DAY 1
Hotel: Mimaru Suites Tokyo Nihombashi
“We like staying at apartment hotels so we have a kitchen and more space. This one was great! Had a small kitchen which helps with easy breakfasts, it was close to tons of grocery stores and close to the subway. It’s a quiet neighborhood and not super touristy. I think the only downside was that restaurants in that area were more difficult to navigate with a food allergy and there’s no concierge to book restaurant reservations. I did use a concierge booking service for one dinner and it was a disaster with the allergies, so not certain it would have made a difference to have a hotel concierge. No restaurant in the hotel, only a small coffee shop.”
Dinner: Happy Yakiniku
“Delicious yakiniku with a very small menu, but absolutely no peanuts or tree nuts! They even have a full allergy menu on their website if you want to look for other allergens.”
DAY 2
Breakfast: Family Mart
“Bought breakfast, snacks and treats from this nearby grocery store with locations all over Tokyo. You can also buy quick meals. Allergens were marked on everything, but you may have to use your Google Translate to read labels, as most people don’t speak English here.”
Lunch: 7-Eleven
“Unlike in the U.S., this is a great spot for quick meals and snacks. You can even buy sushi here! Allergens were marked in English for hot food items, and we used Google Translate for labels. 7/11s are found all over Tokyo also!”
Coffee Shop: Passage Coffee Nihombashi
“No food sold here, just delicious coffee and all safe for a nut allergy!”
Dinner: Gonpachi Nishiazabu
“This Izakaya was the inspiration for the famous fight scene in Kill Bill. Slightly touristy, but excellent food and was the easiest restaurant to communicate/make reservations with from the U.S.. I exchanged multiple emails with the restaurant, informing them of the nut allergies and they wrote back asking for clarification on the allergy (if it was peanuts, tree nuts and sesame). I said no sesame and they said they would make our visit safe. I don’t believe they have any nuts. I couldn’t identify any prior to making the reservation and never saw anything containing nuts on the menu. Despite my email conversation, I still shared an allergy card translating the severity of the allergy that I purchased from Select Wisely with waitstaff. Great experience and super fun environment!”
Sightseeing: Team Lab Planets
“Amazing immersive art experience that is a must if you’re in Tokyo. No actual food served inside, so no worries from an allergy perspective!”
Sightseeing: Toyosu Market
“Fish market with eateries and shops! If you like sushi for breakfast, this is for you! Everything opens later in Japan, but the fish markets are early! Check allergens before eating!”
DAY 3
Breakfast: Mipig Cafe
“This mini pig cafe in Harajuku was fun, and they only serve pig-shaped donuts. I emailed them prior to our visit and was provided with a list of allergens. They contain almonds, egg, milk, wheat and soy. Almonds aren’t an issue for us, and you don’t have to order the donuts, so it is easy to avoid them all together if allergic.”
Lunch: 7-Eleven Harajuku Takeshita-dori Store
“Great place to grab lunch or a snack. We ended up eating a snack here because a lot of the food stalls in Harajuku were not safe or people didn’t speak English or Japanese so our allergy cards were ineffective. Allergens all listed in English for hot food and can be translated via Google Translate for packaged ones.”
Snack: Long, Longer, Longest!
“No nuts here, just potato tornados and some other fun snacks!”
Dinner: Pizza Slice Commissary
“Nut-free and surprisingly good pizza!! We were exhausted and jet-lagged and wanted an easy dinner to eat at our hotel. This was perfect!”
Dessert: Strawberry Fetish
“No nuts here, only Tanghulu fruit which was SO good! A definite must in Japan!”
Sightseeing: Shibuya Scramble Crossing
Sightseeing: Chiku Chiku Cafe
DAY 4
Breakfast: Starbucks – Ningyocho
“Starbucks was our go-to. All allergen information was marked in English and Japanese and they only have almonds. If you want something uniquely Japanese, try the Yuzu (Japanese citrus) iced Tea.”
Lunch + Dinner: DisneySea
“What an amazing park! We spent nine hours riding rides and EATING! DisneySea has all allergy information through their app for every restaurant and food stall. You can filter out specific allergens making it easier. Initially we didn’t know about this feature on the app, so we showed a translated allergy card at our first food stop, which prompted a manager to come talk to us. So careful with allergies and there is so many different food items and drinks to try! All of it was great! We had a blast and eating there was most of the fun! Our kids didn’t run into anything they couldn’t eat, so the nuts are very limited.”
DAY 5
Breakfast: Misojyo
“Our first Japanese breakfast and it was completely nut-free! We did show our translated allergy cards, as most people don’t speak English.”
Lunch: Taco-Taco Asakusa
“Staff carefully examined our allergy card and checked with the kitchen to ensure everything was safe. We ordered the beef potato rings and bean paste croquette. SO delicious!”
Snack: Yohei
“This place is considered a Japanese confectionery shop. We tried these small soy buns on a skewer and these blue drinks topped with ice cream. Used our allergy card to make sure all was safe and nut-free! Fun little snack in Asakusa market!”
Dinner: Tsukita Tsukemen Ramen Ginza
“Delicious Tsukemen ramen with very friendly and helpful staff! All allergy information is on their website and they are completely nut-free! So so good!!”
Dessert: Ueno Zoo
“Huge zoo with clear allergy protocols in place. Every food item has allergy information (for 20+ allergens) listed, whether it was at a vending machine (ice cream) or at the food stalls. The only nutty item I saw was one packaged ice cream bar containing almonds. Not an issue for us, but if you are allergic to almonds, you could easily order something else as there’s no cross-contamination. Great zoo!”
Sightseeing: Tokyo Skytree & Tokyo Solamachi
Sightseeing: Ueno Zoo and Ueno Park
Sightseeing: Senso-Ji Temple, Nakamise-dori street, Kaminarimon Gate
DAY 6
Breakfast: Starbucks Coffee Tokyu Plaza
“Starbucks was a saving grace in Tokyo. All allergens listed and the only nuts they have are almonds, which isn’t an issue for us.”
Lunch: Cooking Sun Tokyo
“Cooking Sun teaches cooking classes. I emailed them prior to our trip to make sure they don’t use any nuts and they asked if sesame was okay and assured us that no nuts are used there. We took a 3-hour sushi-making class. Our family was with four others, and they asked the group about any food allergies again, so it is something they take seriously. This was one of our favorite activities and they couldn’t be nicer there. Totally recommend!”
Snack: Long, Longer, Longest!
Dinner: Oxomoco
“Made a reservation online prior to our trip. They specifically asked about allergies when doing so. When we arrived at this small counter restaurant, the chef immediately acknowledged the allergy and asked if sesame was okay. The chef spoke perfect English (he was not Japanese) and said they have no nuts. The menu is very small, but delicious. This is the Tokyo location of the Michelin-starred Brooklyn restaurant. Very good understanding of allergies and very good service!”
Dessert: Sweet XO Good Grief
“Safe cotton candy!”
Sightseeing: Takeshita Street
Sightseeing: Cat Cafe Moff Cute Cube
DAY 7
Breakfast: Starbucks – Shinjuku
“Starbucks was a saving grace in Tokyo. All allergens listed and the only nuts they have are almonds, which isn’t an issue for us. Great for breakfast, snacks for hungry children, and caffeine for tired parents.”
Lunch: 7-Eleven
Dinner: Happy Yakiniku
Sightseeing 1: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
