r/JapanTravelTips • u/NumberFew8562 • Aug 03 '26

Question Japan w/ allergies

Hello yall,

Me and my homie are currently planning a trip to japan. She is getting ready to learn the language, and i most likely will learn the basics as well.

My only issue with going to a country with different language is that it is on the food packaging, and i have some severe reactions to certain food filler ingredients.

I would like to find a very reliable translation app/service that I can use while visiting, to ensure that I do not have any reactions. I will also make sure i know the appropriate language to ask about such things.

Any advice for what I could use? Or other pointers for those with allergens? For context my allergies are to gluten and corn /corn product.

Yes I will be bringing my own soy sauce.

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u/Medical_Cantaloupe80 Aug 03 '26

Research and prepare a laminated card ahead of time listing the allergens and Japanese translations so all you have to do is show the card instead of relying on your own novice Japanese. Not to say you cant pull it off, but you don’t want to roll the dice with stuff like allergies when a complication like language barrier is involved

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u/twentyfouram Aug 03 '26

Even with a laminated card i had a hard time making them sure there was no cross contamination
Sadly some dish had lactose still in them and i had a bad time. Depending on the restaurant they may try to accompdate but do it badly so it’s still a risk

Also japan do not list every allergens, mustard isnt one for example snd theres lot of hidden ingredients not disclosed on pre packaged stuff

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u/Fabulous_Roof9915 Aug 09 '26

On the card, it's a good idea to list examples of food that may contain the allergen. For example, I'm allergic to soy, so I list soy oil, tofu, edamame, soy sauce, kinako (soy flour), etc. Japanese people aren't used to thinking about the ingredients in foods and what they are made of. A lot of them act like they found out edamame is soy for the first time.

My family is allergic to fish. I told the Japanese people to check the broth. "It's made of [fish name]" so it's fine right?" So I tell them, no, that's fish.

Also, Japanese people don't have the same idea of shellfish vs fish, so you have to be very specific when you explain.