I’ve had lots of questions about this over the past few years so rather than give all my suggestions in DMs I also thought I would put my advice on travelling to Japan with a child who has severe food allergies here.
Please take note: I am not a medical professional. Please make sure you do your own research – be aware of how the medical system in Japan works if you do need urgent medical care.
Please also ask and ask restaurants and cafes ahead of time as much as possible and then check again before your child consumes anything. This article is purely giving advice and I’m not able to give you a 100% guarantee that any food item is 100% safe for your child to consume so please check and re-check as much as you can.
Do I know many many Mums and Dads who travel often to Japan or live in Japan while looking after a child who has severe allergies?
Absolutely yes – and I do have many suggestions and tips on how to make it work.
And I don’t want to deter anyone but I also don’t want to give anyone the impression that it will be really, really easy or anything.
Why is it more difficult to travel in Japan with allergies than in some other countries?
1. Because of the language barrier. Any parent knows that, even when speaking the same language as someone in a restaurant or a food manufacturing facility, there can be misunderstandings and confusion. So communicating in a new language (or with someone else who is learning a new language) leaves more room for error – and error in these scenarios can be dangerous.
2.Because Japan doesn’t take part in “custom-made order “culture in restaurants.
It is very unusual for restaurant or cafe customers to order a menu item but ask for something “without the cheese” or request to “switch the tuna for chicken.”
I should write a whole article on why this is and how it’s just not the done / common thing but… for now…. my short explanation is a) Japanese people are more trusting that the chef has put certain ingredients together for a reason b) I also think this is down to not wanting to make a fuss or make things more difficult for the staff and the wait time longer for other customers ( google collectivist vs individualistic cultures and you can start your deep dive from there if it interests you.).
3. Because familiar products at home may not be available or served differently (or prepared differently.)
HERE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PREPARING FOR TRAVEL IN JAPAN WITH A CHILD WHO HAS SEVERE ALLERGIES
1. Speak with your doctor at home.
Get their thoughts and hear about other patients doing something similar in Japan. Do they think it’s the right time for you to travel?
2. If you will be bringing medicine from your home country to Japan- make sure it is allowed in to Japan and see if you need a “Yunyu Kakunin-sho” ( a kind of permission slip to bring certain medication into Japan. Here is the link to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan website where you can start all of your research.
3. Get really good travel insurance.
Remember this also will cover you from the moment you buy your flights and accommodation so that if anything happens between now and departure day – you are also covered.
4. Know what to do in a medical emergency in Japan.
I wrote this article here that explains what to do in a medical emergency from a Mum in Japan’s perspective. Other resources you might like to read are Japan Living Guide and I also recommend going to food allergy.org and downloading their Japan Travel Tips PDF (sorry – it won’t let me link to it.)
5. Start thinking about the best accommodation for you
For me – I would go with one of the following options :
An apartment hotel like Mimaru with a kitchenette where you can cook and prepare your own meals. This brand of apartment hotel is also very good as they have an English Speaking 24 hour reception desk and can, therefore, support you if you need any assistance.
OR
A big global brand of hotel like a Hilton or a Hyatt. Then you can explain your dietary requirments in advance and already know right away what hotel restaurant options are there for you (room service etc included.) A big hotel like this will also have an English Speaking 24 hour reception desk and can, therefore, support you if you need any assistance.
6. Take lots and lots of familiar (aka “safe”) snacks.
I actually recommend this in general for all families traveling to Japan with children anyway as kids sometimes need a break from new foods anyway.
But, in this instance, it’s even more important. Of course, you can’t bring fresh produce or meat etc but you can bring freeze dried meals and snacks and even tinned soups etc.
A friend of mine even bought a cheap toasted sandwich maker at a home electrical goods store on the first day of their holiday in Japan to use in their apartment to avoid any worries about cross contamination.
7. If your allergies involve dairy or eggs – then I strongly recommend going to strictly vegan restaurants only when eating out.
The Happy Cow app offers significantly less options than places like Australia but it is very reliable and will show you what your options are in the areas you’ll be in for certain days. Strict vegan meals may not be what you eat at home – but if it’s eliminating risk? Do it.
8. If you must eat Gluten Free then I can’t recommend a Facebook group called Gluten Free Japan enough.
This is an incredible resource for those visiting and living in Japan. There is also an amazing resource written by Fukuoka Eats – it is “The Ultimate Gluten Free Survival Guide for Traveling in Japan.”
9. While researching, look for Low Allergen menu options (especially for kids meals)
Of course this depends what kind of ingredients you are allergic to but, if the item you or your child can’t eat are included in the low allergen menu options you maybe be able to rely on that more when out and about. This is especially handy if you find that a chain of restaurants have a meal you or your child can eat and then you can google if there is one in the area – every time you head out. For example, Cocoichi Curry does this, Royal Host, Gusto, Cocos, Denny’s Japan, Joyful, TonDen as well as Tokyo Disney Resort and Universal Studios Japan.
WHAT I DON’T RECOMMMEND …
1. I don’t recommend assuming that a product you always eat at home is the same in Japan. It might be prepared differently or stored differently.
For example : The fries at McDonalds in Australia are vegan (McDonalds doesn’t market them this way as they cannot guarantee that there will not be any cross contamination) but in Japan they are not as they are cooked in a blend of beef fat and palm oil.
2. I don’t recommend just printing off “allergen cards” in English and Japanese and then expecting to be able to just show them at any restaurant and get what you need.
While these cards can be of great help (and if you get them, I strongly recommend they come why it is important. “If I eat this I will need to go to the hospital” “Eating this ingredient could be life threatening” as I think it is important to stress the difference between a picky eater and someone with a very serious medical condition) the cards alone will not be of as much use as you may think.
In fact, because Japanese people are so polite and because the customer service standards are so high (ie. they want to make sure you have an incredible dining experience)- you may actually just be told that they are “unable to help you at this restaurant.”
So dining at a restaurant needs to involve:
-researching on websites, Facebook groups, asking for language support assistance from your hotel concierge or emailing ahead to ask what options are available
-a card to show the wait staff when ordering and then again before eating to double and triple check
If you wanted to also learn how to order something in Japan without a certain ingredient, I explain how to do so here but, once again, please check check and re-check before consuming.
I hope this helps any parents planning their upcoming Japan holiday. Let me know if there is anything I have missed (I’m at The Tokyo Chapter on instagram here.)
If you’ve enjoyed this blog post I think you’ll also like to read my tips on our family safety rules in Japan.
I also have a month by month guide on what to pack for Japan.
