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We’re going to be trustworthy, being gluten-free in Japan is difficult. Gluten intolerances are uncommon amongst Japanese individuals, soy sauce is utilized in virtually every part, and there’s a good bit of confusion round what a gluten-free food plan means in observe.
In case you’re coeliac and may’t threat any cross contamination in any respect, visiting Japan goes to be tougher work – and also you’ll want to collect as a lot info as potential to work out whether or not it’s the correct vacation spot for you (particularly if meals is necessary to you if you journey).
We additionally know (and rejoice) that some gluten-free travellers are decided to go to Japan regardless of the changes wanted. We’ve put collectively a gluten-free information to Japan, primarily based on our data of residing and dealing there, to assist arm you with as a lot data as potential for a profitable journey.
All through, you’ll additionally discover some ideas from a latest gluten-free buyer, Elizabeth, who informed us: “I knew I didn’t need my intolerance to cease us from having fun with Japan, and whereas we did have some difficulties discovering meals typically, total, we had an attractive journey.”
Prime suggestions for consuming gluten-free in Japan
Analysis earlier than you go
As with most international locations, greater cities are higher set as much as deal with dietary necessities. You received’t discover gluten-free meals at each restaurant you go to, however locations like Tokyo and Osaka can have extra choices. In case you’re venturing extra off-beat, you’ll should be a bit extra ready.
Restaurant locator apps, like “Discover Me Gluten Free”, and Fb Teams resembling “Gluten-Free in Japan” have up-to-date info together with restaurant choices, opinions and suggestions. These could be a nice supply of inspiration to get you began and to familiarise your self with what meals are prone to be protected.
We advocate pinning areas on Google Maps, both earlier than your journey, or if you’ve received a little bit of down time in Japan – saving the scroll when all you wish to do is eat.
In case you’re travelling with us, our buyer expertise workforce can be found 24/7 that will help you e book eating places. They will name forward, examine the understanding of gluten-free diets, and ensure they’re open if you wish to go (Google is nice, however not 100% correct).
Write down your necessities in Japanese
Except you’re fluent in Japanese, you won’t really feel assured expressing what you want verbally in Japan – however writing your necessities down makes issues less complicated. Whether or not on paper or in your cellphone, having your dietary necessities written down someplace useful means you’ll have them to seek advice from everytime you want.
You need to use Google translate to supply the proper phrasing or, in case you’re travelling with us, simply tell us early on in our conversations. We’ll get every part you want onto a useful allergy vocab sheet, included as a part of your Information-Pack. Some coeliac charities, like Coeliac UK, have nation particular guides to obtain, too.
Carry snacks – numerous snacks
Recent off a long-haul flight, feeling jet-lagged and bewildered, you’re unlikely to wish to deal with the brilliant colors of a konbini comfort retailer or attempt to decipher kanji to seek out one thing gluten-free (save that for later in your journey when it’s prone to be extra enjoyable).
Carry some handy snacks that can get you thru any hungry gaps in your journey. Elizabeth, our latest gluten-free buyer, recommends including issues like peanut butter, rice truffles, rice noodles, and tinned tina to your snack stash – as a result of you should utilize them to make fast meals when staying in lodge rooms with a kettle, or to construct snacks like peanut butter rice truffles to tackle longer journeys.
Carry your individual GF soy sauce, tamari or mayo
As a result of gluten-free recipes and dishes aren’t common-place in Japan, restaurant employees could err on the aspect of warning. Soy sauce is utilized in a whole lot of Japanese cooking, and if that’s taken out, your meals could also be seasoned solely with salt and pepper to be on the protected aspect.
However, there’s a easy answer to avoiding bland meals: pack some further condiments in your suitcase – together with some useful sachets or journey sized bottles for on-the-go ease. Whereas Japanese tamari, a gluten-free soy sauce, is obtainable in supermarkets, it’s unlikely to be offered on tables in eating places or at avenue meals stalls, so bringing your individual is an effective choice.
In case you’re on a Small Group Tour, or travelling independently with a information for the day, our Insiders will have the ability to clarify why you’ve got these to the restaurant employees (to keep away from undesirable confusion). We will additionally write this on a vocab sheet for you.
Enjoyable reality: Our buyer expertise workforce as soon as couriered a bottle of gluten-free soy sauce throughout the nation for a buyer after she’d left it on a practice… Noone can inform us meals isn’t necessary!
Google Translate (or comparable translator app) shall be your saviour
Travelling to Japan at present is far simpler now than it was pre-smart telephones. Utilizing a translation app like Google Translate, you may sort, converse or take a photograph of any textual content you wish to translate or be translated between Japanese and English.
Talking immediately into the app is extremely helpful throughout a reside dialog in a restaurant, at a avenue meals stall or in a 7-Eleven grocery store. And in a rustic that doesn’t use a Latin alphabet (like Japan or Korea), digital camera performance is invaluable.
Taking photos of substances on packets or menus, without having to sort out phrases you’re unfamiliar or attempt to entry a distinct keyboard in your cellphone, will velocity up selecting meals and reassure you what you’re consuming is protected. On her journey, Elizabeth discovered that the one spanner within the works with this method was merchandising machines, the place you received’t have the ability to examine substances before you purchase.
Your translation app of alternative might be the only most useful factor you carry with you. Simply bear in mind to have a transportable supply of Wi-Fi too – which we are able to present.
Head to a konbini (comfort retailer)
Comfort shops shall be your go-to for stocking up on snacks forward of longer journeys or supplementing meals.
There are three major comfort retailer manufacturers in Japan: 7-Eleven, FamilyMart and Lawson. Bear in mind these – they’ll be the go-to retailers you’ll discover even in probably the most distant areas (there’s even a FamilyMart on the principle street of the Buddhist temple settlement, Koya-san). Once more, you should utilize Google Translate to scan packets (attempt the onigri balls – crammed with greens, meat or fish, scrumptious) and ensure the meals inside is gluten-free.
Seijo Ishii is one other, much less widespread grocery store chain specialising in high quality, worldwide meals – together with gluten-free merchandise. Whereas a few of what you discover right here received’t be Japanese, pasta and crisps can get you out of a hungry hole till you discover your subsequent native gluten-free pleasant cease.
In case you’re staying someplace with kitchen amenities, like an condo type machiya, don’t skip the freezer part. These can provide loads of options or naturally gluten-free choices for snacks, mains and desserts
Test, and examine once more
Armed together with your translation app or your allergy vocab sheet, it received’t take lengthy to work out what you may eat, however attempt to not make assumptions, and if doubtful, simply examine once more.
Japanese dishes can comprise a whole lot of hidden gluten. Soy sauce is a quite common ingredient utilized in every kind of dishes, and even sushi can comprise gluten typically. Most noodles embrace gluten, however soba noodles have a tendency to make use of buckwheat, which is gluten-free.
Bear in mind, not all allergens which are included on packaging at house shall be apparent on Japanese merchandise. While wheat is listed, rye, barley and oats aren’t on the federal government’s obligatory meals label allergens checklist. Gluten-free menus aren’t widespread in Japan, so it’s finest to ask the servers.
And recipes will differ from place to position. For instance, in case you’ve checked an onigri ball in Lawson, be certain to examine your subsequent one in 7-Eleven too.
In case you’re ever uncertain, seize your allergy vocab sheet or carry up Google Translate, and converse to somebody within the store, restaurant or the place you’re staying. One thing you’ll be taught in a short time is that Japanese persons are often very eager to assist out the place they’ll – so don’t be afraid to ask. Elizabeth was very kindly helped by an area in a 7-Eleven to discover a loaf of gluten-free rice bread – which she used to carry to breakfast the following day for egg on toast.
Contemplate your breakfast the night time earlier than
Talking of breakfast, the choices out there to you’ll range relying on the place you keep.
In greater, western-style lodges, it’s extra probably that there shall be a alternative or a buffet. Usually, dishes shall be clearly labelled, however, relying on the place you keep, that may’t be assured, so be cautious. Staying in a standard ryokan will not be the most suitable choice so that you can maintain a gluten-free food plan. Meals are sometimes served kaiseki type – multi-course, intricately ready meals utilizing seasonal produce. These take hours of preparation, so employees will wrestle to accommodate dietary necessities. Converse to us and we are able to see whether or not sure ryokan can serve you the same, however gluten-free meal, as an alternative.
Wherever you’re staying, for reassurance you’ll have one thing to eat very first thing, you would come out the night time earlier than to a konbini – ensuring you take a look at whether or not your room has a fridge or not.
In case you’d reasonably have your individual meals prep house for a day or two, keep in an apartment-style machiya – nice for cooking up some breakfast bits earlier than heading out for a day’s exploration. Elizabeth’s journey guide, Josie, helped make issues simpler by reserving lodges strategically near supermarkets: “She was improbable. She booked lodges that have been actually near supermarkets, and that had microwaves we might use.
“Once I journey, I’m all the time so busy within the day, I actually don’t wish to enterprise far for dinner and even out from the place I’m staying in any respect, so having these amenities at our fingertips was our compromise.”
If doubtful, attempt a sequence restaurant
Whereas we’d all the time advocate attempting native locations, typically you need one thing fast, or that isn’t conventional Japanese, and chain eating places usually tend to have gluten or allergen-free meals.
A few of our workforce favourites are Taco Fanático (a Mexican restaurant), Coco Ichibanya (which is Japanese, specialising in curry), Outback Steakhouse (a world, American steakhouse chain) or Mos Burger (burgers cooked to order), as a place to begin.
Suppose earlier than you ahead your baggage
Plenty of individuals, together with our prospects, reap the benefits of the improbable baggage forwarding system in Japan. That is notably helpful in case you’re leaping on and off Shinkansen bullet trains, or smaller native buses, the place lugging bigger luggage is much less handy.
However, in case you’ve received a big quantity of meals in your baggage, you received’t wish to be with out it for too lengthy. Baggage forwarding is all the time elective – so contemplate whether or not you’d reasonably pack a separate bag of meals to maintain with you, or keep away from forwarding altogether and maintain your stash of protected meals with you always.
Able to seize your gluten-free soy sauce?
We hope you discovered the above gluten-free information to Japan helpful. As a useful abstract to seek advice from, right here’s our fast prep checklist:
- Analysis eating places earlier than you go – and pin them on Google Maps
- Write down your necessities in Japanese
- Pack handy snacks
- Pack gluten-free soy sauce, tamari or mayonnaise
- Obtain a translation app
- Benefit from konbini comfort shops
- Don’t be afraid to double-check
- Take into consideration breakfast the night time earlier than
- Contemplate chain eating places, in case you’re in a rush
- Suppose twice earlier than you ahead your baggage
Additional gluten-free information to Japan sources
In case you’re keen on discovering out extra, you would possibly discover the beneath sources helpful:
The Final Gluten Free Survival Information For Japan — Fukuoka Eats
Gluten-Free Kyoto – Inside Kyoto
In case you’d like to start out planning a visit to Japan, our workforce are all the time available to reply any questions you might need about travelling whereas gluten-free or coeliac.
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