Japan Food Allergy
Travel Guide

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Japan's 28 tracked allergens: what's mandatory and what's recommended

The Consumer Affairs Agency publishes the current Japanese food-labeling materials. The categories have changed over time; the 2026 materials distinguish mandatory declarations from recommended ones, and the list should be rechecked before departure rather than copied from an old guide.

This system applies to packaged food, not every restaurant or prepared-food setting. Read the Japanese ingredient list and any advisory statement on the product you are holding; do not assume an imported product follows the same list. Convenience-store and supermarket items can be useful when the label is clear, but stock, recipe, and labeling format vary. Restaurant dining still requires active communication.

Japan country and city guides

Key allergen risks in Japan

Communicating your allergy in Japan

Japan's allergen labeling rules apply to packaged food, not every restaurant meal. A written Japanese-language card can help staff understand the allergy, but ask them to confirm the actual dish, stock, sauce, and preparation surface. If the answer is uncertain, do not treat a polite yes as verification.

These phrases are written to show rather than speak, since Japanese script communicates more accurately than romanized pronunciation for allergy communication:

• アレルギーがあります: I have an allergy (arerugii ga arimasu)
• ピーナッツアレルギーがあります: I have a peanut allergy (piinattsu arerugii ga arimasu)
• 小麦アレルギーがあります: I have a wheat allergy (komugi arerugii ga arimasu)
• えびアレルギーがあります: I have a shrimp allergy (ebi arerugii ga arimasu)
• 卵アレルギーがあります: I have an egg allergy (tamago arerugii ga arimasu)
• 大豆アレルギーがあります: I have a soy allergy (daizu arerugii ga arimasu)
• かつおだしを使わないでください: please don't use bonito dashi (katsuodashi wo tsukawanaide kudasai)
• タマリ醤油を使っていますか？: Do you use tamari soy sauce? (tamari shouyu wo tsukatte imasu ka)
• アナフィラキシーを起こす可能性があります: I may have an anaphylactic reaction (serious allergy severity signal)

Japanese dishes: questions to ask

Where allergy communication works best in Japan

Hotel restaurants: Contact the exact restaurant before booking, share the written card, and ask about the menu, stock, sauces, substitutions, and cross-contact. International guests do not guarantee that every kitchen can meet a serious allergy.

Chain restaurants (Yoshinoya, Sukiya, Gusto, Jonathan's, Denny's Japan): Some chains publish allergen information, but the current menu and store procedures still need checking. Ask: アレルギー表はありますか？ (arerugii hyou wa arimasu ka): Do you have an allergen chart?

Konbini (convenience stores): Many products are packaged and labeled, but the current Japanese label still needs to be read. Check fillings, sauces, stock, advisory statements, and use-by dates; do not transfer packaged-label confidence to food prepared in-store.

Traditional restaurants, izakayas, small ramen shops: Variable. Written card essential. Be prepared for the honest answer that they cannot safely accommodate your allergy, which is a more reliable response than "no problem."

Cross-destination and preparation guides

Getting around Japan

Managing an allergy on the move is easier when you control your own schedule rather than a shared group timetable, especially around meal timing and medication. Search trains, buses, and ferries between Japanese cities below.

Emergency information for Japan

• Emergency number: 119 (medical emergencies and ambulance in Japan)
• Police: 110
• Major hospitals: Save the nearest current emergency department for each part of your itinerary. Hospital services, international-patient arrangements, phone numbers, and routes can change, so confirm details directly rather than relying on a static ranking.
• Medication: Carry your prescribed emergency medication in its original packaging and according to your clinician's instructions. Check current Japanese import rules before travel if you are bringing medication, and do not assume a local pharmacy can replace your personal supply.
• Key emergency phrase: Anafirakishii o okoshite imasu, 119 ni denwa shite kudasai (アナフィラキシーを起こしています、119に電話してください): I am having anaphylaxis, please call 119.

For current emergency contact information, check JNTO's Japan Visitor Hotline guidance before departure. For a life-threatening reaction, follow your prescribed action plan, use prescribed epinephrine promptly, and call 119.

Travel insurance

Check three things before you buy a policy for a Japan trip: does it cover emergency anaphylaxis treatment, does it exclude food allergies as a pre-existing condition, and does it include medical evacuation with a clear coverage limit if you're traveling to more remote areas.

SafetyWing Nomad Insurance is one policy to compare, but its documentation does not name food allergies or anaphylaxis. Review the pre-existing-condition and evacuation terms and get written clarification before buying.

Pre-trip checklist

Complete pre-trip checklist for food allergy travel is available in our free food allergy travel checklist guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Japan safe for travelers with food allergies?

Japan's packaged-food labels can be useful, but the current Consumer Affairs Agency materials and the product's Japanese ingredient list still need to be checked. Restaurants and other prepared-food settings are different: recipes, dashi, sauces, and shared equipment vary. A written Japanese-language card can make the conversation clearer, but it cannot guarantee a restaurant can avoid an allergen.

What is dashi and why does it matter for allergies?

Dashi is a stock used in many Japanese soups, sauces, noodles, and simmered dishes. It may be made with bonito or other fish, kelp, shellfish, mushrooms, or a combination, so ask what the specific stock contains. A kombu-only or other fish-free stock may exist, but it must be confirmed for the dish and kitchen.

Does soy sauce contain wheat?

Traditional shoyu is commonly brewed from soybeans and wheat, but products and recipes vary. Tamari may contain less or no wheat, depending on the product, so do not assume that the word tamari means gluten-free. Check the Japanese label or ask the restaurant which product it uses.

How do I say food allergy in Japanese?

Watashi wa [allergen] arerugii ga arimasu (私は[allergen]アレルギーがあります) means “I have an allergy to [allergen].” You can add kono arerugii wa seimei ni kakawaru koto ga arimasu (このアレルギーは生命に関わることがあります) to explain that the allergy can be life-threatening. Use a written card to support the conversation, then ask the staff to confirm the actual recipe and preparation.

Can you eat at sushi restaurants with a fish allergy?

Ask the restaurant about the fish, seafood, dashi, vinegar, soy sauce, rice preparation, knives, boards, and serving surfaces. Vegetarian sushi may still be made near fish or use shared tools. Conveyor-belt and traditional sushi restaurants vary, so a person with a severe fish allergy may decide that the available controls are not sufficient; there is no universal safe sushi format.