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Essential Japanese Phrases for Food Allergies

The exact phrases to say at restaurants, convenience stores, and markets in Japan when you have food allergies — with pronunciation guides.

By TravelSafe JapanUpdated October 5, 20265 min read6 official sources
Quick answer

The Phrase to Say First

Say 〇〇アレルギーがあります ("[allergen]-allergy ga arimasu" — I have a [allergen] allergy), then ask この料理に〇〇は入っていますか? (Does this dish contain [allergen]?). Staff outside Tokyo often speak limited English, so a written allergy card in Japanese backs up what you say.

Before You Enter

Japan's restaurant staff are generally very accommodating about allergies — but only if you can communicate clearly. The language barrier is real: most restaurant staff speak limited English, especially outside Tokyo. Memorizing even a few key phrases dramatically improves your safety.

The Most Important Phrase

Start with this when you sit down:

〇〇アレルギーがあります。
[allergen]-allergy ga arimasu.
“I have a [allergen] allergy.”
Replace 〇〇 with your allergen: ピーナッツ (peanuts), えび (shrimp), 小麦 (wheat), 乳 (milk), 卵 (egg), そば (soba/buckwheat), etc.

Asking About Ingredients

この料理に〇〇は入っていますか？
Kono ryouri ni [allergen] wa haitte imasu ka?
“Does this dish contain [allergen]?”
〇〇を使わないで作ってもらえますか？
[Allergen] wo tsukawanaide tsukutte moraemasu ka?
“Can you make it without [allergen]?”
メニューを見せてください。
Menyu wo misete kudasai.
“Please show me the menu.”

If You're Unsure About a Dish

アレルギーがあるので、原材料を確認してもらえますか？
Allergy ga aru node, gen-zairyou wo kakunin shite moraemasu ka?
“I have allergies — can you check the ingredients for me?”
すみません、これは食べられません。
Sumimasen, kore wa taberaremasen.
“Excuse me, I cannot eat this.”

Emergency Phrases

If you accidentally eat something you're allergic to:

アレルギー反応が出ています。救急車を呼んでください。
Allergy hannou ga dete imasu. Kyuukyuusha wo yonde kudasai.
“I'm having an allergic reaction. Please call an ambulance.”
119番に電話してください。
119-ban ni denwa shite kudasai.
“Please call 119 (Japan emergency number).”

Allergy Card: The Best Tool

Instead of memorizing phrases in a stressful moment, use the TravelSafe Japan Allergy Card generator. Enter your allergies, and it creates a card in Japanese that you can show staff on your phone — free on screen, or a one-time $0.99 to save it as an image or PDF for printing. It lists your allergens clearly, in Japanese, with a polite explanation. Much more reliable than trying to speak under pressure.

Say It the Way Japanese Labels Write It: All 29 Allergens

Japanese food labels and restaurant allergen charts use a fixed set of names from the Consumer Affairs Agency. Use the same word and staff can match it straight to their chart. Since April 1, 2026 there are 9 mandatory and 20 recommended allergens: cashew became mandatory and pistachio was added, so phrase lists made before then are out of date.

Milk is listed as 乳 but appears on labels as 乳成分 (for example 一部に小麦・乳成分を含む). Peanut is officially 落花生, also written ピーナッツ. The "also written as" column lists other spellings that count as the same allergen (CAA handbook, PDF).

Consumer Affairs Agency list, in force since April 1, 2026
AllergenOn labelsOfficial Japanese nameAlso written asSay: "I have a … allergy"
EggsMandatory卵 (tamago)玉子、たまご、タマゴ、エッグ、鶏卵、あひる卵、うずら卵卵アレルギーがあります
Dairy / MilkMandatory乳 / 乳成分 (nyū (乳成分 nyū-seibun))ミルク、バター、バターオイル、チーズ、アイスクリーム乳アレルギーがあります
Wheat / GlutenMandatory小麦 (komugi)こむぎ、コムギ小麦アレルギーがあります
Buckwheat (Soba)Mandatoryそば (soba)ソバそばアレルギーがあります
PeanutsMandatory落花生（ピーナッツ） (rakkasei)ピーナッツ落花生アレルギーがあります
ShrimpMandatoryえび (ebi)海老、エビえびアレルギーがあります
CrabMandatoryかに (kani)蟹、カニかにアレルギーがあります
WalnutMandatoryくるみ (kurumi)クルミくるみアレルギーがあります
Cashew NutMandatory (since 2026; transition to March 2028)カシューナッツ (kashū nattsu)—カシューナッツアレルギーがあります
AbaloneRecommendedあわび (awabi)アワビあわびアレルギーがあります
SquidRecommendedいか (ika)イカいかアレルギーがあります
Salmon RoeRecommendedいくら (ikura)イクラ、すじこ、スジコいくらアレルギーがあります
OrangeRecommendedオレンジ (orenji)—オレンジアレルギーがあります
KiwifruitRecommendedキウイフルーツ (kiui furūtsu)キウイ、キウィー、キーウィー、キーウィ、キウィキウイフルーツアレルギーがあります
BeefRecommended牛肉 (gyūniku)牛、ビーフ、ぎゅうにく、ぎゅう肉、牛にく牛肉アレルギーがあります
SesameRecommendedごま (goma)ゴマ、胡麻ごまアレルギーがあります
SalmonRecommendedさけ (sake)鮭、サケ、サーモン、しゃけ、シャケさけアレルギーがあります
MackerelRecommendedさば (saba)鯖、サバさばアレルギーがあります
SoyRecommended大豆 (daizu)だいず、ダイズ大豆アレルギーがあります
ChickenRecommended鶏肉 (toriniku)とりにく、とり肉、鳥肉、鶏、鳥、とり、チキン鶏肉アレルギーがあります
BananaRecommendedバナナ (banana)ばななバナナアレルギーがあります
PistachioRecommended (added 2026)ピスタチオ (pisutachio)ピスタチオナッツピスタチオアレルギーがあります
PorkRecommended豚肉 (butaniku)ぶたにく、豚にく、ぶた肉、豚、ポーク豚肉アレルギーがあります
Macadamia NutRecommendedマカダミアナッツ (makadamia nattsu)マカデミアナッツマカダミアナッツアレルギーがあります
PeachRecommendedもも (momo)モモ、桃、ピーチももアレルギーがあります
YamRecommendedやまいも (yamaimo)山芋、ヤマイモ、山いもやまいもアレルギーがあります
AppleRecommendedりんご (ringo)リンゴ、アップルりんごアレルギーがあります
GelatinRecommendedゼラチン (zerachin)—ゼラチンアレルギーがあります
AlmondRecommendedアーモンド (āmondo)—アーモンドアレルギーがあります
There is no general "nuts" or "fish" label: nuts must be named one by one, and only salmon (さけ) and mackerel (さば) are on the list, so pecan, hazelnut, pine nut or tuna are not covered. Cashew labels have a transition period until March 31, 2028, and recommended items may be missing from a label even when present.

Reading a Restaurant Allergen Chart (アレルギー表)

Restaurants are outside Japan's allergen labelling law, so charts are voluntary. The Consumer Affairs Agency's guide for diners (PDF) warns that each restaurant chooses its own scope (only milk, egg and wheat, or 9 items, or all 29), that cross-contact is hard to prevent completely when eating out, and that you should confirm with a manager.

Chains use their own symbols. McDonald's Japan's chart (checked October 5, 2026), for example, uses these marks, and still follows the pre-2026 layout with cashew under "recommended" and pistachio not listed:

アレルギー表を見せてください。
Arerugī-hyō o misete kudasai.
“Please show me the allergen chart.”
この表は何品目が対象ですか？
Kono hyō wa nan-hinmoku ga taishō desu ka?
“How many allergens does this chart cover?”
Check that your allergen is on the chart at all.
揚げ油は共用ですか？
Age-abura wa kyōyō desu ka?
“Is the frying oil shared?”
調理器具の共用やコンタミの可能性はありますか？
Chōri-kigu no kyōyō ya kontami no kanōsei wa arimasu ka?
“Could there be cross-contact from shared equipment?”
責任者の方に確認していただけますか？
Sekininsha no kata ni kakunin shite itadakemasu ka?
“Could you check with the manager?”
MarkMcDonald's Japan wordingMeaning
●原材料（揚げ油を除く）として使用していますUsed as an ingredient
○調理用揚げ油の原材料として使用していますIn the frying oil
▲工場の製造ラインあるいは店舗での調理過程で共有・接触がありますShared line or kitchen contact
✕原材料として使用していませんNot used as an ingredient, which is not the same as "free from"
A chart is a starting point, not a guarantee. McDonald’s Japan states that customising a menu item is not a way to remove allergens completely.

Sources

  1. Consumer Affairs Agency — Food allergy labelling (Japanese)
    9 mandatory and 20 recommended allergens (as of April 2026)
  2. Consumer Affairs Agency — April 1, 2026 notice (cashew becomes mandatory, pistachio added) (Japanese)
    Cashew moved to the mandatory list; transition period to March 31, 2028
  3. Consumer Affairs Agency — Allergen labelling overview, April 2026 (PDF) (Japanese)
    9 mandatory and 20 recommended names
  4. Consumer Affairs Agency — Allergen labelling handbook, April 2026 (PDF) (Japanese)
    Alternative spellings; milk shown as 乳成分
  5. Consumer Affairs Agency — Eating out with food allergies (PDF) (Japanese)
    Chart scope varies; cross-contact; ask a manager
  6. McDonald's Japan — Allergen chart (example) (Japanese)
    Example of chart marks

Sources checked: October 5, 2026

Researched and fact-checked by the TravelSafe Japan team against the sources above. AI tools helped with drafting; every rule, number and date was checked by an editor. General information, not legal or medical advice. Spotted an error? Tell us · How we verify