Why food allergies in Japan are harder than they look
The instinct most travelers have about Japan is right: this is a careful country. The labels are exhaustive. The kitchens are clean. The system feels trustworthy. Japan also has one of the strictest packaged-food allergen laws in the world — eight allergens are mandatory on every product label, and another twenty are recommended. So why is it still hard to eat here with an allergy?
Because the law stops at the supermarket door. The moment you sit down in a restaurant, nothing has to be disclosed. The waiter has rarely been asked. Severe food allergies remain uncommon in Japan compared to most Western countries — peanut allergy in particular is rare in the local population — and a server who hasn't been trained on cross-contact won't always know that the vegetable tempura was fried in the same oil as the shrimp tempura two minutes earlier. They want to help. That's the trap. They'll often answer "no peanut" with a confidence the kitchen can't actually back up.
And then there's dashi. Fish stock — usually kombu and bonito, sometimes shrimp or sardine — sits underneath nearly every Japanese sauce, broth, and prepared dish. Plainly vegetable dishes are not vegetarian. Tofu boiled "plain" is often boiled in dashi. If your allergen is fish or shellfish, this matters everywhere, not just at sushi restaurants.
None of this is a reason to skip Japan. It's a reason to over-prepare. A clear written card, an emailed reservation note, and a small medical kit will cover most situations. The remaining bit — that's why you keep your auto-injector in your day bag.
Japan's labeling law, in plain English
Eight allergens must be declared on packaged food: egg, milk, wheat, buckwheat (soba), peanut, shrimp, crab, walnut. Walnut became mandatory in March 2023 (with a grace period ending March 2025) after the number of reported reactions in Japan rose sharply. Cashew nut is in the process of being elevated to mandatory next, with the transition expected to run through 2028.
Twenty more allergens are recommended for declaration but not legally required: almond, abalone, squid, salmon roe, orange, cashew nut, kiwifruit, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, banana, pork, matsutake mushroom, peach, yam, apple, gelatin, plus macadamia nut (added 2024). Most major brands declare these too — but a small producer at a market stall isn't required to.
Two oddities for foreign travelers. Buckwheat (soba) is a mandatory allergen in Japan but isn't on the EU's "Big 14" or the US "Big 9" list. If you've never been tested for it, you may not know how you'd react — and shared boiling water for noodles is the rule, not the exception. Crustaceans are listed as "shrimp" and "crab" specifically, not as a single category, so a snack made with prawn-based shrimp paste may declare えび rather than the broader 甲殻類. Read both.
The major allergens, where they hide
Restaurants that work — and how to order
Japanese restaurants are highly specialised: a sushi place serves sushi, a ramen shop serves ramen, a tempura place serves tempura. This works in your favour. A kitchen with a narrow menu has a smaller surface of risk than a Western restaurant juggling forty items.
Sashimi counters are the easiest win for most allergy profiles — pure protein, no batter, no marinade. Skip the supplied dipping sauces (soy, ponzu, citrus) if any of those are an issue. Yakiniku and shabu-shabu are good for similar reasons: you cook the food yourself at the table and control the dipping sauces. Order plain cuts and ask for tare nashi (no marinade). Bring a small bottle of an allergen-safe sauce if you want one.
Shojin ryori, the Buddhist temple cuisine served at temples around Koyasan and Kyoto, is built on tofu, vegetables, and rice. It's vegan by tradition, which helps with dairy, egg, and seafood allergies — but soy, sesame and buckwheat are common. Send your card by email a week ahead; most temples will adapt with notice.
Chains can be safer than independents for severe allergies, because they publish allergen tables. CoCo Ichibanya curry has a separately-packaged allergen-friendly meal cooked outside the main kitchen. Kura Sushi publishes a full allergen list online. Mos Burger labels all eight mandatory allergens on its menu. Less romantic than a hidden izakaya, but on a hard-to-explain allergy day, that's the trade you make.
Reserve and disclose ahead. For ryokans, kaiseki, sushi counters, or any tasting menu, raise the allergy at the moment of booking — never on the day. The kitchen has already shopped, prepped, and planned. Spring it on them at 7pm and the answer is "we cannot accommodate, sorry." Send a polite email a week out and you'll often get a custom menu.
Convenience stores: your safety net
Konbini are the gift Japan didn't realise it was giving allergy travelers. Open 24 hours, every couple of blocks, in every town — over 50,000 of them between 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and Lawson. And because their food is packaged, every product carries the eight mandatory allergens on the label, often with a clear allergen icon grid on the back.
Reliable buys for most allergy profiles: umeboshi (pickled plum) and salt-salmon onigiri, plain rice balls, hard-boiled eggs (somehow already salted in the shell), bananas and other plain fruit, plain yogurt where dairy isn't an issue. Skip anything battered, anything with mayo, and most prepared salads — the dressing usually contains something. Tuna-mayo onigiri sounds safe and isn't (Kewpie mayo contains barley malt and egg).
The kanji to scan when there's no English label: 卵 (egg), 乳 (milk), 小麦 (wheat), そば (buckwheat), 落花生 (peanut), えび (shrimp), かに (crab), くるみ (walnut), 大豆 (soybean), ごま (sesame). Google Translate's camera mode reads Japanese packaging well — point at the back of the package and English overlays in real time. Worth practising before you fly.
What's on the tabemasen card
The card is built around the way Japanese restaurant communication actually works. It opens with an apology — not because you've done anything wrong, but because a request without a polite preamble reads as rude. It then states clearly that you have a food allergy (not a preference, not a diet), lists each of your selected allergens in the kanji staff will recognise, and asks specifically about shared cookware, oil, and surfaces.
You pick the allergens. Cross-contamination phrasing is included by default for severe-allergy mode, with the note that even trace amounts cause a reaction. The card ends with thanks. Everything fits on a phone screen, so you can hand it over before ordering instead of fumbling through paper at the counter.
Common questions
Will Japanese restaurants take my allergy seriously?
Most will, especially in cities. The bigger risk is misunderstanding rather than dismissal — staff genuinely want to help but may not know what's in the kitchen's stocks and sauces. A written card removes that gap. If a restaurant looks unsure after reading it, eat somewhere else; the right move when in doubt is to leave, not to negotiate.
Can I bring my EpiPen into Japan?
Yes. EpiPen is the only auto-injector approved for use in Japan, so if you carry a different brand, bring a doctor's letter explaining what it is. For other prescription medication, look up Yunyu Kakunin-sho well before flying — some over-the-counter drugs from your country are restricted here. Two weeks' lead time is sensible.
What number do I call in an emergency?
119 for ambulance and fire (not 911). Tell the dispatcher in English if needed — major-city dispatchers usually have translation support. Mention if you may need epinephrine, since not all ambulances carry it. After using your auto-injector, go to a hospital — anaphylaxis can rebound several hours later.
Is buckwheat really a problem if I'm not allergic to it?
If you've never reacted to it, it's not. The reason it's listed alongside the other major allergens on this page is that it's mandatory in Japan but not in the US or EU — so some travelers who have never been exposed at home meet it for the first time in Tokyo. If buckwheat is one of your known allergens, also be aware that soba shops often share boiling water with udon.
What about ryokans and kaiseki dinners?
Both can absolutely be done with allergies, but only with notice. Email at booking, list your allergens precisely, and re-confirm 48 hours before arrival. Many ryokans will prepare a custom kaiseki around your restrictions — but they need lead time to source ingredients. A walk-in request the night of is rarely workable.
Is sesame really everywhere?
Close to it, in everyday Japanese cooking. Sesame oil finishes many dishes, sesame seeds garnish rice and salads, and gomadare (sesame dressing) is the default for shabu-shabu. If sesame is your allergen, the card matters here especially — staff often don't think to mention it.
What if I have multiple severe allergies?
Lean heavily on three things: chains with published allergen tables, ryokans booked with full disclosure, and konbini for in-between meals. Independent restaurants without written allergen info are the riskiest call. Carry safe snacks for the day so a missed lunch doesn't force a rushed decision.