Japan Food Allergy & Diet Card

Restaurant food in Japan does not have to carry allergy labels, so you have to tell the staff. Pick your allergies and food rules once, then just show this screen. The Japanese is large for the staff; your language is in small print underneath.

Allergen names follow Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency labeling list (April 2026) · October 2026
Your settings
Your allergiesThe first nine are the ones Japanese labels must show
Your food rules

Your choices are saved only on this device.

Going somewhere without signal? Take a screenshot of the card first.

This card helps you ask. It cannot guarantee how a dish is made. If your allergy is severe, carry your own medicine and follow your doctor's advice.

How to use

  1. 1. Pick your allergiesTap each food you are allergic to. The names match the ones on Japanese food labels, so staff recognize them.
  2. 2. Add your food rulesVegetarian, vegan, halal, no pork, no beef, no alcohol (including mirin and cooking sake), or no raw fish and raw egg.
  3. 3. Show this screenThe Japanese card is the first thing on your phone screen. Hold it up for the staff; they usually answer with a nod or a gesture.
  4. 4. In an emergencyTap the red button under the card. It shows a large Japanese request to call an ambulance (119).

Why you need to tell the staff in Japan

Japan requires allergy labels on packaged foods, but not on food served in restaurants, food sold loose or by weight, or alcoholic drinks. The Consumer Affairs Agency asks restaurants to answer allergy questions properly, but there is no label to check on your plate.

Sources: Consumer Affairs Agency: allergy labeling handbook, April 2026 (Japanese, PDF)

The allergen names on Japanese labels

Cashew became a must-label item in April 2026, with a two-year transition period, and pistachio was added to the recommended list. On packaged food in Japan, look for these words in Japanese on the label. Labels may not say "may contain": that wording is not allowed.

Soy sauce: the Consumer Affairs Agency's labeling examples treat soy sauce as containing wheat and soybean, and the same handbook notes that soy sauce is generally said to be eaten by many people with these allergies. That is why the card lets you choose whether to add soy sauce. Ask your doctor if you are not sure.

Items
Must be labeled (9)Shrimp, cashew, crab, walnut, wheat, buckwheat, egg, milk, peanut
Recommended (20)Almond, abalone, squid, salmon roe, orange, kiwi, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soybean, chicken, banana, pistachio, pork, macadamia, peach, Japanese yam, apple, gelatin

Sources: Consumer Affairs Agency: food allergy labeling (Japanese), Consumer Affairs Agency notice of April 1, 2026 (Japanese, PDF), Consumer Affairs Agency: allergy labeling handbook, April 2026 (Japanese, PDF)

In an emergency

Japan's ambulance number is 119. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency promotes phone interpretation for 119 calls in foreign languages. The card has a button that asks the staff, in Japanese, to call an ambulance.

Sources: Fire and Disaster Management Agency: support for foreign callers (Japanese)

FAQ

Do restaurants in Japan label allergens?

No. Japan's allergy labeling rules cover packaged foods, not food served in restaurants. That is why showing a card helps.

Is this allergy card free?

Yes. Nothing to install and no sign-up. Your choices are saved only on this device.

Can I use the card offline?

Take a screenshot of the card before you go out, or keep this page open. Your choices are remembered on this device.

What does the vegetarian card say about dashi?

It asks for no meat or seafood and no stock made from meat or fish, such as bonito dashi, which is used in many Japanese dishes.

Does the halal card mention mirin?

Yes. It asks for no alcohol, including mirin and cooking sake, and no pork or pork products such as lard and gelatin.

Which allergens are on Japanese food labels?

Nine must be labeled: shrimp, cashew, crab, walnut, wheat, buckwheat, egg, milk and peanut. Twenty more are recommended. The card uses the same Japanese names.

Does Japanese soy sauce contain wheat?

Japanese labeling examples treat soy sauce as containing wheat and soybean. Some people with these allergies can still have it, so the card lets you choose whether to include soy sauce.

More travel tools

Read on Honto

Japan Travel Changes 2026Gluten Free in Japan (2026): The Labeling Law Does Not Cover RestaurantsHalal Food in Tokyo (2026): How Certification Really Works, the Official Guide, and Restaurants That Publish Their StatusVegetarian in Tokyo (2026): The Fish Stock in Almost Everything, and What the Government Tells Restaurants