Japanese cuisine is a huge reason so many of our travelers visit Japan, but what about traveling through the country if you have serious dietary restrictions or food allergies"

Japanese food is astoundingly varied and overwhelmingly healthy, but traveling around Japan with special dietary requirements ? whether you’re vegan, have celiac disease, or adhere to a kosher or halal diet ? is no easy feat.

The good news is that it?s definitely possible, with proper advance planning. To help you get more out of your trip we?ve put together this introduction to exploring Japan if you have unique dietary needs.

Originally written in 2016, this post was updated and republished on Dec. 20, 2022.

Dietary Restrictions Are Not Always Accommodated in Japan
Let’s get the bad news out of the way first.

Apart from the challenge of looking out for ingredients you may not be familiar with (and the fact that you probably don?t speak or read Japanese), one of the main obstacles you can expect to face as you travel around Japan is that dietary needs are simply not always catered to.

If you?re from the US or Australia, or any other country where dietary restrictions are common, this may come as a surprise.

But it?s true: Unfortunately, special dietary requirements ? even serious food allergies ? will not always be accommodated in Japan.

(If you’re accustomed to having your dietary needs catered to wherever you go, it can be hard to wrap your mind...