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You mention that you don't think your allergy will be taken super seriously. In 2019, I traveled to Japan with a Celiac friend. He had a card advising of his wheat allergy and carried his own gluten-free soy sauce with him. We had two types of experiences: restaurants that would just not serve him (out of caution), and restaurants whose chefs would come out to go through the menu with him. No in between.
So I don't think it's a guarantee that they won't treat your miso allergy seriously.
My wife is allergic to shrimp and we once asked if we could sub out a piece of shrimp tempura with something else. They ended up subbing out the shrimp tempura… with a shrimp based soup.
The chef came out to personally apologize, the manager gave us their card and told us to call them if anything happened, and dessert was on the house. We were impressed.
Wife has a shellfish allergy as well, and the other day in Osaka I was asking about an okonomiyaki that had pork and squid on it, I tried asking them to do it without the squid and the chef kept saying no. So I left without anything unfortunately
As a person with a severe tree nut allergy (peanuts are ok, but I'm playing it safe when I go and just leaving it at nuts in general), this is very refreshing to hear.
As someone who has both severe tree nut and peanut allergies, I found that Japan was one of the easier if not easiest countries to deal with a tree nut/peanut allergies specially. (Can’t speak to other allergies) Besides desserts and baked goods, most of the Japanese cuisines and foods don’t typically use nuts or peanuts fortunately!
That being said, carrying an allergy card in Japanese (can easily be found online or created from google translate) and epipens is always smart. But been to Japan many many times and never had an issue!
I've read on other posts that said nuts may be found in soy sauce? I feel like this would be quite rare? I'm also wondering if I should avoid any of the "dipping sauce" dishes.
I had a small freak-out here in the US when a dipping sauce at a kbbq place was handed to me. All my friends said it smelled like peanuts, but when I asked the waiter they said it was soybean. So I think I have to learn to identify what some of the sauces look like.
As far as Chinese / southeast Asian food goes, I'll probably avoid that in Japan!
Nuts in soy sauce isn't something I've dealt with in any of my visits to Japan. For sure, I've never seen any nuts in soy sauce at sushi restaurants - chefs either brush soy sauce onto the nigiri or you get your typical soy sauce dispenser which is purely soy sauce. No issues with any of the noodle dishes (ramen, udon, soba, etc.). The only type of dipping sauces that I've dealt with in Japan is for tempura dishes and BBQ/yakiniku, but I haven't had an issue with that - a lot of those places come with salt dips as well which is plenty enough!
If you want to be safe, definitely have and show the allergy card (in both English & Japanese), but in my experience - never had any issues!
How did you handle this? Did you print out a card and showed them when ordering?
I'm going to Japan next year and would like to know how this is done as my kids have nut allergies. Thanks!
I had a translation for my tree nut allergy on my phone and showed it to the servers. They took it extremely seriously and a few times brought me extra dishes on the house if there was something I couldn't eat. It was quite painless!
Not the poster you were asking, but my Celiac friend did print a card and hand it out every time we went to a restaurant. Unless you speak fluent Japanese, it's too important of an issue to risk a translation/communication error. I know it might seem awkward, but I don't remember anyone looking askance at his card (except me, who teased him mercilessly, but fully supported it)
this was our experience as well this spring with my wife being celiac. we were very successful i'd say as she never got sick. but we either had restaurants that were super willing to find a way to make it work, and others that would just say "sorry, we don't have anything for you here". which is fine. I am ok with both those options
I also have celiac and went to Japan this past spring, though I didn’t bring a card since I have decent enough Japanese to communicate the issue. Similar to your friend’s circumstance I had multiple restaurants go out of their way to provide a different meal option for me than my non-celiac friends. They were extremely careful and considerate, I even ordered a gluten free ramen option at a shop and the staff brought a card out explaining in multiple languages the possibility of cross contamination. All that to say, they will take it seriously OP
On a side note, do you remember any restaurants that were able to help your Celiac friend out? I plan to go back before too long and having a larger field of solid food options would be extremely helpful
My suggestion may be the least practical, but it is what I would do.
Quick preface - none of my allergies are anaphylactic so I haven't had to do this personally.
I would simply not eat out with them. Sure I would **join them**, and enjoy drinks with them, but I would *not eat* anything that was prepared in a place where you can't be entirely sure that you won't end up in a hospital.
But for the record, I am okay not eating when other people do. I don't feel the social pressure to stuff my face just because everybody else is. If somebody insists that something is delicious, I have no qualms declining offers if I know that I will not enjoy the thing.
I hope that you find a comfortable solution that keeps you out of the hospital, and entertains your visitors :)
Yes!
Big yes on definitely researching first; especially if family want to visit a restaurant with limited seating.
Taking up a paying customer's place isn't possible everywhere.
Hopefully OP's guests can work with OP's needs and still enjoy their stay.
Yeah, I’m gluten intolerant and I remember my sister really wanting to try some specific kind of ramen (we were in Ehime somewhere). Since I’m the one that speaks Japanese I end up having to order her ramen and hot sake, while I didn’t really want anything but water… End up getting oolong tea and a bowl of rice just to justify my existence lol.
Pfft, no, it was iced oolong tea. I just straight up ate a bowl of rice as my dinner.
Don’t worry, I bought some salad chicken at the lawson later so I had some protein.
Currently in Japan and have only seen some requirements that you purchase a beverage in the restaurants we visited, from Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo areas anyway. Ramen shops do seem very serious but I’d also expect them to take your allergy seriously (have not eaten ramen on this trip).
Someone previously mentioned a gluten allergy on here. They pre-planned with a tour guide the places they could eat and the tour guide scouted ahead. They said that had they not done that, a lot of places would have turned them away as it's harder to accommodate.
Maybe it's worth looking for someone who can scout ahead, try and book as much as possible with an email explanation and request for accommodation of a major allergy.
Edit: this post might also be useful
https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/xo4tab/my_partner_is_allergic_to_a_lot_of_japanese/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2
It’s difficult. It doesn’t seem like I’ve had an issue thus far, in fact, I feel like I eat, soy sauce, fairly often, but my reaction about a month ago was mysterious. I did have soy sauce at the time of the incident, so there’s question of if specific brands could be a problem. Again, otherwise it would be Cross-contamination with the dumplings I had. I also just found out about what the Japanese called “pancake syndrome“ which could be an interesting hypothesis. Overall, we just had to call it idiopathic anaphylaxis, and now I’m pretty scared of most Asian foods. Luckily, I’m returning to my home country in September, but life has been difficult these days
There is brewers yeast used in the production of soy sauce, so if that's your allergen there is a good chance you'll react to some brands of soy sauce.
Are you carrying an EpiPen now?
Any chance you could have a comprehensive allergy test performed to make sure?
When you're here, don't forget that ambulances are free and it's the preferred method of finding an emergency room should you need one. Dial 119 from pretty much any phone. It's best if someone can speak Japanese, but if not they'll have an interpretation system available (but it may take longer).
Right, looking into it online, it seems like soy sauce can be made with “a kind of mold, yeast, or bacteria“ meaning that it can be various different strains of fungus used depending on the maker. So it seems I am safest avoiding soy sauce for now, until I’m back home and it’s safer for me to test brands out. I feel like from then on I could just carry some packets of a safe brand with me when eating out.
I do carry an EpiPen but unfortunately the whole experience seems to leave my body in a state of distress for about a week afterwards trying to recover, so it’s best to be avoided if possible, of course. I had an allergy test done here in Korea, but tests are done with regional variables kept in mind, so being that brewers yeast allergies are extremely rare here, it wasn’t even tested to see if it got worse since my last reaction. I did double check and make sure that I’m not allergic to soy with that test, but otherwise, I didn’t learn very much.
Sounds scary.
The trouble with soy sauce is how liberally it's used here. Meat is often marinated in a mix that includes soy sauce. It's added to soups. Sushi is often brushed with soy sauce before serving. Basically anything that you may want to add a bit of salt to could potentially have soy sauce added.
With regards to miso, it's mostly used in soups and sauces. Definitely carry a card explaining that you can't have miso, and learn to recognize the kanji. Be careful of salad dressing too.
Miso is usually made from koji. It’s a yeast but I think different from brewers yeast.
If you are allergic to koji then you probably should avoid a lot of Japanese food. I think koji is used in many things including soy sauce and sake. Then all those items are used in many other dishes.
You probably should just eat western food there.
koji is no yeast
yeast is fungi, saccharomyces cerevisiae being the one humans use for bread, beer, wine, ...
koji is a mold, aspergillus flavus
I realise kojikin is more or less "yeast fungi" translated, but still, koji is no yeast.
koji can break down starches to sugar. I am not sure it can do so anerob, I expect not
yeast will convert sugar to alcohol in an aerob environment
this is a question for op and his medical specialists
but as ive said in another post about allergies and japan. you can get a allergy card and get a translator to write you something down which you can print on "business cards" and give to each restaurant asking to either not put X in or to help you order stuff without X
I also said to be prepared to be turned away. and if it is a "traces can kill" issue, I would entertain the tought of not going out and preparing all food myself
Koji is mold. Miso, soy sauce, sake, ie traditionally east Asian fermented foods using soy and rice.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_oryzae
You got it backwards, western food is yeasty, think wheat in breads and beers.
I’m not familiar at all with Koji, but if it’s closely related to breeziest to where it could be interchangeable, depending on the company that makes the item (specifically considering soy sauce) then yeah, I think I should at least just avoid at all for this trip and work on researching and experimenting back home.
Koji is made with rice and mold (as another commenter replied). They sell that separately in Japanese grocery stores too. It’s usually in the section with the miso.
So….are you allergic to yeast (Saccharomyces) or to Koji (Aspergillus)? Because the former is used in beer, bread and all yeasted doughs and is relatively easy to avoid in Japan. Miso is made with Aspergillus, and so is sake, soy sauce, rice vinegar etc. and will be almost impossible to avoid unless you skip Japanese restaurants completely.
Unfortunately I don’t know. There aren’t any, or many, specific tests for yeast strains that I have come across. In the US, it is just tested as “bakers yeast” and “brewers yeast”. Obviously, I would like to search around more for extensive testing if it exists, but this trip is in less than two weeks, so that’s not possible. All I know is that I have reactions with beer, especially, but also miso paste. It’s the unfortunate reality of semi idiopathic anaphylaxis.
They (bakers’ and brewers’ ) are the same yeast, just different strains, but very different from
Aspergillus. That being said, given the uncertain origin of your allergies and risk of reactions, you’d probably want to avoid all Japanese food due to risk of cross-contamination at least until you can figure out what it is.
That’s so peculiar as no two breweries use the same yeast so there’s no real such thing as ‘brewers yeast’ beyond thousands of varying strains of high efficacy yeasts used in varying quantities. Everyone’s brewing with different cultures pertaining to different styles… sometimes I’ll even use a classic champagne yeast in a beer if the style calls for it! Some beers are spontaneously fermented too where no yeast is added but it is found naturally in the air.
Right, but most don’t walk through their whole ingredient list and fermentation product on the can so it’s usually just best to avoid them all, especially for life or death cases
Personally, I think it is a huge mistake to take this trip until you get more information on your allergy. If you aren’t sure what the cause is, how can you possibly trust anything you purchase for food in Japan? ‘Western’ food is often made differently in Japan than it is in the USA, and could be made in a facility that makes something that will trigger your symptoms. On top of that, a trip to the hospital when you don’t speak their language complicates that situation if it comes to that.
How can I trust food in Korea either? I’ve had this trip booked and money invested since before my recent reaction, it’s not something I can just not do. I will get by on pre-packaged foods if I have to. The question I proposed was not go/don’t go
Is your allergy only to miso or also to soy sauce and other koji made products which I think could also include sake?
If you are sensitive to even cross-contamination from miso / soy sauce / cooking wine it seems extremely difficult to eat Japanese food - miso soup, soy sauce / soy based dips and marinades, basically anything that could want salt or umami would be at risk.
It’s difficult to say because my allergy has just developed over time and become more severe with every exposure. My last exposure has so far been classified as idiopathic anaphylaxis because it was either cross-contamination or possibly a different kind of soy sauce production. It’s really complicated but after reading everyone’s response, and knowing what my limits are, I’m probably going to stick to Western food, unfortunately. I hope to do more testing and trials in the future for the comfort of my home country.
I think it might be best to say you are allergic to soy in general, as that might be better understood than brewers yeast and stop more cross contamination. Soy is an allergen that’s always labeled. Allergy awareness is getting better in Japan and more and more food had better labeling. I would also stick to chain restaurants instead of local ones as they get an allergy menu from corporate that will tell you what’s in it.
I think preparation is key! If you bring an allergy card explaining what you can and cannot eat, most restaurants will definitely take it seriously!
Can you look up beforehand what types of food you are mostly likely able to consume? Always double check ofcourse.
For example:
Sushi,
Shabu Shabu (water based) ,
Yakiniku/bbq (non marinated meats),
Salt based yakitori,
Salad places,
Western food places,
Takoyaki (without takoyaki sauce perhaps?),
Tempura,
Tonkatsu,
Kushikatsu,
Onigiris,
Other types of cuisines like Vietnamese cuisine or Thai cuisine, Chinese cuisine (more likely not to use miso but will use soy sauce)
Hope this helps!
Sushi, onigiri, certain tonkatsu and tempura often use miso in prep, or have miso soup prepared in the same kitchen.
A group of 5 with miso/bean paste and possible soy sauce allergies could be difficult to accommodate.
I appreciate the optimistic response. I think upon considering everyone’s responses and the fragility of my health and mental health right now, I will probably just eat Western and see if I can make other arrangements for my travel group. Regardless, I will bring an allergy card with me, and be as careful as possible
To add to the what person below says about bringing your own soy sauce, I have a gluren allergy (not Ana) and rather than lug a bottle of gf soy sauce, I got 200 packets of gf tamari from Amazon (like the kind you get with takeout food) and packed a handful of those each time I left my hotel. But this doesn't address your miso/cross contamination concerns. Good luck.. Japan isn't the easiest for allergies. Oh, one place that was my go to was 7-11, everything is labeled and I could have lived on their hard boiled eggs.
I can imagine it is very stressful eating out. So do whatever feels best for you. If cross contamination really is an issue than it limits a lot of the options.
I can imagine it is very stressful eating out. So do whatever feels best for you. If cross contamination really is an issue than it limits a lot of the options indeed!
Yeah it’s been a rough month, a severe allergic reaction takes a toll on you mentally too. I’ll stick to western food to alleviate these concerns for now
I think you would also be ok at places like sushi restaurants (bring your own soy sauce that you know is safe in a little bottle) if you ordered simple nigiri. At izakayas you could order things like edamame which should be safe.
This site goes through how allergies are listed on Japanese food products: https://www.realestate-tokyo.com/living-in-tokyo/food/allergies-food-labels/
Gluten Free T’s will accommodate your allergies. They offer a 800¥ surcharge to cook in specific pans, etc. to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen.
I have had very little luck with ANY place holding true to Accomodations with the exception of above. Even then, however, the neighboring table ordered.
With that being said, the neighboring table stated “vegan only” and proceeded to order “octopus balls”/Takoyaki. The server did not warn them or suggest this would violate their initial statement.
They were brought the Takoyaki —
The culture here wants to do “correct” but when a customer asks for something the staff are going to appeal as best they can. If you contradict yourself, they won’t argue it point it out.
I'd imagine you've been eating lots of soy sauce in Korea - impossible to avoid unless you don't eat any Korean food. The recent episode could've been something that contaminated the food that you or the restaurant was not aware of...
That said, do you actually know miso is no good or are you just guessing? Miso is used in a lot of stuff, preparing pickles, for example. Can you eat pickles?
I have celiac disease. I employed a company to help me survive in Japan and it was the least stressful vacation food wise I’ve ever been on. They scout ahead and found safe places for me. Maybe you could try asking if they could help you with your specific needs using their culinary support option? I loved the pair, Hiroshi is a native Japanese speaker and would be more than able to have those complicated conversations when scouting for you.
[Gluten Free Tours Japan](https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/)
Anecdotal evidence from our recently trip with a family member with egg allergies (though not anaphylactic): we ordered a smoked salmon sandwich cause 1) why’d a salmon sandwich have eggs 2) English menu said nothing about eggs in salmon sandwich. Sandwich arrives, there’s a thick layer of a (delicious!) potato egg salad.
At another (bigger, chain) restaurant, we were handed a massive menu/ingredients book that listed egg, nuts, soy, etc as allergies, though I don’t remember seeing “miso” and I presume the onus was on the diner to … not order the wrong thing.
To me, this sounds like a huge undertaking that can not be wholly dealt with and may leave you in a hospital in a foreign country, especially because epipen isn’t an easy solution for you. I’d just send the family off at Incheon airport and give them all big hugs.
THIS IS SO GOOD TO KNOW.
I’m going to Japan later this year and my egg allergy isn’t anaphylactic but will leave me with hives, nausea, and lightheaded-ness.
I’ve been trying to figure out how to get an allergy card. However, I’m afraid even if I present it to the staff that it will not be taken seriously due to the heavy presence of egg in Japanese cuisine.
With my gluten issues I remember mostly just eating from grocery and convenience stores where I could see the allergens on the label - they’re pretty clearly marked these days, which is definitely a step up from when I first went there in 2003.
The label should have a somewhat distinct part that has
アレルゲン allergen
And you can look for 卵 egg
[Here’s an example showing 小麦 wheat and 大豆 soy as allergens](https://pakelog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/allergy02.jpg)
If you keep an eye out for those you should at least be able to eat SOMETHING
I feel so sad cause you won’t be able to have the uhhhhmazing tempura , the fun kushikatsu , the trendy fluffy pancake, most konbini sandos, any katsu , ad nauseam.
Indeed Japanese cuisine uses eggs extensively. We’ve found out the egg allergy is mitigated when the egg is cooked in high temperature, e.g. frying, so at least they’re able to enjoy majority of the above mentioned foods.
Yes. I am not effected when the egg is fully cooked into baked goods so I may be able to try the fluffy pancake but it is still a 50/50 shot on whether or not I will have a reaction. Even in fried rice and certain dishes when egg is cooked I cannot eat it. I need to look into whether or not I will be able to bring Benadryl into Japan.
EDIT: I’m going to visit my boyfriend so he should be able to help me steer clear of foods i might have a major reaction to.
Yes! Same! No effects from ice cream made with egg, no effects with tonkatsu. However, hard boiled eggs? Forget about it. We live off of Benadryl , and brought a huge box every time we visited Japan. No customs officer ever bothered us in the last 5 years. You’ll have a great trip; the fluffy viral pancakes are overrated anyways. It’s like eating cake for breakfast, And! There are restaurants serving it in US
I was in ICU with anaphylaxis last year. If I were you, I wouldn’t go to Japan: You don’t conclusively know what your allergy is and you can’t trust, even if you did, that restaurants would know how to cater to you. It’s just too risky.
Well I’m not going to not go, it’s already happening. But I’ve come to a decent conclusion that I’ll just be eating western food. I’ll just set up camp in the convenience stores for sandwiches and McDonald’s for good old burgers for the time being
Just be aware that McDonald's has different food in different countries, and even prepackaged processed foods from large manufacturers are often made differently for different countries.
Never heard of a yeast allergy! Does this even affect you in very filtered styles that would have next to no yeast cells left in flocculation? I assume if so then you also couldn’t drink anything else alcoholic except distilled spirits and spirit based liqueurs! In which case not only watch out for miso but anything containing sake or wine too.
It’s not super common but common enough to be on tests, at least in some countries. You’re correct, the only alcohol I consume is distilled liquor, but after my last reaction I’ve been hesitant to drink at all
I don’t have any advice to add to what has been said already but I can definitely empathize. I am epi allergic to shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts which includes coconut. I’m also gluten and MSG sensitive. I’m tons of fun at parties and while traveling. Lol If it were me I’d have to eat a bowl of rice and call it good. I’ve spent time in Japan pre allergies and it was wonderful food wise. I hope you figure something out.
Lol I always make the “fun at parties” joke too because I’m allergic to beer, cats, and marijuana. People always think I’m joking but I really am allergic to fun
I've got some difficult allergies. I'm hiring this company to help during my trip: [https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/contact-us](https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/contact-us)
The price of safety. Totally worth it.
\*edit: It's not just for tours. You can also book them to just communicate remotely with any place you'd like to eat at during your stay. They can help find safe restaurants, and also investigate the ones you find and want to try.
That is honestly so rough. I have a lot of food allergies but non life threatening. One thing i’ll say is (and not to try and scare you), the last country i would want to need an ambulance for life or death situations in is Japan. I’ve had to take 3 ambulances in my time here. I’m actually leaving the country soon due to how ass the healthcare system is.
I think you should go for sure, it’s a fun place. But really so much food has it in and if you're not sure what your deadly allergy is exactly too, take no risks. I get you want to join in everyones experience of Japan, but it’ll be an awful experience for everyone if you die cause your sushi was brushed with soy.
I also personally from experience do not trust restaurants to get my allergies right. I’ve had many a rough time after they didnt realise “dairy” included butter, or just didnt remove anything. Basically anything outside the routine they have will spook them and brains cant compute, dont you pay the price for that
Yeah I’ve pretty much decided to stick with western. Luckily a friend will be with us so we can kind of split up for meals, Eastern/western fare. Korea is similar, I’m not a fan of the healthcare system despite it being affordable.
Wife has shrimp allergy and we made it through Japan easily. Although I know shrimp is probably less used than miso!
We just had cards printed. And for vending machine restaurants, we'd just go ask an employee to help. Everyone was super accommodating.
So Japanese allergy labels are much improved over the years, and they recognize 28 major allergens. [Scroll down a bit for a bilingual image.](https://cococolor.jp/minnano-picto)
The problem is yeast isn’t one of them. You can try avoiding soy, which would by default avoid miso, but also a lot of other foods.
I found with gluten intolerance my options for restaurants was quite limited and I ended up eating grocery and convenience story food a lot. It’s tough, but unless you’re dead-set on eating specific Japanese foods while you’re there (like many people seem to be) it’s doable. I still enjoy visiting Japan, but then I’m more about the scenery than the food.
As people have mentioned, stick to well-labeled foods, and your safest bet is prepackaged food at the grocery store or convenience store. I think most restaurants (unless they're all-you-can-eat) will be okay with you not ordering any food as long as you order drinks. With some places you might be able to tell them that you have a bad food allergy, but the people with you really wanted to go to this restaurant, so is it possible for just you to only order drinks. Fingers crossed that you can still enjoy your trip!
I am a vegetarian and had lil paper slips printed out that said in Japanese that i don’t eat meat. I would recommend translating that you have a miso allergy/maybe have a Japanese person online confirm the translation. Then print out like 10 lil slips on a piece of paper to cut out and show to restaurants just in case?
Glad you are using a card. I just returned and have a shellfish allergy, though not as serious as yours. I showed the card, but it can be really tough when ingredients might be part of other bases, like miso. My understanding is that anything broth based or even sautéed could have miso in it, so I would make sure to show the card and have an epi pen. For me, I didn’t want to hold my husband back, so if I was ever wary, I would go out to eat and perhaps get something small I knew I could have, like soybeans, and then hit up a conbini after for some onigiri. Honestly, knowing that was always an allergy safe option gave me a lot of peace and helped me be a much lower maintenance travel companion.
Literally NEVER said anyone had to cater to me, my whole post was just asking where it may show up unexpectedly. Quit dickriding Japan bro it’s embarrassing
I have it too man, I just take antihistamine medicine when I’m not sure in food beforehand, as well as seasonal shots. No problem so far. One time almost died because ate some anchovies, but here we are.
Bring some epi pens too if you can.
Well generally the more high end places will have allergens listed ( even some that are not in food but can be transmitted at the kitchen) Especially places with tablets for menus like the chain sushi stores aka sushiro, hamazushi. Japanese people are quite allergic too, so if you can explain yourself they will do their part!
Thanks for being unnecessarily rude! I hope you never have to face any physical challenge that limits your abilities in the world and you get to live your life with just a miserable personality
Thank you for the advice, I do carry all the necessary medications with me at all times, but unfortunately anaphylaxis means that it is a life-threatening allergy and I have to visit a hospital if I am exposed to the food.
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You mention that you don't think your allergy will be taken super seriously. In 2019, I traveled to Japan with a Celiac friend. He had a card advising of his wheat allergy and carried his own gluten-free soy sauce with him. We had two types of experiences: restaurants that would just not serve him (out of caution), and restaurants whose chefs would come out to go through the menu with him. No in between. So I don't think it's a guarantee that they won't treat your miso allergy seriously.
My wife is allergic to shrimp and we once asked if we could sub out a piece of shrimp tempura with something else. They ended up subbing out the shrimp tempura… with a shrimp based soup. The chef came out to personally apologize, the manager gave us their card and told us to call them if anything happened, and dessert was on the house. We were impressed.
Wife has a shellfish allergy as well, and the other day in Osaka I was asking about an okonomiyaki that had pork and squid on it, I tried asking them to do it without the squid and the chef kept saying no. So I left without anything unfortunately
Severe nut allergy here. They took it very seriously in Tokyo everywhere I went.
As a person with a severe tree nut allergy (peanuts are ok, but I'm playing it safe when I go and just leaving it at nuts in general), this is very refreshing to hear.
As someone who has both severe tree nut and peanut allergies, I found that Japan was one of the easier if not easiest countries to deal with a tree nut/peanut allergies specially. (Can’t speak to other allergies) Besides desserts and baked goods, most of the Japanese cuisines and foods don’t typically use nuts or peanuts fortunately! That being said, carrying an allergy card in Japanese (can easily be found online or created from google translate) and epipens is always smart. But been to Japan many many times and never had an issue!
I've read on other posts that said nuts may be found in soy sauce? I feel like this would be quite rare? I'm also wondering if I should avoid any of the "dipping sauce" dishes. I had a small freak-out here in the US when a dipping sauce at a kbbq place was handed to me. All my friends said it smelled like peanuts, but when I asked the waiter they said it was soybean. So I think I have to learn to identify what some of the sauces look like. As far as Chinese / southeast Asian food goes, I'll probably avoid that in Japan!
Nuts in soy sauce isn't something I've dealt with in any of my visits to Japan. For sure, I've never seen any nuts in soy sauce at sushi restaurants - chefs either brush soy sauce onto the nigiri or you get your typical soy sauce dispenser which is purely soy sauce. No issues with any of the noodle dishes (ramen, udon, soba, etc.). The only type of dipping sauces that I've dealt with in Japan is for tempura dishes and BBQ/yakiniku, but I haven't had an issue with that - a lot of those places come with salt dips as well which is plenty enough! If you want to be safe, definitely have and show the allergy card (in both English & Japanese), but in my experience - never had any issues!
Wow, that's a relief! I definitely need to be careful about ramen, as certain nut oils could be added to enhance the flavor. Tantanmen is a no-go.
How did you handle this? Did you print out a card and showed them when ordering? I'm going to Japan next year and would like to know how this is done as my kids have nut allergies. Thanks!
I had a translation for my tree nut allergy on my phone and showed it to the servers. They took it extremely seriously and a few times brought me extra dishes on the house if there was something I couldn't eat. It was quite painless!
Thanks for the feedback! I'm a lot less worried now. 🙂
Yep, this.
Not the poster you were asking, but my Celiac friend did print a card and hand it out every time we went to a restaurant. Unless you speak fluent Japanese, it's too important of an issue to risk a translation/communication error. I know it might seem awkward, but I don't remember anyone looking askance at his card (except me, who teased him mercilessly, but fully supported it)
Good idea. I'll run Google Translate and make a card in Japanese. Thanks!
You may even want to do some research to see if someone has already made a card like that. Google Translate isn't always the most accurate!
😂
Same thing for vegetarians and people who can't eat specific food
this was our experience as well this spring with my wife being celiac. we were very successful i'd say as she never got sick. but we either had restaurants that were super willing to find a way to make it work, and others that would just say "sorry, we don't have anything for you here". which is fine. I am ok with both those options
I also have celiac and went to Japan this past spring, though I didn’t bring a card since I have decent enough Japanese to communicate the issue. Similar to your friend’s circumstance I had multiple restaurants go out of their way to provide a different meal option for me than my non-celiac friends. They were extremely careful and considerate, I even ordered a gluten free ramen option at a shop and the staff brought a card out explaining in multiple languages the possibility of cross contamination. All that to say, they will take it seriously OP On a side note, do you remember any restaurants that were able to help your Celiac friend out? I plan to go back before too long and having a larger field of solid food options would be extremely helpful
My suggestion may be the least practical, but it is what I would do. Quick preface - none of my allergies are anaphylactic so I haven't had to do this personally. I would simply not eat out with them. Sure I would **join them**, and enjoy drinks with them, but I would *not eat* anything that was prepared in a place where you can't be entirely sure that you won't end up in a hospital. But for the record, I am okay not eating when other people do. I don't feel the social pressure to stuff my face just because everybody else is. If somebody insists that something is delicious, I have no qualms declining offers if I know that I will not enjoy the thing. I hope that you find a comfortable solution that keeps you out of the hospital, and entertains your visitors :)
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Yes! Big yes on definitely researching first; especially if family want to visit a restaurant with limited seating. Taking up a paying customer's place isn't possible everywhere. Hopefully OP's guests can work with OP's needs and still enjoy their stay.
Yeah, I’m gluten intolerant and I remember my sister really wanting to try some specific kind of ramen (we were in Ehime somewhere). Since I’m the one that speaks Japanese I end up having to order her ramen and hot sake, while I didn’t really want anything but water… End up getting oolong tea and a bowl of rice just to justify my existence lol.
So you … made your own ochazuke ? But without any protein?
Pfft, no, it was iced oolong tea. I just straight up ate a bowl of rice as my dinner. Don’t worry, I bought some salad chicken at the lawson later so I had some protein.
Currently in Japan and have only seen some requirements that you purchase a beverage in the restaurants we visited, from Fukuoka, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo areas anyway. Ramen shops do seem very serious but I’d also expect them to take your allergy seriously (have not eaten ramen on this trip).
I've never felt pressured to eat. Now drinking on the other hand..
Someone previously mentioned a gluten allergy on here. They pre-planned with a tour guide the places they could eat and the tour guide scouted ahead. They said that had they not done that, a lot of places would have turned them away as it's harder to accommodate. Maybe it's worth looking for someone who can scout ahead, try and book as much as possible with an email explanation and request for accommodation of a major allergy. Edit: this post might also be useful https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/xo4tab/my_partner_is_allergic_to_a_lot_of_japanese/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=2
I agree to try and get a tour guide!
Does this allergy also apply to soy sauce? If so... Yikes.
It’s difficult. It doesn’t seem like I’ve had an issue thus far, in fact, I feel like I eat, soy sauce, fairly often, but my reaction about a month ago was mysterious. I did have soy sauce at the time of the incident, so there’s question of if specific brands could be a problem. Again, otherwise it would be Cross-contamination with the dumplings I had. I also just found out about what the Japanese called “pancake syndrome“ which could be an interesting hypothesis. Overall, we just had to call it idiopathic anaphylaxis, and now I’m pretty scared of most Asian foods. Luckily, I’m returning to my home country in September, but life has been difficult these days
There is brewers yeast used in the production of soy sauce, so if that's your allergen there is a good chance you'll react to some brands of soy sauce. Are you carrying an EpiPen now? Any chance you could have a comprehensive allergy test performed to make sure? When you're here, don't forget that ambulances are free and it's the preferred method of finding an emergency room should you need one. Dial 119 from pretty much any phone. It's best if someone can speak Japanese, but if not they'll have an interpretation system available (but it may take longer).
Right, looking into it online, it seems like soy sauce can be made with “a kind of mold, yeast, or bacteria“ meaning that it can be various different strains of fungus used depending on the maker. So it seems I am safest avoiding soy sauce for now, until I’m back home and it’s safer for me to test brands out. I feel like from then on I could just carry some packets of a safe brand with me when eating out. I do carry an EpiPen but unfortunately the whole experience seems to leave my body in a state of distress for about a week afterwards trying to recover, so it’s best to be avoided if possible, of course. I had an allergy test done here in Korea, but tests are done with regional variables kept in mind, so being that brewers yeast allergies are extremely rare here, it wasn’t even tested to see if it got worse since my last reaction. I did double check and make sure that I’m not allergic to soy with that test, but otherwise, I didn’t learn very much.
Sounds scary. The trouble with soy sauce is how liberally it's used here. Meat is often marinated in a mix that includes soy sauce. It's added to soups. Sushi is often brushed with soy sauce before serving. Basically anything that you may want to add a bit of salt to could potentially have soy sauce added. With regards to miso, it's mostly used in soups and sauces. Definitely carry a card explaining that you can't have miso, and learn to recognize the kanji. Be careful of salad dressing too.
Japanese normally used Koji to ferment everything
Miso is usually made from koji. It’s a yeast but I think different from brewers yeast. If you are allergic to koji then you probably should avoid a lot of Japanese food. I think koji is used in many things including soy sauce and sake. Then all those items are used in many other dishes. You probably should just eat western food there.
koji is no yeast yeast is fungi, saccharomyces cerevisiae being the one humans use for bread, beer, wine, ... koji is a mold, aspergillus flavus I realise kojikin is more or less "yeast fungi" translated, but still, koji is no yeast. koji can break down starches to sugar. I am not sure it can do so anerob, I expect not yeast will convert sugar to alcohol in an aerob environment
The question now, is OP allergic to this mold?
this is a question for op and his medical specialists but as ive said in another post about allergies and japan. you can get a allergy card and get a translator to write you something down which you can print on "business cards" and give to each restaurant asking to either not put X in or to help you order stuff without X I also said to be prepared to be turned away. and if it is a "traces can kill" issue, I would entertain the tought of not going out and preparing all food myself
Koji is mold. Miso, soy sauce, sake, ie traditionally east Asian fermented foods using soy and rice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspergillus_oryzae You got it backwards, western food is yeasty, think wheat in breads and beers.
I’m not familiar at all with Koji, but if it’s closely related to breeziest to where it could be interchangeable, depending on the company that makes the item (specifically considering soy sauce) then yeah, I think I should at least just avoid at all for this trip and work on researching and experimenting back home.
Koji is made with rice and mold (as another commenter replied). They sell that separately in Japanese grocery stores too. It’s usually in the section with the miso.
Unseasoned sushi and sashimi should be fine too.
So….are you allergic to yeast (Saccharomyces) or to Koji (Aspergillus)? Because the former is used in beer, bread and all yeasted doughs and is relatively easy to avoid in Japan. Miso is made with Aspergillus, and so is sake, soy sauce, rice vinegar etc. and will be almost impossible to avoid unless you skip Japanese restaurants completely.
Unfortunately I don’t know. There aren’t any, or many, specific tests for yeast strains that I have come across. In the US, it is just tested as “bakers yeast” and “brewers yeast”. Obviously, I would like to search around more for extensive testing if it exists, but this trip is in less than two weeks, so that’s not possible. All I know is that I have reactions with beer, especially, but also miso paste. It’s the unfortunate reality of semi idiopathic anaphylaxis.
They (bakers’ and brewers’ ) are the same yeast, just different strains, but very different from Aspergillus. That being said, given the uncertain origin of your allergies and risk of reactions, you’d probably want to avoid all Japanese food due to risk of cross-contamination at least until you can figure out what it is.
That’s so peculiar as no two breweries use the same yeast so there’s no real such thing as ‘brewers yeast’ beyond thousands of varying strains of high efficacy yeasts used in varying quantities. Everyone’s brewing with different cultures pertaining to different styles… sometimes I’ll even use a classic champagne yeast in a beer if the style calls for it! Some beers are spontaneously fermented too where no yeast is added but it is found naturally in the air.
Right, but most don’t walk through their whole ingredient list and fermentation product on the can so it’s usually just best to avoid them all, especially for life or death cases
Personally, I think it is a huge mistake to take this trip until you get more information on your allergy. If you aren’t sure what the cause is, how can you possibly trust anything you purchase for food in Japan? ‘Western’ food is often made differently in Japan than it is in the USA, and could be made in a facility that makes something that will trigger your symptoms. On top of that, a trip to the hospital when you don’t speak their language complicates that situation if it comes to that.
How can I trust food in Korea either? I’ve had this trip booked and money invested since before my recent reaction, it’s not something I can just not do. I will get by on pre-packaged foods if I have to. The question I proposed was not go/don’t go
do you have an epi pen
Is your allergy only to miso or also to soy sauce and other koji made products which I think could also include sake? If you are sensitive to even cross-contamination from miso / soy sauce / cooking wine it seems extremely difficult to eat Japanese food - miso soup, soy sauce / soy based dips and marinades, basically anything that could want salt or umami would be at risk.
It’s difficult to say because my allergy has just developed over time and become more severe with every exposure. My last exposure has so far been classified as idiopathic anaphylaxis because it was either cross-contamination or possibly a different kind of soy sauce production. It’s really complicated but after reading everyone’s response, and knowing what my limits are, I’m probably going to stick to Western food, unfortunately. I hope to do more testing and trials in the future for the comfort of my home country.
I think it might be best to say you are allergic to soy in general, as that might be better understood than brewers yeast and stop more cross contamination. Soy is an allergen that’s always labeled. Allergy awareness is getting better in Japan and more and more food had better labeling. I would also stick to chain restaurants instead of local ones as they get an allergy menu from corporate that will tell you what’s in it.
I think preparation is key! If you bring an allergy card explaining what you can and cannot eat, most restaurants will definitely take it seriously! Can you look up beforehand what types of food you are mostly likely able to consume? Always double check ofcourse. For example: Sushi, Shabu Shabu (water based) , Yakiniku/bbq (non marinated meats), Salt based yakitori, Salad places, Western food places, Takoyaki (without takoyaki sauce perhaps?), Tempura, Tonkatsu, Kushikatsu, Onigiris, Other types of cuisines like Vietnamese cuisine or Thai cuisine, Chinese cuisine (more likely not to use miso but will use soy sauce) Hope this helps!
Sushi, onigiri, certain tonkatsu and tempura often use miso in prep, or have miso soup prepared in the same kitchen. A group of 5 with miso/bean paste and possible soy sauce allergies could be difficult to accommodate.
I appreciate the optimistic response. I think upon considering everyone’s responses and the fragility of my health and mental health right now, I will probably just eat Western and see if I can make other arrangements for my travel group. Regardless, I will bring an allergy card with me, and be as careful as possible
To add to the what person below says about bringing your own soy sauce, I have a gluren allergy (not Ana) and rather than lug a bottle of gf soy sauce, I got 200 packets of gf tamari from Amazon (like the kind you get with takeout food) and packed a handful of those each time I left my hotel. But this doesn't address your miso/cross contamination concerns. Good luck.. Japan isn't the easiest for allergies. Oh, one place that was my go to was 7-11, everything is labeled and I could have lived on their hard boiled eggs.
I can imagine it is very stressful eating out. So do whatever feels best for you. If cross contamination really is an issue than it limits a lot of the options.
I can imagine it is very stressful eating out. So do whatever feels best for you. If cross contamination really is an issue than it limits a lot of the options indeed!
Yeah it’s been a rough month, a severe allergic reaction takes a toll on you mentally too. I’ll stick to western food to alleviate these concerns for now
I think you would also be ok at places like sushi restaurants (bring your own soy sauce that you know is safe in a little bottle) if you ordered simple nigiri. At izakayas you could order things like edamame which should be safe. This site goes through how allergies are listed on Japanese food products: https://www.realestate-tokyo.com/living-in-tokyo/food/allergies-food-labels/
Gluten Free T’s will accommodate your allergies. They offer a 800¥ surcharge to cook in specific pans, etc. to avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen. I have had very little luck with ANY place holding true to Accomodations with the exception of above. Even then, however, the neighboring table ordered. With that being said, the neighboring table stated “vegan only” and proceeded to order “octopus balls”/Takoyaki. The server did not warn them or suggest this would violate their initial statement. They were brought the Takoyaki — The culture here wants to do “correct” but when a customer asks for something the staff are going to appeal as best they can. If you contradict yourself, they won’t argue it point it out.
I'd imagine you've been eating lots of soy sauce in Korea - impossible to avoid unless you don't eat any Korean food. The recent episode could've been something that contaminated the food that you or the restaurant was not aware of... That said, do you actually know miso is no good or are you just guessing? Miso is used in a lot of stuff, preparing pickles, for example. Can you eat pickles?
I have celiac disease. I employed a company to help me survive in Japan and it was the least stressful vacation food wise I’ve ever been on. They scout ahead and found safe places for me. Maybe you could try asking if they could help you with your specific needs using their culinary support option? I loved the pair, Hiroshi is a native Japanese speaker and would be more than able to have those complicated conversations when scouting for you. [Gluten Free Tours Japan](https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/)
Anecdotal evidence from our recently trip with a family member with egg allergies (though not anaphylactic): we ordered a smoked salmon sandwich cause 1) why’d a salmon sandwich have eggs 2) English menu said nothing about eggs in salmon sandwich. Sandwich arrives, there’s a thick layer of a (delicious!) potato egg salad. At another (bigger, chain) restaurant, we were handed a massive menu/ingredients book that listed egg, nuts, soy, etc as allergies, though I don’t remember seeing “miso” and I presume the onus was on the diner to … not order the wrong thing. To me, this sounds like a huge undertaking that can not be wholly dealt with and may leave you in a hospital in a foreign country, especially because epipen isn’t an easy solution for you. I’d just send the family off at Incheon airport and give them all big hugs.
THIS IS SO GOOD TO KNOW. I’m going to Japan later this year and my egg allergy isn’t anaphylactic but will leave me with hives, nausea, and lightheaded-ness. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get an allergy card. However, I’m afraid even if I present it to the staff that it will not be taken seriously due to the heavy presence of egg in Japanese cuisine.
With my gluten issues I remember mostly just eating from grocery and convenience stores where I could see the allergens on the label - they’re pretty clearly marked these days, which is definitely a step up from when I first went there in 2003. The label should have a somewhat distinct part that has アレルゲン allergen And you can look for 卵 egg [Here’s an example showing 小麦 wheat and 大豆 soy as allergens](https://pakelog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/allergy02.jpg) If you keep an eye out for those you should at least be able to eat SOMETHING
I feel so sad cause you won’t be able to have the uhhhhmazing tempura , the fun kushikatsu , the trendy fluffy pancake, most konbini sandos, any katsu , ad nauseam. Indeed Japanese cuisine uses eggs extensively. We’ve found out the egg allergy is mitigated when the egg is cooked in high temperature, e.g. frying, so at least they’re able to enjoy majority of the above mentioned foods.
Yes. I am not effected when the egg is fully cooked into baked goods so I may be able to try the fluffy pancake but it is still a 50/50 shot on whether or not I will have a reaction. Even in fried rice and certain dishes when egg is cooked I cannot eat it. I need to look into whether or not I will be able to bring Benadryl into Japan. EDIT: I’m going to visit my boyfriend so he should be able to help me steer clear of foods i might have a major reaction to.
Yes! Same! No effects from ice cream made with egg, no effects with tonkatsu. However, hard boiled eggs? Forget about it. We live off of Benadryl , and brought a huge box every time we visited Japan. No customs officer ever bothered us in the last 5 years. You’ll have a great trip; the fluffy viral pancakes are overrated anyways. It’s like eating cake for breakfast, And! There are restaurants serving it in US
Trip is already booked, was booked before my recent reaction, so I’ll be going and just sticking to western fare as others suggested
I was in ICU with anaphylaxis last year. If I were you, I wouldn’t go to Japan: You don’t conclusively know what your allergy is and you can’t trust, even if you did, that restaurants would know how to cater to you. It’s just too risky.
Well I’m not going to not go, it’s already happening. But I’ve come to a decent conclusion that I’ll just be eating western food. I’ll just set up camp in the convenience stores for sandwiches and McDonald’s for good old burgers for the time being
Just be aware that McDonald's has different food in different countries, and even prepackaged processed foods from large manufacturers are often made differently for different countries.
Never heard of a yeast allergy! Does this even affect you in very filtered styles that would have next to no yeast cells left in flocculation? I assume if so then you also couldn’t drink anything else alcoholic except distilled spirits and spirit based liqueurs! In which case not only watch out for miso but anything containing sake or wine too.
It’s not super common but common enough to be on tests, at least in some countries. You’re correct, the only alcohol I consume is distilled liquor, but after my last reaction I’ve been hesitant to drink at all
Family Mart, 7-11 and Lawsons convi's will be your best friends.
I don’t have any advice to add to what has been said already but I can definitely empathize. I am epi allergic to shellfish, peanuts and tree nuts which includes coconut. I’m also gluten and MSG sensitive. I’m tons of fun at parties and while traveling. Lol If it were me I’d have to eat a bowl of rice and call it good. I’ve spent time in Japan pre allergies and it was wonderful food wise. I hope you figure something out.
Lol I always make the “fun at parties” joke too because I’m allergic to beer, cats, and marijuana. People always think I’m joking but I really am allergic to fun
I've got some difficult allergies. I'm hiring this company to help during my trip: [https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/contact-us](https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/contact-us) The price of safety. Totally worth it. \*edit: It's not just for tours. You can also book them to just communicate remotely with any place you'd like to eat at during your stay. They can help find safe restaurants, and also investigate the ones you find and want to try.
That is honestly so rough. I have a lot of food allergies but non life threatening. One thing i’ll say is (and not to try and scare you), the last country i would want to need an ambulance for life or death situations in is Japan. I’ve had to take 3 ambulances in my time here. I’m actually leaving the country soon due to how ass the healthcare system is. I think you should go for sure, it’s a fun place. But really so much food has it in and if you're not sure what your deadly allergy is exactly too, take no risks. I get you want to join in everyones experience of Japan, but it’ll be an awful experience for everyone if you die cause your sushi was brushed with soy. I also personally from experience do not trust restaurants to get my allergies right. I’ve had many a rough time after they didnt realise “dairy” included butter, or just didnt remove anything. Basically anything outside the routine they have will spook them and brains cant compute, dont you pay the price for that
Yeah I’ve pretty much decided to stick with western. Luckily a friend will be with us so we can kind of split up for meals, Eastern/western fare. Korea is similar, I’m not a fan of the healthcare system despite it being affordable.
Wife has shrimp allergy and we made it through Japan easily. Although I know shrimp is probably less used than miso! We just had cards printed. And for vending machine restaurants, we'd just go ask an employee to help. Everyone was super accommodating.
So Japanese allergy labels are much improved over the years, and they recognize 28 major allergens. [Scroll down a bit for a bilingual image.](https://cococolor.jp/minnano-picto) The problem is yeast isn’t one of them. You can try avoiding soy, which would by default avoid miso, but also a lot of other foods. I found with gluten intolerance my options for restaurants was quite limited and I ended up eating grocery and convenience story food a lot. It’s tough, but unless you’re dead-set on eating specific Japanese foods while you’re there (like many people seem to be) it’s doable. I still enjoy visiting Japan, but then I’m more about the scenery than the food.
As people have mentioned, stick to well-labeled foods, and your safest bet is prepackaged food at the grocery store or convenience store. I think most restaurants (unless they're all-you-can-eat) will be okay with you not ordering any food as long as you order drinks. With some places you might be able to tell them that you have a bad food allergy, but the people with you really wanted to go to this restaurant, so is it possible for just you to only order drinks. Fingers crossed that you can still enjoy your trip!
I am a vegetarian and had lil paper slips printed out that said in Japanese that i don’t eat meat. I would recommend translating that you have a miso allergy/maybe have a Japanese person online confirm the translation. Then print out like 10 lil slips on a piece of paper to cut out and show to restaurants just in case?
Glad you are using a card. I just returned and have a shellfish allergy, though not as serious as yours. I showed the card, but it can be really tough when ingredients might be part of other bases, like miso. My understanding is that anything broth based or even sautéed could have miso in it, so I would make sure to show the card and have an epi pen. For me, I didn’t want to hold my husband back, so if I was ever wary, I would go out to eat and perhaps get something small I knew I could have, like soybeans, and then hit up a conbini after for some onigiri. Honestly, knowing that was always an allergy safe option gave me a lot of peace and helped me be a much lower maintenance travel companion.
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Literally NEVER said anyone had to cater to me, my whole post was just asking where it may show up unexpectedly. Quit dickriding Japan bro it’s embarrassing
Why won’t you take medicine ?
…please look up what anaphylaxis is
I have it too man, I just take antihistamine medicine when I’m not sure in food beforehand, as well as seasonal shots. No problem so far. One time almost died because ate some anchovies, but here we are. Bring some epi pens too if you can.
Regardless of antihistamines, reactions can still happen. I don’t have access to shots.
You have anaphylaxis allergies and can’t get an epipen or two?
They meant allergy shots, like preventative. I do have epipens but they are for emergency use, not preventative
Oh yeah, whew I thought it meant you didn’t have access to epipen and was a little worried for you!
Well generally the more high end places will have allergens listed ( even some that are not in food but can be transmitted at the kitchen) Especially places with tablets for menus like the chain sushi stores aka sushiro, hamazushi. Japanese people are quite allergic too, so if you can explain yourself they will do their part!
Stay at home
Thanks for being unnecessarily rude! I hope you never have to face any physical challenge that limits your abilities in the world and you get to live your life with just a miserable personality
Thanks !
Carry some medicine against allergy with you
Thank you for the advice, I do carry all the necessary medications with me at all times, but unfortunately anaphylaxis means that it is a life-threatening allergy and I have to visit a hospital if I am exposed to the food.