It may seem daunting or difficult to communicate food and medicine allergies in Japan. Before coming to Japan, be sure to translate your allergies into Japanese in order to best prepare for a worst-case scenario. It’s better to be safe and prepared than worry about having to relay these concerns on the spot!
If you have an allergy that might cause an anaphylactic reaction, then you need to be sure to get a prescription for an Epi-pen and fill out your Yakkan Shoumei before coming to Japan. Be sure to carry the medication (and copy of the Yakkan Shoumei until you can get a Japanese prescription) with you at all times. As careful as you may be, you never know when something might be made with nuts/shellfish/etc.
The Association for Japan Exchange and Teaching (AJET) Website
Should you have allergies and would like to communicate your concerns to a restaurant or to your school nutritionist (if you will be eating school lunch), please see these websites for free resource cards to print and keep with you to show when necessary:
- Celiac Travel (Japanese language cards)
- Just Hungry (Japanese language cards)
- Bilingual cards (English and Japanese) for dietary restrictions including meat, vegetarian, vegan, wheat, dairy, nut, shellfish, soy, alcohol, and fill-in-the-blank cards.
Japanese products are at most times required to list their ingredients if the product was made in a place where an allergic reaction ingredient is also used, or if the ingredient is used in an item itself. Please read this page for more information on how to determine what is in your foods, and how to avoid accidentally ingesting anything that you have an allergy to.
Note: Even English teachers may struggle to describe ingredients of Japanese foods in English. If you have an allergy, make sure to do your own research on unknown foods first!