Managing gluten intolerance or coeliac disease in Japan
- Wheat is the only gluten-containing cereal that is recognized as an allergen under Japanese law.
- You must read all the ingredients and make your own judgement whether the food is gluten free.
- Hidden gluten sources include unidentified vinegar (食酢shokuzu) and starches (でんぷん).
- Avoid the sweetener mizuame (水あめ・水飴・みずあめ), which can be a form of malt sugar derived from barley - depending on the source. As barley is not an allergen in Japan, there is no requirement to specify the source of mizuame.
- 'Gluten free' is not a legally protected term in Japan. Do not assume domestic products labelled as such are safe without checking the ingredients.
- Import stores will supplement your diet with options not available in Japan - including AEON Mall Kusatsu (in the Groceries section near north entrance), KALDI Coffee Farm (GF pasta), Yamaya (liquor chain that stocks lentils, chickpeas, other tinned veg and imported sauces), Seijo Ishii (gluten-free bread), Costco (locations in Kyoto and Osaka), BIO-RAL (Osaka)
- A gluten free diet in Japan will typically rely largely on fresh produce and avoid ready-made food items.
Gluten Free in Japan! - the definitive guide for grocery shopping and restaurants
Join on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/glutenfreeexpatsjapan/
- Use the search button (e.g. a place name, food type) to learn about safe options. Not only for tourists, but many foreign residents in Japan post in the group - an invaluable resource for you to become an expert in no time!
Be inventive - one trick I learned from the group is a little drizzle of sesame oil as salad dressing (unsafe here due to unidentified vinegar) which is readily available and inexpensive!
GF Food Finds..
See the bento at the top of the page? This is from the ONLY GF bento shop I have found in Japan - Michinori Bento in Nagoya. It is a walk from Nagoya Station but well worth the trip...
Below is a small selection of local GF finds....
(Make sure to confirm any potential cross-contamination before dining!)
Below is a small selection of local GF finds....
(Make sure to confirm any potential cross-contamination before dining!)