Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

How Can I Eat Gluten Free In Japan?

spunkysparkle

By spunkysparkle
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

spunkysparkle Newbie
spunkysparkle
Posted

I'm studying Japanese at university and a week from now I'll begin a year as an exchange student at university! I'm pretty worried that I'm just going to stick to rice and plain fish as coeliac disease is basically unheard of there and soy sauce seems to be in everything. I'm very worried it will stop me staying at other people's houses or travelling to places where I won't be able to cook for myself.

My dietician doesn't know anything about eating gluten free in Japan and I wrote to the UK Coeliac society for advice but all they sent me was a thing on what foods people eat in Japan that didn't even mention which had gluten in! So I would love to hear about other people's experiences of eating gluten free in Japan. Oh, and is gluten free tamari easy to buy in Japan or should I bring loads with me? :S

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


ravenwoodglass Mentor
ravenwoodglass
Posted
I'm studying Japanese at university and a week from now I'll begin a year as an exchange student at university! I'm pretty worried that I'm just going to stick to rice and plain fish as coeliac disease is basically unheard of there and soy sauce seems to be in everything. I'm very worried it will stop me staying at other people's houses or travelling to places where I won't be able to cook for myself.

My dietician doesn't know anything about eating gluten free in Japan and I wrote to the UK Coeliac society for advice but all they sent me was a thing on what foods people eat in Japan that didn't even mention which had gluten in! So I would love to hear about other people's experiences of eating gluten free in Japan. Oh, and is gluten free tamari easy to buy in Japan or should I bring loads with me? :S

Actually celiac disease is on the rise in Japan as they are starting to eat a more 'westernized' diet. I have posted 2 links to dining cards. The second link has cards that you can actually print out. I googled Japan and gluten free and quite a bit came up but these should get you started. Have fun in Japan I have heard it is a wonderful place to visit and live.

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

TinkerbellSwt Collaborator
TinkerbellSwt
Posted

I am sorry I dont have any advice in this circumstance. I would look the links up that raven gave you.

I just wanted to say have a fun and safe trip !

BostonCeliac Apprentice
BostonCeliac
Posted

I've found that a lot of japanese food is gluten-free -- mainly because their main staple is rice. Especially the noodles - love them.. the soy sauce might be an issue for sure. Hopefully you'll be able to make a lot of your own food while there -- but I must say since I find most of the food I end up buying is japanese, it might work out OK.

You'll probably want to study up on the names and spellings of food - maybe something like this would help:

Open Original Shared Link

I would also familiarize myself with the symbols/names of things you cannot eat up front so you can stay away...

good luck! have a great trip.

spunkysparkle Newbie
spunkysparkle
Posted
  • Author

Thank you all for your help, suggestions and kind words. From what I know.. noodles are a bit of a problem as ramen, soba and udon are all made from wheat flour. Rice noodles are fine but are more a thai thing than Japanese. I'm a bit concerned that I won't be able to eat out as I'll come across as a fussy foreigner :S I'd love to hear from anyone who has had experience living in Japan as a coeliac but can't seem to find anyone else hehe.. er.. aside from a few people who said they just stuck to plain rice and plain fish all the time :S

eKatherine Apprentice
eKatherine
Posted
Thank you all for your help, suggestions and kind words. From what I know.. noodles are a bit of a problem as ramen, soba and udon are all made from wheat flour. Rice noodles are fine but are more a thai thing than Japanese. I'm a bit concerned that I won't be able to eat out as I'll come across as a fussy foreigner :S I'd love to hear from anyone who has had experience living in Japan as a coeliac but can't seem to find anyone else hehe.. er.. aside from a few people who said they just stuck to plain rice and plain fish all the time :S

I haven't been to Japan, but I studied Japanese and Japanese culture, so you can decide what my advice is worth.

The traditional Japanese diet is based on white rice, miso (may contain wheat) soup, and pickles (?). I am not sure about what sort of ingredients labeling you will see, and unless you are very fluent in written Japanese, it would be easy to miss something. Unless you are extremely fluent in spoken Japanese, you will have difficulty finding out if restaurant food contains wheat or barley, both common. But if you do find out that some preparation does contain gluten, you will probably find it impossible to get anything cooked special for you at any but the most expensive restaurants, as Japanese restaurants are not designed on the "have it your way" principle.

Japanese families often eat Chinese food when they eat out. Sounds scary. I suggest you try to eat at home as much as possible. Maybe you can find yourself some neighborhood sakaya where you can train the owner to serve you white rice and safe snacks.

chgomom Enthusiast
chgomom
Posted

I have lived and worked in Japan for many years, and I work as a Japanese translator.

On my travels there, you can not eat:

Seaweed, unless dry roasted (so like at a Sushi bar you have to have Sashimi, not sushi) unless that can assure you there is no soy sauce in it (because soy sauce is cured with wheat)

There are lots of breads in Japan...obviously a no no....

You can, eat rice balls...with salmon or tuna inside, just make sure it has no mayo...

You can eat fresh grilled meats....fish and vegetables...

Fruit ices....

You can also have a traditional dish called Suki Yaki....minus the soy sauce...

There are an array of specialty tea drinks and coffee shops....

Fruit is very expensive....but may be worth it.

You do also have specialty diet shops....and if you told me where your university there I could tell you where they might be I have associates all over different areas of Japan.

I would bring a few of your safe Tamari's with you.

HOWEVER I work in export and import...and taking food with you, even on the plane is being frowned upon.

Check with your university and the airline just to be sure.

But I would definitely try to take some with to get by.

Most Tamari is WHEAT free....but not necessarily gluten free...

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


bon5151 Newbie
bon5151
Posted
I'm studying Japanese at university and a week from now I'll begin a year as an exchange student at university! I'm pretty worried that I'm just going to stick to rice and plain fish as coeliac disease is basically unheard of there and soy sauce seems to be in everything. I'm very worried it will stop me staying at other people's houses or travelling to places where I won't be able to cook for myself.

My dietician doesn't know anything about eating gluten free in Japan and I wrote to the UK Coeliac society for advice but all they sent me was a thing on what foods people eat in Japan that didn't even mention which had gluten in! So I would love to hear about other people's experiences of eating gluten free in Japan. Oh, and is gluten free tamari easy to buy in Japan or should I bring loads with me? :S

I'm studying Japanese at university and a week from now I'll begin a year as an exchange student at university! I'm pretty worried that I'm just going to stick to rice and plain fish as coeliac disease is basically unheard of there and soy sauce seems to be in everything. I'm very worried it will stop me staying at other people's houses or travelling to places where I won't be able to cook for myself.

My dietician doesn't know anything about eating gluten free in Japan and I wrote to the UK Coeliac society for advice but all they sent me was a thing on what foods people eat in Japan that didn't even mention which had gluten in! So I would love to hear about other people's experiences of eating gluten free in Japan. Oh, and is gluten free tamari easy to buy in Japan or should I bring loads with me? :S

bon5151 Newbie
bon5151
Posted

I just came back from a vacation in Tokyo, with my Japanese husband. My advice is to bring food with you, so you can eat safely until you find a Western grocery store there. I carried peanut butter and Lara fruit/nut bars in my suitcase. And yes, take your wheat-free tamari with you. I carried the bottle in my suitcase, but I've seen it advertised here packaged in take-out packets. I haven't been able to find it, though.

It was difficult to eat at Japanese restaurants, even with my husband's ability to ask questions in Japanese. In fact, I ate sashimi at sushi bars a few times, while my family (kids don't eat fish) ate at another restaurant nearby. Unfortunately, because the Japanese are in love with noodles, it seems their other favorite food is Italian. Not good for us, the gluten-free brigade. However, I did well at Indian restaurants. I'm hooked on dosas and they're made with either garbanzo or lentil flour (I forget which, but ask -- most of the Indian staff at Indian restaurants speak English).

In Japanese food, soy sauce is the dominant problem. It's always in the marinade, sauce, broth, etc. and miso is in everything else, including salad dressings. I ate a lot of onigiri (rice balls with tuna, salmon or pickles in the center). They're delicious -- 7-11 stores carry a variety of them, but they often run out in the early evening because people pick them up for an easy dinner on the way home from work. Most have seaweed on the outside, but when my husband asked, he was assured that the brand we bought had roasted, salted seaweed with no soy sauce. (Sorry I don't know which brand.)

I have to admit, in a moment of desperation, we went to Tokyo's Outback Steakhouse because I knew I could get a hearty, safe meal there.

In spite of the challenges, I had a great time and I'm sure you will, too.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,549
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Blough
    Newest Member
    Blough
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Taken Seriously

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Your post demonstrates the profound frustration and isolation that so many in the Celiac community feel, and I want to thank you for channeling that experience into advocacy. The medical gaslighting you endured for decades is an unacceptable and, sadly, a common story, and the fact that you now have to "school" your own GI specialist speaks volumes about the critical lack of consistent and updated education. Your idea to make Celiac Disease a reportable condition to public health authorities is a compelling and strategic one. This single action would force the system to formally acknowledge the prevalence and seriousness of the disease, creating a concrete dataset that could drive better research funding, shape medical school curricula, and validate the patient experience in a way that individual stories alone often cannot. It is an uphill battle, but contacting representatives, as you have done with Adam Gray, is exactly how change begins. By framing it as a public health necessity—a matter of patient safety and protection from misdiagnosis and neglect—you are building a powerful case. Your voice and your perseverance, forged through thirty years of struggle, are exactly what this community needs to ensure that no one else has to fight so hard just to be believed and properly cared for.
    • Scott Adams
      Looking for a gluten-free roomie in Denver CO

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I had no idea there is a "Louisville" in Colorado!😉 I thought it was a typo because I always think of the Kentucky city--but good luck!
    • Scott Adams
      Allergy medication: cetirizine by the HealthA2Z is it gluten free?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      Navigating medication safety with Celiac disease can be incredibly stressful, especially when dealing with asthma and severe allergies on top of it. While I don't have personal experience with the HealthA2Z brand of cetirizine, your caution is absolutely warranted. The inactive ingredients in pills, known as excipients, are often where gluten can be hidden, and since the FDA does not require gluten-free labeling for prescription or over-the-counter drugs, the manufacturer's word is essential. The fact that you cannot get a clear answer from Allegiant Health is a significant red flag; a company that is confident its product is gluten-free will typically have a customer service protocol to answer that exact question. In situations like this, the safest course of action is to consider this product "guilty until proven innocent" and avoid it. A better alternative would be to ask your pharmacist or doctor to help you identify a major national brand of cetirizine (like Zyrtec) whose manufacturer has a verified, publicly stated gluten-free policy for that specific medication. It's not worth the risk to your health when reliable, verifiable options are almost certainly available to you. You can search this site for USA prescriptions medications, but will need to know the manufacturer/maker if there is more than one, especially if you use a generic version of the medication: To see the ingredients you will need to click on the correct version of the medication and maker in the results, then scroll down to "Ingredients and Appearance" and click it, and then look at "Inactive Ingredients," as any gluten ingredients would likely appear there, rather than in the Active Ingredients area. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/   
    • Scott Adams
      Protein or fat?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      What you're describing is indeed familiar to many in the Celiac community, especially in the early stages of healing. When the intestinal villi are damaged from Celiac disease, they struggle to properly digest and absorb fats, a condition known as bile acid malabsorption. This can cause exactly the kind of cramping and spasms you're seeing, as undigested fats can irritate the sensitive gut lining. It is highly plausible that her reactions to dairy and eggs are linked to their higher fat content rather than the proteins, especially since she tolerates lean chicken breast. The great news is that for many, this does improve with time. As her gut continues to heal on a strict gluten-free diet, her ability to produce the necessary enzymes and bile to break down fats should gradually return, allowing her to slowly tolerate a wider variety of foods. It's a slow process of healing, but your careful approach of focusing on low-fat, nutrient-dense foods like seeds and avocado is providing her system the best possible environment to recover. Many people with celiac disease, especially those who are in the 0-2 year range of their recovery, have additional food intolerance issues which could be temporary. To figure this out you may need to keep a food diary and do an elimination diet over a few months. Some common food intolerance issues are dairy/casein, eggs, corn, oats, and soy. The good news is that after your gut heals (for most people who are 100% gluten-free this will take several months to two years) you may be able to slowly add some these items back into your diet after the damaged villi heal. This article may be helpful: Thank you for sharing your story—it's a valuable insight for other parents navigating similar challenges.
    • Beverage
      Diagnosed celiac for 1-2 months ago and everything makes me bloated.

      By Beverage · Posted

      I had a very rough month after diagnosis. No exaggeration, lost so much inflammatory weight, I looked like a bag of bones, underneath i had been literally starving to death. I did start feeling noticeably better after a month of very strict control of my kitchen and home. What are you eating for breakfast and lunch? I ignored my doc and ate oats, yes they were gluten free, but some brands are at the higher end of gluten free. Lots of celics can eat Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats, but not me. I can now eat them, but they have to be grown and processed according to the "purity protocol" methods. I mail order them, Montana Gluten-Free brand. A food and symptoms and activities log can be helpful in tracking down issues. You might be totally aware, but I have to mention about the risk of airborne gluten. As the doc that diagnosed me warned . . Remember eyes, ears, nose, and mouth all lead to your stomach and intestines.  Are you getting any cross contamination? Airborne gluten? Any pets eating gluten (they eat it, lick themselves, you pet them...)? Any house remodeling? We live in an older home, always fixing something. I've gotten glutened from the dust from cutting into plaster walls, possibly also plywood (glues). The suggestions by many here on vitamin supplements also really helped me. I had some lingering allergies and asthma, which are now 99% gone. I was taking Albuterol inhaler every hour just to breathe, but thiamine in form of benfotiamine kicked that down to 1-2 times a day within a few days of starting it. Also, since cutting out inflammatory seed oils (canola, sunflower, grapeseed, etc) and cooking with real olive oil, avocado oil, ghee, and coconut oil, I have noticed even greater improvement overall and haven't used the inhaler in months! It takes time to weed out everything in your life that contains gluten, and it takes awhile to heal and rebuild your health. At first it's mentally exhausting, overwhelming, even obsessive, but it gets better and second nature.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.