Anyone else living in Japan with celiac or NCGS(intolerance).I’ve gotten my lifestyle down pretty well, and my partner has been such a great support through the whole transition of diet. Would love to use this post to exchange ideas/thoughts for anyone looking for it. It can be a hard path (especially working around going out to eat)
I’m American (27m) and 2 years ago I started getting rough cramps and my body started responding badly to food like at really random erratic points. My dad, grandpa, and two aunts have celiac (they’re all in the US). I’m really lucky to be able to talk with doctors about everything in Japanese without an issue. I got endoscopy and colonoscopy to check for other things and everything else cleared. My physician recommended me to a specialist who researches gluten (crazy for japan) and the bloodwork came back with non celiac gluten sensitivity positive. I’ve wanted to get the definitive intestinal biopsy done but it doesn’t seem to be available in Japan.
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Hi there! I can’t eat wheat either, even soy sauce, so living here is a challenge and a half 😂. I’ve been gluten free my whole life, so the lifestyle is nothing new to me, just the Japan part.
Luckily for me, there is an allergy free bakery in my prefecture as well as a variety of gluten free snacks at a 道の駅 not toooo far from me (far is relative when you live deep in the inaka lol) so I go there every couple weeks to get my fill.
As for Tokyo, I like to swing by Tokyo Ramen street for gluten free ramen when I can and apparently some other places have gluten free ramen but I haven’t gotten a chance yet.
Glad your transition is going well!
I actually asked people about living here with various food allergies and got some good suggestions for eating out, if you want to read: [https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/13uoinj/people_with_food_allergies_how_is_living_in_japan/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1](https://www.reddit.com/r/japanlife/comments/13uoinj/people_with_food_allergies_how_is_living_in_japan/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1)
I don’t have celiac, but I’ve worked with some hotels in regards to celiac guest requests. In my experience, they either remove gluten-based products from their standard meals, offer a buffet (aka guest’s responsibility), or don’t support requests at all. They don’t seem to offer actual alternatives, so be careful with hotels here.
While there has been more awareness around food sensitivity and allergies in recent years, it can still be difficult to find restaurants that offer gluten free meals. In my experience, it’s been easier to find vegan restaurants than gluten free ones.
I think the most well known gluten free restaurant is probably Gluten Free T’s Kitchen near Tokyo Midtown. It’s one of the few restaurants in Japan that is certified gluten free. Some of the items on their menu are better than others, flavor wise. They also add new items frequently, which is nice.
If you’re looking for somewhere for a special occasion, the New York Grill in the Park Hyatt (hotel bar from Lost in Translation) does a great job catering to allergies and sensitivities (their gluten free bread is really good as well). Keep in mind you’ll be spending in excess of ¥10k/person for the experience, but it’s well worth it (the view from the 52nd floor is also incredible).
If you’re looking to make meals at home, I can recommend ordering from Kobayashi Seimen. They offer gluten free pasta, ramen (both noodles and broth), baked goods, and more. Their more popular items are also sold at Seijo Ishii.
There’s a supermarket called Seijo Ishi that has some gluten free items, like breads, pasta, and cookies.