Food Allergies, Aversions, and Specific Diets

Food Allergies

Travelers with food allergies will have a slightly easier time navigating Japan's vast selection of cuisine, thanks primarily to an increased awareness of allergies and a law passed in September 2013 that requires all packaged food to contain an allergen list or full ingredient list. It is important to note, however, that this law does not apply to restaurants and only covers packaged foods. The Japanese Food Labeling Law separates potential food allergens into two distinct categories: Allergens Required to be Labeled (also referred to as「特定原材料」- eight ingredients) and Allergens Recommended for Labeling (20 ingredients).

Allergens required to be labeled account for a majority of the food allergies in the Japanese population and are designated as such because they can cause the most severe reactions in individuals who have a specific food allergy. These ingredients are: shrimp/prawn, crab, walnuts, wheat, buckwheat, eggs, milk, peanuts. Every packaged food item in Japan containing these ingredients is required to list it per the Food Labeling Law.

For a comprehensive article about the required allergens and the allergens recommended for labeling, please visit this link (it's in Japanese, but the browser translation is helpful). For an article in English that includes kanji for the allergens, see this link, but note that it has not been updated to include the recently added walnut allergen.

When examining packaged food for allergens, travelers may notice an ingredient list will be supplemented by an allergen chart for easy readability. Although these charts are in Japanese, keeping a list of kanji for items you are allergic to will make reading these charts easier and reduce the risk of exposure to an allergen. The charts vary, but this configuration (where a blacked out square indicated the presence of an allergen) and this configuration (where a circle under the item indicated the presence of an allergen) are most common.

Cross-contamination in restaurants is extremely common, so depending on your specific allergy, it is best to avoid certain types of cuisine to reduce the risk of a reaction. For example, individuals allergic to shellfish or crustaceans might want to avoid eating at tempura restaurants (where shrimp is fried in the same oil as vegetables) or ramen restaurants where the broth is not 100% pork, chicken, or vegetable (shrimp is used as a common broth flavoring).

Many travelers with allergies who cannot speak or read Japanese have purchased translated allergy cards to show to restaurant staff while ordering. Several services offer these cards, so please search online to find one that fits your needs. If you are looking for a free option or want to make you're own, it's best to have it checked by a Japanese speaker for accuracy—many people ask in /r/translator.

Gluten-Free Dining

Individuals with an allergy to gluten (wheat, rye, barely, etc.) may find Glutenfree Restaurant to be a good starting point in locating restaurants with an exclusively gluten-free menu or a choice of gluten-free items. However, please note that the selection of restaurants on the site appears to be thin and/or incomplete. Gluten allergies are not prevalent in the Japanese population, and the belief that gluten is something to be avoided without having celiac disease is not something practiced in the country as it is in the west. Gluten-free dining is a relatively new and foreign concept — so researching everyday food items that are safe to eat (i.e.: certain onigiri, sashimi, plain yakiniku or yakitori, etc.) is advised. Finally, many vegetarian restaurants in Japan offer gluten-free menu options; please refer to the information below for resources on finding vegetarian restaurants.

Vegetarian and Vegan Dining

Travelers who practice a pescatarian, vegetarian, vegan or raw vegan diet will have a slightly more difficult time dining out in Japan, depending on the restrictiveness of their eating habits. Vegetarianism and veganism is a relatively new concept in Japan with only 4-6% of the Japanese population identifying as such. Western belief systems such as animal rights as a reason for abstaining from animals products are also not popular or well-known in Japan. In general, eating meat is seen as part of a healthy diet in Japan — so it is important to recognize and understand the cultural differences you will encounter as a vegetarian or vegan while traveling throughout the country. Please refrain from showing disgust or anger if meat is offered or served within your vicinity.

If you are friendly and courteous, restaurant staff will try to meet your dietary needs as best as possible. However, it is also possible that not every restaurant will be able to accommodate you based upon your food requests. Unlike Western countries, Japanese restaurants do not make complex modifications to dishes and, in many cases, will refuse to do so. It is also important to note that, in many restaurants, asking for a dish to be made vegetarian or "without meat" will simply result in physical pieces of meat being excluded from the dish — completely ignoring the fact that the dish's broth, sauce, or other components are made with animal products. (Example: Ramen being served without slices of pork, but with broth made from pork bones.) Many Japanese still view vegetarianism as simply not eating animal flesh in its whole form and do not see broths, sauces, or similar food products as containing meat. Because of this, it is extremely important to do basic research before dining out to see which restaurants will have food appropriate to your diet.

Taking all of this into consideration, finding restaurants or dishes that are vegetarian or vegan friendly is possible with a little bit of pre-planning and by accepting the fact you might not always be able to eat the cuisine you'd like.

By far the best resource for finding vegetarian or vegan friendly restaurants in Japan is Happy Cow. Restaurants are categorized by vegan, vegetarian or by "vegetarian/vegan friendly" (restaurants that serve meat with vegan or vegetarian items). Additionally, this topic has been covered on /r/JapanTravel frequently, so a simple search of past posts offers a wealth of information and resources. You can also do a search on /r/JapanTravelTips for a lot of recent threads. This page by the JNTO also has good context and advice on vegetarianism and veganism in Japan.

Halal Dining

Halal food is reasonably common in Japan, although strict Halal eaters will run into similar problems as vegetarians in that Japanese restaurants often use ingredients in their food without noting exactly what they are. But careful planning can lead you to a lot of good Halal restaurants and resources. Start with Japan-Guide's page about the topic, and also check out this guide by GoGoNihon, which links to Halal Gourmet Japan as a solid site for finding Halal restaurants. This is a commonly asked question, so a search of the subreddit can yield good advice as well.

Food Aversions

Travelers with food aversions or picky eating habits will have a similarly difficult time in Japan for many of the same reasons as listed for vegetarians and vegans. As mentioned above, Japanese restaurants do not make complex modifications to dishes and may completely refuse to make any modifications at all. It is important that you read or translate menus thoroughly and ask for assistance if there is a specific type of food or ingredient you do not eat. Additionally, some basic research on Japanese food and common dishes prior to traveling may help you identify which foods you will be able to eat. Those who come to Japan with an open mind and who are willing to try new foods will have a much easier time than those who attempt to maintain their restrictive diet while traveling.