FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Soy Free/Sugar Free...Please help!
Old Apr 29, 2018, 4:39 pm
  #8  
ksandness
 
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
Originally Posted by susanita3333
Hello all! Very excited to be visiting Japan for the first time this summer. Because of medical dietary restrictions, I fear my food options may be quite limited. I have a few specific questions & hope this awesome group might be able to help:
  • As I'm soy free, I'm planning to bring my own tamari (if needed.) Does anyone know if its possible to buy bottles or packets of tamari in Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka & if so, is it called tamari over there too and where is it available?
  • As I'm dairy free (and love my coffee), does anyone know if sugar free/unsweetened almond milk is available in Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka (and if so what is it called and where can I purchase?) If not, would this be something i would be able to bring in with me or would customs confiscate upon arrival?
  • As I'm gluten free, can anyone recommend specific food items that may be available (in grocery stores) or restaurants in Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka that have gluten free options?
  • Are there specific grocery stores/shops that might have gluten free sections?
Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.
The first thing I would want to know is how vital this is for you. Are you gluten-free because you're a true celiac or are you able to tolerate small amounts? I assume your avoidance of dairy and soy is due to allergies. How severe are these allergies? Are you lactose intolerant, and therefore able to tolerate fermented dairy products (I have a niece who can tolerate cheese and yogurt, for example), or will any form of dairy be dangerous to you? This will determine how flexible you can be, and sometimes you have no choice but to be flexible unless eating or drinking something would cause severe illness or would be life threatening. (I used to know someone who went into anaphylactic shock if he ingested the least bit of egg.)

Your main challenge will be foods that come already prepared with soy sauce, which is a lot of them. Most sushi should be OK, except for eel, which is made with soy sauce. Miso soup is made by dissolving miso paste in fish broth, so that's a problem, too. In a pinch, you can find Western-style restaurants all over Japan these days, except in very small towns.

Here, at least, is some information on avoiding gluten:

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japa...ting-in-japan/
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