The "Hotel & Restaurant Show & FOODEX JAPAN in Kansai 2026" will be held from July 22 (Wed) to 24 (Fri), 2026, at INTEX Osaka. NPO Vege Project Japan will set up the "Vege Project Zone" within the venue to showcase vegan and plant-based products free of animal-derived ingredients. On the 24th (Fri), a cooking demonstration will be held by Mr. Junichi Nakai, the owner-chef who was an early pioneer in Osaka, establishing and growing the vegan specialty store "Paprika Shokudo Vegan" into a popular establishment. Items include hamburger steak and shrimp alternatives made without animal products, katsuobushi broth, ramen soup, and baked goods. In the vegan area, titled "Vege Project Zone," a total of 12 companies, including those with vegan certification, will introduce products useful for developing and upgrading vegan and plant-based menus. Visitors can learn about a wide range of vegan products while sampling them. Scene from the Vege Project Zone in 2025 Exhibitors in the Vege Project Zone (in Japanese alphabetical order): - iVegi Co., Ltd. (Cookies, sweets, tempeh) - Agro Roodens Co., Ltd. (Keema curry and rice honey made with new ingredients from rice and koji) - FLC Design Co., Ltd. (Plant-based & gluten-free & allergen-free rice flour baked goods) - Karuna Co., Ltd. (Alternatives for hamburger steak, shrimp, tuna, squid, etc.) - Keihan Sangyo Co., Ltd. (Miso ramen soup) - Sho Kakai Sei Gi (Baked goods, sauces) - Hama-Ya Katsuobushi Co., Ltd. (Katsuobushi broth alternatives) - Meissen Fine Food Co., Ltd. (Hamburger patty alternatives) - Maruzen Food Industry Co., Ltd. (Soy sauce, tonkotsu-style, tantanmen ramen soup) - U-NEXT HOLDINGS Co., Ltd. (Tomato keema curry, vegetable soup curry) - Lapin Co., Ltd. (Okara snacks, okara granola) - NPO Vege Project Japan (Vegan certified products & introduction to vegan initiatives) Popular Vegan Restaurant "Paprika Shokudo Vegan" Owner-Chef and VegePro Representative to Appear! Vegan Cooking Demonstration (July 24, 12:00 PM o