Japan (Tokyo And Kyoto) Gluten Free

[GiuCeliachia]

Dear all,

soon I will be in a tour through Japan that will touch mainly Tokyo and Kyoto with daily escursion from there. You can imagine I'm coeliac and read on internet and forum that because of the language, or the not so common knowledge of this diet, or the soia or contamination is not so easy to organize.

 

To begin my preparation I would like to know is if you know specific restaurants (both in Tokyo and Kyoto) that are good for gluten-free ? (I'm from Italy, generally I know that if a restaurant is certified to be able to serve gluten-free it should have a separate space to cook in order to avoid contaminations between food).

 

Any suggestion with this subject?

Do you know foods that are 100% gluten free and not subject to easy contaminations? (ie. sashimi)

 

Thank you so much!

[kenlove]

There a few important things to learn -- komugi and allergy -- if you tell that to wait staff that will help. Also bring your own soy sauce with you and plan to eat much  sushi as many other  dishes   use  soy sauce and many other   restaurants are  hard unless you  know Japanese.  

If your staying in  western style hotels  they wil be able to help you. There are no gluten free restaurants  but a few  health food restaurants in Tokyo.  If you  google health food restaurants in tokyo you'll get a few places and they will understand more  about gluten free.  Also make sure you get the  gluten free dining cars.

 

If you can find a high end  soba place and  get juwari soba that is 100% soba and  no problem.  -- you just cant have the sauce that comes with it.  Yuba is special tofu cooked at your table. its fun and taste good although expensive.  dip it in  flavored salts

 

you can  drink shochu and sake  but not mugi cha -- nothing with mugi which can be  wheat or barley.

 

grilled fish is ok if you can make sure its  shio dake with salt and  not with soy sauce - make sure  -- I could tell you a couple of friends places but they only speak Japanese and are  hard to find.   What hotel in Tokyo will you be at?

good luck

 

 

Dear all,

soon I will be in a tour through Japan that will touch mainly Tokyo and Kyoto with daily escursion from there. You can imagine I'm coeliac and read on internet and forum that because of the language, or the not so common knowledge of this diet, or the soia or contamination is not so easy to organize.

 

To begin my preparation I would like to know is if you know specific restaurants (both in Tokyo and Kyoto) that are good for gluten-free ? (I'm from Italy, generally I know that if a restaurant is certified to be able to serve gluten-free it should have a separate space to cook in order to avoid contaminations between food).

 

Any suggestion with this subject?

Do you know foods that are 100% gluten free and not subject to easy contaminations? (ie. sashimi)

 

Thank you so much!

 

[GiuCeliachia]

Thank you so much KenLove!

 

Basically my strategy is to rent apartments with a kitchen and wake up early to prepare my food and pack it with me.

Of course it's fine for lunch but for dinner I would like to be able to understand what would be "good bet" on gluten free.

I'm basically high sensitive to gluten so I'm planning ahead all this information in order to be at least preparared. I know that language and lack of diffusion of this diet would be a severe issue in my wonderful travel to Japan

 

In the meantime I'm focusing on Tokyo as this is the first base and I think the easiest one to solve.

 

Some more question, and thank you for your help!

 

1) I knew this restaurant: S.Komatsu is one of the very few that use to have a 'Gluten Free' menu (now suspended). I think however it could be still a fine bet as they were prepared in that sense. Do you know it?

 

2) Sushi is generally fine is I take my gluten free soy sauce with me? I read about vinegar used to paste the rice that can have gluten in it Is it right?

 

3) What about sashimi? and Konigiri (wrote right? ...the rice ball).

 

4) Generally I think grilled fish would be a fine bet if i tell them to avoiud soy sauce. Right? What dish do you suggest me that can be done plain and with less risk?

 

5) What could be a quick food maybe that I could get more or less everywhere? lets say a sure bet while visiting ?

 

Thank you !!!

[kenlove]

hi,

 never  heard of  s  komatsu. Whats the location in Tokyo?  If they have a gluten-free diet its becasue they   cater to foreigners.  The rate  of celiac in Japan is opposite of Italy. ALmost know one  knows of it. 

 

I never had any problem with any vinegars in Japan.  they  dont put soy sauce on the sushi but will put a sweet sauce on somethings  unagi, anago and other things like mirugaia.  They are shoyu (soy sauce) based and  contain wheat. so no sauce.

t o explain that you would  just have to say sauce (Sawsuu)  toe ko mugee  allergee  

 

sashimi is only fish so no problem -- I eat  way too much rice  and never have  problems from it and also am very sensitive. Stay away from bakeries in train stations!

 

grilled fish is ok  she-o dakay  means with salt only.  Iwashi (ee washee) is a kind of sardine which usually does not have shoyou on it. 

 

getting  quick  food anywhere  is tough. there are 7-11 and fanily mart shops on every corner but its tough becasue even the onigiri rice  balls have wheat (ko mugi) in them  so you have to be able to read which ones are safe. Ususally the ones with red beans are ok. You can ask some to read it and  ask komugi desu ka -- -- it takes a little getting used too.  Im also vegan so I eat a lot of fruit and veggies but also  go to chinese and indian places -Usually in indian places someone will speak  english and you can get a good palak or curry  but dont  eat japanese curry, its filled  with wheat.   Tell me some of the areas in  tokyo  your going and maybe I can think of some places where you can  eat.  In Kyoto i just  stay at my friends place=, matsubatei ryokan so he knows.. YOu can also try shabushabu just  ask to cook the meat and veggies in  salt water -- if you have your own sauces that  works. there  are a few  health food stores in  yokohama and   even some in ginza to buy  gluten-free sobas and shoyu but they are  hard to find too.

good luck

 

 

 

Thank you so much KenLove!

 

Basically my strategy is to rent apartments with a kitchen and wake up early to prepare my food and pack it with me.

Of course it's fine for lunch but for dinner I would like to be able to understand what would be "good bet" on gluten free.

I'm basically high sensitive to gluten so I'm planning ahead all this information in order to be at least preparared. I know that language and lack of diffusion of this diet would be a severe issue in my wonderful travel to Japan

 

In the meantime I'm focusing on Tokyo as this is the first base and I think the easiest one to solve.

 

Some more question, and thank you for your help!

 

1) I knew this restaurant: S.Komatsu is one of the very few that use to have a 'Gluten Free' menu (now suspended). I think however it could be still a fine bet as they were prepared in that sense. Do you know it?

 

2) Sushi is generally fine is I take my gluten free soy sauce with me? I read about vinegar used to paste the rice that can have gluten in it Is it right?

 

3) What about sashimi? and Konigiri (wrote right? ...the rice ball).

 

4) Generally I think grilled fish would be a fine bet if i tell them to avoiud soy sauce. Right? What dish do you suggest me that can be done plain and with less risk?

 

5) What could be a quick food maybe that I could get more or less everywhere? lets say a sure bet while visiting ?

 

Thank you !!!

[EdwardCun]

Bumping this thread.

 

I'm a student wanting to travel to Japan for study abroad. I also had the plan to rent an apartment and cook food to bring with me but honestly that detracts from the experience. I've travelled to Japan (months before celiac diagnosis) and had few problems or at least few problems compared to my travel companions (ha ha)... Anyway, my mother seems to think Japan's food is grown "better" and is less genetically modified than food in USA... While I wouldn't go and eat bread or anything while there I am semi tempted to try out this hypothesis (yeah yeah red flags, don't scold me). Anyway, I really doubt she's right.

 

If anyone else could lend any help it'd be much appreciated. I'd love to be able to find some snacks I know I can rely on at the bars or something like that. Thanks! ! !

[Pauliewog]

"grown better" and "genetically modified" has nothing to do with gluten. I don't really understand what you mean by this "hypothesis." Gluten is gluten. Eating out in Japan is extremely hard due to soy sauce in everything. In fact, aside from plain yogurt, hard boiled eggs and fruit, there is nothing I'd eat in a convenience store. In a bar you can eat edamame.

If you can find a homestay that can work with special dietary needs that's great. If not, an apt. is a the way to go. Forget a dorm with food.

[kenlove]

On 2/4/2016 at 7:33 AM, EdwardCun said:

Bumping this thread.

 

I'm a student wanting to travel to Japan for study abroad. I also had the plan to rent an apartment and cook food to bring with me but honestly that detracts from the experience. I've travelled to Japan (months before celiac diagnosis) and had few problems or at least few problems compared to my travel companions (ha ha)... Anyway, my mother seems to think Japan's food is grown "better" and is less genetically modified than food in USA... While I wouldn't go and eat bread or anything while there I am semi tempted to try out this hypothesis (yeah yeah red flags, don't scold me). Anyway, I really doubt she's right.

 

If anyone else could lend any help it'd be much appreciated. I'd love to be able to find some snacks I know I can rely on at the bars or something like that. Thanks! ! !

i would  tend to agree with your mom and that comes from more than  30 years in and out of Japan. the  quality of the produce, meat and fish tends to be much better than the US  becsaue it gets to market  much faster and becasue there is a demand  for quality  above the demand for low price.  As it was pointed out, this  has  nothing to do with gluten.    There  are  alot of things you can  eat  in just about any restaurant  but there are things to learn like onigiri -- rice balls,  are seemingly innocent  but  90% of htem contain wheat starch.  most larger  grocery stores and  department store basements  you can  get  gluten free soy sauce. ---  most  chefs still assume that  soy sauce is soy  so never  take anyones  word for it when it comes to soy sauce. Of al the mixed  salads at  family mart, 7-11 and lawsons  only the gobo salad was  safe.

good luck

 

 

[GFTJ]

A note to add to the above comments. 

Malted vinegar which contains gluten is used in many Sushi restaurants. Be sure to check the vinegar before eating. Sushi is often a good choice (if they use rice vinegar) if you keep it simple and take your own soy sauce. Don't eat the sushi with wasabi, soy based glaze or mayonnaise. 

Some yaki niku restaurants (meat on sticks) flavour their salt.  This flavoured salt has gluten in it  so don't use any sauces and only use plain salt