Food Allergy & Intolerance

Food Allergy
If you have certain food allergies, please check out these websites. They have useful
information and practical tips. The best way to avoid trouble is to learn how to read food labels
and carry a card explaining your food allergies in Japanese wherever you go. You can find the
bilingual cards at the websites listed below. Not every restaurant can accommodate your
requests, but you can find places that are willing to be flexible.

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Savvy Tokyo, Just Hungry, Live Japan and Surviving in Japan

Gluten free & Celiac
In Japan, the awareness of gluten and celiac issues isn’t very high. Yet, you can find some
restaurants that serve gluten free menus, especially in big cities. If you like sushi, you can bring
your own non-soy based sauce called Tamari. If you love bread, you can go to the bakeries that
use rice powder instead of wheat. Jody Ettenberg’s Legal Nomads has a great blog about gluten free cuisine in Japan. She shares her own personal experience and offers you lots of great tips and advice.
Between Chris Rowthorn’s list in Inside Kyoto, Truly Tokyo, and Japan Forward, you’ll have a lot of great options!