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Celiac disease is rare in Japan and gluten-free diets are not broadly known, so there isn’t a widespread understanding of which foods do and don’t include gluten and why people may need to avoid it. Furthermore, a number of essential base ingredients in Japanese dishes include gluten. The responsibility is very much on the consumer to navigate which foods fit into a gluten-free diet. Therefore, it is important to carefully check if the foods are gluten free before purchasing at a supermarket or ordering at a restaurant in Japan as some foods that are generally considered to be gluten-free may contain some ingredients that have gluten or be at risk of cross-contamination. In this article, we will cover some of the gluten-free Japanese foods as well as those that are high in gluten, and more.

If you are trying to maintain a sugar-free diet and find Japanese food labels confusing, please read this article. We also have many articles covering food in Japan. If you are not sure what restaurant to choose for dining out in Japan, you can always use one of the restaurant guides: "Eating Out in Japan: Restaurant Guides".

High in Gluten Japanese Foods

While rice is the traditional staple food of Japanese cuisine (and doesn’t contain gluten), in modern times there are many Japanese foods that do use wheat and other ingredients containing gluten. The most straightforward of these are Japanese versions of Western foods, which can include cake, bread, pizza, and the like. While these foods are often made differently in Japan, they do still contain gluten.

Among more typically Japanese foods, most noodle types contain gluten including ramen, udon, and in some cases soba. While soba is a buckwheat noodle and traditionally is gluten-free, they are now often made using a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour.

Another common ingredient in Japanese cuisine containing gluten is soy sauce, which serves not only as a condiment but as a base to a range of sauces and seasonings. Dashi, a flavor enhancer to most broths in Japan, contains gluten and so do most modern versions of miso. These three ingredients — soy sauce, dashi, and miso — are included in a large range of Japanese meals. Finding foods without these three ingredients, or with gluten-free versions, can be difficult in Japan.

A number of Japanese foods made with a dough or batter include flour as an ingredient, and therefore have gluten. These include dishes like the Osaka favorites of takoyaki and okonomiyaki. The popular Japanese souffle pancakes also fit into this category. Gyoza and other dumpling types are also usually made with a flour containing gluten. Fried foods, like tempura, croquettes, and katsu are commonly made with a batter that includes gluten and so should also be avoided.

While tea may seem to be a gluten-free option, it is often not the case. For instance, barley tea (mugicha in Japanese) is a popular drink in Japan and contains gluten. In Japanese supermarkets and convenience stores, you will also encounter various blended tea, etc., that contain gluten.

This may seem like a never-ending list and those with gluten intolerances may be starting to wonder if eating gluten-free is even possible in Japan. Luckily, there are a number of Japanese foods that are gluten-free as well as ways to work around those that aren’t.

Gluten-free Japanese Foods

As mentioned above, there are some Japanese foods that were traditionally made without gluten ingredients but have started to contain gluten over the last century or so. However, traditional versions of these foods are sometimes still available, although often at a higher price. 

Rice and the large variety of rice-based products in Japan are also largely gluten-free including rice noodles, items made with rice flour, senbei (a thin Japanese rice cracker), and the ever-popular mochi. Mochi is a thick, chewy rice cake made from glutinous rice flour (don’t let the name deceive you) and has both savory and sweet varieties. Sushi and sashimi are also gluten-free, as long as they are eaten without soy sauce. It is also important to make sure that products used in its preparation are all gluten-free such as vinegar, etc. and there are no ingredients that contain gluten.

A number of foods in Japan based on simple ingredients are completely gluten-free and can be eaten by those with gluten intolerances including items like yaki-imo (roasted sweet potatoes), tapioca tea, roasted chestnuts, and edamame (boiled or steamed salted beans). Sometimes edamame is made using udon water and so can be at risk of cross-contamination, but this can be confirmed with the restaurant or pub where they are served.

If you have gluten intolerance, it is always best to check with the eating establishment, etc., to be sure that the food contains no gluten and there is no risk of cross-contamination. Even foods that are commonly thought to be gluten-free may contain sauces, syrups, and other ingredients, that contain gluten.

Doing Grocery Shopping in Japan: Food Allergens

When doing grocery shopping in Japan, you may come across food allergen information written in Japanese on some packaged foods. In Japan, producers are required to indicate 8 food allergens on processed packaged foods, if included in their products. It is not required to indicate these food allergens in case of alcohol as well as food at restaurants, cafes, food sold by weight, etc. The 8 food allergens are crab, peanut, shrimp, walnut (there is a grace period till March 31, 2025), egg, milk, buckwheat, and wheat. As you can see, gluten is not included in this list of food allergens in Japan. Furthermore, the word "wheat" does not include other grains such as barley, rye, etc. If you have gluten intolerance, this food labelling system may not be very useful when shopping at supermarkets or convenience stores in Japan. Since there is no standard for labeling gluten-free food in Japan, you need to be extra cautious when doing grocery shopping at supermarkets or buying snacks at convenience stores.

If you have difficulty finding gluten-free foods at Japanese supermarkets or would like to purchase imported groceries, it can be recommended to visit one of the international supermarkets in Tokyo. Here is a list of such supermarkets. You can find more about Japanese food labels in the following article: "Food Allergies in Japan: How to Read Japanese Food Labels". To learn how to read expiration dates in Japan, please check this article.

How to Order Safely at Japanese Restaurants

It can be difficult to navigate gluten-free eating in Japan, however, there are a number of options to make things easier. While it’s not common to ask for adjustments or substitutions to meals at restaurants, if a serious condition such as gluten intolerance is explained to the staff they will often try to help. Of course, this may be difficult to explain in Japanese, especially for tourists. A great option is to carry a card with a simple explanation in Japanese, like the one below, that can just be shown to restaurant staff before ordering.  

I have a wheat/gluten allergy.
私は小麦、グルテンアレルギーです (Watakushi wa komugiko, gluten arerugi desu).

I absolutely must not eat it.
絶対に食べれません (Zettai ni taberemasen).

If I eat it accidentally, I will become sick.
間違って食べると具合が悪くなります (Matigatte taberu to guai ga waruku narimasu).

It can also be recommended to make a list of ingredients in Japanese that you need to avoid. For instance, wheat is 小麦 (komugi) in Japanese, barley is 大麦 ( omugi), etc. Of course, there are other ingredients to avoid making it important to prepare a list of such ingredients in Japanese.

In terms of which restaurants are a safe bet for gluten-free eating, sushi and sashimi restaurants are always going to be a good choice if you avoid soy sauce and make sure that no ingredients contain gluten. Yakiniku and teppanyaki restaurants are also good as long as you can avoid marinated meats and soy sauce. At Japanese pubs (izakaya), shio yakitori (salted chicken skewers) may be a great option as it’s made without the soy sauce glaze typically brushed on most yakitori. it is important to make sure that the meat has not been marinated, cross-contaminated. For treats, there are a number of artisan shops that sell a large array of handmade, well-crafted mochi and daifuku. This is a great way to indulge while sticking to a gluten-free diet. These can also be found in the basement floor of most department stores called the depachika. Outside of Japanese cuisine, most Indian and Thai restaurants in Japan have gluten-free options as they typically have less reliance on Japanese gluten-containing base ingredients like dashi and miso.

When eating out in Japan, it is always best to consult directly with the eating establishment to make sure that the food you order will contain no gluten and to avoid cross contamination. To learn about restaurant etiquette in Japan, please check this article.

In Case of a Gluten-related Emergency While in Japan

In the event that immediate attention is necessary or an emergency, the first thing to do is call 119 for assistance. If you are in Tokyo, an English-speaking operator will be able to assist you, but outside of Tokyo it’s important to learn how to request help in Japanese as it’s unlikely that the operator will be able to understand foreign languages. Ask the operator to send an ambulance as soon as possible. Be ready to provide the operator with as much of the following information as possible: name, gender, age, address, description of location using landmarks, and the reason for immediate assistance. For information on how to seek help in Japan, please also check "Medical Emergencies in Japan: How to Communicate in Japanese".

For more health and safety information for foreign residents in Japan, please check here.

More Information on Dealing with Dietary Restrictions in Japan

While it can be difficult to keep a gluten-free lifestyle in Japan, we hope this information helps you meet your dietary requirements. In a world of pre-packaged food and extensive food processing, trying to stay healthy and largely commit to natural foods can be a difficult task. This is even true in Japan, where ingredient lists and nutrition information on packaging can be difficult to understand without a strong command of the Japanese language. To learn how to read Japanese nutrition labels, please check here. 

When it comes to food additives, Japan has strong standards. However, these are not always clear to the ordinary consumer. To learn about food additives in Japan, please check this article.

Find Gluten-Free Food on Amazon Japan

There are many gluten-free items you can purchase online (Amazon Japan). Click here or you can also search with word "グルテンフリー" (Gluten-Free).