Tokyo
KOMEDA is □ Higashi Ginza branch
Location: Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan
“Vegan restaurant close to Tsukiji fish market! You order on an iPad at your table, and it has an option for an English menu; it also has a QR code that links to allergen info in Japanese. I showed my allergy card, and the waitress told me everything was okay for me to eat since it is all vegan. However, when I looked at the menu, it had alerts for all of the bread items that eggs and dairy are used in the facility where they are made (see pic). I decided to get fries & tofu nuggets since it did not have that warning on it.”
Ain Soph. Ginza
Location: Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan
“Fully vegan and part of a chain in Tokyo and Kyoto! I showed my allergy card and the waiter confirmed there are no dairy products in the restaurant. However, I noticed that even though their menu listed allergens, not everything was listed—for example, my side of rice came with an assortment of tree nuts sprinkled on top, which was not listed on the menu. So this may not be a good fit for people with other allergies.”
7-Eleven
Location: Chuo City, Tokyo, Japan
“I ate the 7-Eleven brand onigiri (rice balls with filling) throughout my trip to Japan! I mostly stuck to the plain flavors with less ingredients, like plain salmon. I used Google Translate to check the ingredients each time. However, I found that most of the other packaged snacks contained milk or were manufactured on shared equipment with milk (eg chips, sandwiches made with milk bread).”
Otsuna Sushi
Location: Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
“I found this restaurant on Spokin, and they did a great job with my allergy! Our chef spoke English, which was very helpful to discuss my allergy, and I showed my allergy card as well. He told me there is little to no dairy here, as it is a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant.”
深坂 Fukasaka
Location: Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
“Incredible sushi Omakase restaurant! They did a great job with my dairy allergy. Please note, this is a very small kitchen, and they use other allergens such as soy, fish, & shellfish, so I’d recommend contacting the restaurant about other allergies.
More info: I reached out to this restaurant on Instagram a couple months in advance of my trip. We exchanged messages, and they confirmed they could accommodate my allergy. When I got to the restaurant, I showed my allergy card, and they again confirmed there would be no dairy served to me or my husband. We were the only people there for almost all of our meal, so we had the full attention of the chef and sommelier. The sommelier spoke English, so she helped me communicate about my allergy with the chef. Overall, an incredible experience!”
David’s Deli – Kosher
Location: Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
“This is a kosher restaurant that serves meat, so there is no dairy at all! They make Japanese food as well as dishes like shawarma and hummus. I did not ask about other allergens besides dairy.”
Nissin World Delicatessen
Location: Minato City, Tokyo, Japan
“Grocery store with a fair amount of snack foods from the US! Chips, cookies, peanut butter, soup, and gluten-free pasta with ingredient labels in English.”
FALAFEL BROTHERS HARAJUKU
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
“Fully vegan restaurant inside a very nice shopping center food court! I showed my allergy card & spoke with the staff to confirm everything was vegan/dairy-free. They also had a full allergen list ready to show.”
Vegan Bistro Jangara
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
“Fully vegan restaurant! They state very clearly on the menu that there is no milk, egg, meat, or fish. They were also selling packaged vegan instant ramen!”
Bio c’ Bon Ebisu
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
“Saw a lot of dairy-free snacks and dry goods like pasta and oatmeal here! Also noticed a lot of gluten-free products and some with labels in English! The store is a chain with other locations around Tokyo”
Ain Soph. Journey Shinjuku
Location: Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan
“I used my Japanese allergy cards, and the waiter confirmed this is vegan, so there are no dairy products! The waiter spoke English, which was also helpful. I tried a salad, burger, and fries, and all were good!”
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
Location: Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan
“Allergens were labeled on all items at the hotel breakfast, and one of the managers working there offered for them to make me food separately in the kitchen! We had a mini fridge in the room, which was great for storing leftovers/snacks. Also, there was a 7-11 in the basement of the hotel, which was very convenient!”
Vegan Eat Tokyo
Location: Taito City, Tokyo, Japan
“Fully vegan restaurant! They had a long list of allergens that were marked on the menu!”
Veggie Sushi Japan (Vegan & Vegetarian)
Location: Taito City, Tokyo, Japan
“Very cute little vegan sushi restaurant! I showed my allergy card in Japanese, and the waiter assured me everything was vegan and they did not use any dairy products. The waiter and chef both spoke English, which also helped when we were discussing my allergy. I had the 11-piece sushi set, and it was so yummy! They do serve other allergens (including soy, sesame), so definitely would recommend checking with the restaurant about those.”
Osaka
Canopy by Hilton Osaka Umeda
Location: Osaka, Japan
“I had an amazing experience here! I had emailed the hotel ahead of time to inform them of my allergy and exchanged emails with one of the staff members named Seina, who is involved in food/dining (the hotel has several restaurants that all share one kitchen). When I arrived to check in, the executive sous chef Chris came out to meet me and discuss my allergy. He gave me his business card and invited me to email him with any questions or requests for dining. I ate breakfast at the hotel each day and was assisted by Seina, whom I had emailed with— she took my allergy card back to the kitchen and informed all of the staff about my allergy. The breakfast was a buffet that had some allergens labeled for each item (see photo). I was concerned about cross-contact, so they were able to prepare me a meal separately. It seemed like everyone was very knowledgeable about allergies!”
Kyoto
AIN SOPH. Journey KYOTO
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“Fully vegan restaurant, so there is no dairy! I had the cold sesame miso noodles, and they were amazing and also gluten-free. Allergens are labeled on the menu, and they do use ingredients like gluten, soy, nuts, and sesame.”
mumokuteki cafe&foods Kyoto
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“This restaurant is fully vegan, and they state very clearly there is no milk, egg, or meat! The waitress brought my allergy card to the kitchen to triple-check that it was safe for me. They also have gluten-free ramen, but they note that there is a risk of cross-contact. There is a lot of soy on the menu.”
Nijiya
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“Restaurant is fully vegan! I showed my allergy card and the chef confirmed there is no dairy/milk. It is tiny (only 7 seats) and filled up quickly when I went, so I’d recommend going early! There is a lot of soy on the menu (eg tofu, miso).”
Tenryuji Temple Shigetsu
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“One of the coolest meals ever!! The restaurant is located in a Zen Buddhist temple and is advertised as vegetarian (shojin ryori). The staff reviewed my allergy card and told me there is no milk/dairy used in any of their food. The food was mostly made from tofu, beans, wheat, and vegetables (see pic of their description of the food). It is only a set menu, and we got the 2nd largest option, which was a ton of food!”
Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
Location: Kyoto, Japan
“I don’t have a peanut allergy, but I wanted to share some info for anyone who does! At the top of the monkey park, there is an enclosed/caged area where people can buy peanuts and apples to feed the monkeys. The food is strictly not allowed outside of that area, and everyone was asked to wash their hands after feeding the monkeys (before they go back out into the open park). There are plenty of other spots in the park to watch the monkeys away from the peanuts.”
