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There is no single attitude or level of accommodation across Japan. GO TOKYO documents restaurants adapting broths, batters and course menus for dietary needs. The Japan Tourism Agency also describes ryokan willing to discuss requests, while noting that some requests cannot be met. These examples show that help is available; they are not a promise about every restaurant. GO TOKYO: restaurant examples · Japan Tourism Agency: dining at ryokan

A willingness to help and the ability to change a dish are different things. For example, Tokyo Disney Resort offers special dietary menus at some restaurants but says it cannot remove allergens or change ingredients in ordinary menu items. It also discloses shared kitchens and cookware. A fixed process can explain a refusal to modify a meal; it should not be read as a general attitude towards allergies. Tokyo Disney Resort: its allergy policy

Our practical takeaway: ask for specific ingredient and preparation checks, rather than relying on a reassuring welcome. Let staff check with the kitchen, and establish whether they can accommodate your particular requirements before ordering.

Our detailed gluten in Japan guide is available now. Choose another food concern above to see its available resources.

Gluten, wheat and soy: ordinary Japanese soy sauce is typically made with soybeans and wheat. Miso can be made with rice, barley or soybean koji, so the variety matters. For gluten avoidance, a rice-based meal still needs its seasonings checked. Explain wheat allergy separately from avoiding gluten. JETRO: how these seasonings are made

Fish and seafood: ask what is in the stock, not just whether there is a piece of fish in the dish. Bonito-based dashi is a key example. With crustacean or mollusc allergies, name the specific foods you avoid when discussing seafood dishes and shared preparation. MAFF: what goes into dashi

Egg: check coatings and sauces as well as egg dishes. Tonkatsu preparation commonly uses egg in its breading, and standard Kewpie mayonnaise uses egg yolks. Removing a topping would not remove egg already used in a coating. JETRO: tonkatsu preparation · Kewpie: mayonnaise ingredients

Milk: ask about butter and dairy ingredients in sweets and baking. A vegan alternative can change the question rather than end it: GO TOKYO describes sweets made with soy milk in place of eggs and butter. Check the replacement ingredients and the kitchen’s preparation arrangements too. GO TOKYO: dietary adaptations

Sesame, peanuts and tree nuts: identify each concern explicitly. Sesame can be part of a seasoning blend, not only a visible garnish. Japan’s allergen information also includes buckwheat, so soba deserves a separate check where relevant. An allergen list covers specified foods, not every possible allergy. MAFF: sesame in shichimi · CAA: allergen information

Contact your accommodation or restaurant ahead of a planned meal. For ryokan, the Japan Tourism Agency recommends giving food requests a few days before the stay where possible. Describe the foods you need to avoid and ask whether the kitchen can check stocks, sauces and shared equipment. A useful question is: “Can the kitchen check every ingredient, including the seasoning and stock, and explain how this would be prepared?” Japan Tourism Agency: advance requests

Packaged-food labels and restaurant information are different systems. Japan requires declarations for specified allergens in packaged processed foods; do not assume a restaurant menu provides the same information. The Consumer Affairs Agency provides an English/Japanese food allergy communication sheet you can download before travelling. Use it to support a conversation with staff about your own requirements. CAA: current labelling information (Japanese) · CAA: communication sheet and English resources