currently, while working as a registered dietitian at a clinic, she recommends vegetarian and vegan orientation while supplementing necessary nutrients based on her knowledge as a molecular nutrition counselor.

Ms.Junko, a Japanese wife, and her husband, Chef Rikya, from Sweden, own the shop together.

A vegan food project was started by the couple in 2018.
At first, they worked with other team that also handles animal dishes at a restaurant that recommends vegan. The restaurant opened in Daimyou, Fukuoka for a limited time. After the contract with the restaurant ended, the vegan team’s couple, chef Rikya and Ms.Junko, became independent. After the restaurant was closed, they took over the name of the restaurant “LIGHTS” which was named after the meaning of “shining light on the world with a lot of dark news” and changed to “LIGHTS Vegan team.” In April 2020, they got a kitchen they have now.

The couple’s photo. In in front of the shop.

Chef Rikya from Sweden retired from the confectionery industry with the aim of “creating a healthy dishes” after working as a pastry chef for about 4 years in 10 years ago.
After working at multiple restaurants, he and his friend ran a handmade natural yeast sandwich shop called “Son of a Sandwich” and worked hard for about five years.
Then, from the beginning of 2018, with the aim of becoming a vegan with his wife Ms.Junko, he closed the sandwich shop to start the vegan project that can provide 100% vegan meals, and they have been offering vegan food since October 2018.

With his experience, you can see his politeness and fineness from the dishes.

The dishes

I recommend “gourmet people” to eat our dishes, not just vegan-oriented people.

Ms.Junko explained about vegan food and said “Many people have the image of cooking without using animal ingredients, but there are many ingredients and cooking methods, and it’s really delicious, so not only vegans but also gourmets should taste them.” I was impressed and touched to hear that.

They choose organic and additive-free ingredients and seasonings by themselves because they want to offer really tasty foods. The dough used for the burrito is also handmade by chef Rikya. It is fermented dough with natural yeast using whole grain flour. I also tasted it during the interview, and felt that the dough alone was really delicious. I want to eat it every day and want more people to eat it.

Burrito box(The ingredients will change depending on the season）

Falafel pitα bread sandwich

Fresh local organic vegetables

From his experience as a pastry chef, chef Rikya has a deep commitment to vegan sweets. His special whole cake that are “wheat-free,” “no sugar,” “no oil added,” and “allergy-friendly” has many repeat customers.
*Reservation required 2 days in advance.

Rikya chef’s special whole cake

Ms.Junko has a warm and positive personality and her motto is “When you are worried about something, just have fun!” She proposes a new style called “Vegan Minpaku”.

Ms.Junko plays the role of spreading the wonderful dishes of the chef, opening stores at various events, and making connections with the surroundings.

She has a very bright and positive personality. She has various experiences such as staying in England, music and web design, and writing. When I visited her, she was willing to tell me about “the restaurant,” “the history of the couple,” and “vegan.”
The motto she cherishes is “When you are worried about something, just have fun!”

When they opened the new restaurant, thay suffered from a big damage caused by the influence of the “COVID-19.”
However, even in such a situation, the fact that they had worked positively and had fun is the “success” of the “LIGHTS VEGAN TEAM”.

In addition, they are proposing a new style called “Vegan Minpaku” where you can eat and stay in a private dining room using the minpaku that Ms.Junko originally managed.
There is no doubt that the innovative style “Vegan Minpaku” that retains the atmosphere of an old folk house will attract attention!

Vegan B&B photo No,1

Vegan B&B photo No,2

「 LIGHT VEGAN TEAM FUKUOKA」Basic information

Store name	LIGHT VEGAN TEAM FUKUOKA
Tel	080-5282-9217
Address	Orange House 202, 6-28, 3Cho-me, Watanabe-street, Fukuoka-City, Fukuoka
Business hours	11:30-22:00
Holiday	No regular Holiday（Closed for events）
Budget	Lunch :¥1100〜　Custom-made catering service available to suit your budget
Payment method	Cash, paypay, credit cards（Except for some）
Parking Lot	N/A
Language	Japanese, English, Swedish (Chef is from Sweden)
Advance reservation	Required（Reservation only）
Cooking description	By contacting them in advance, they can respond to your request such as allergies and seasonings.
Note	Reservation only
Store HP