How to Read Food Allergen Labels in Japan

Updated 2026-08-28

Reviewed 2026-08-28

Packaged food in Japan can be easier to check than a restaurant meal, but the label system is not a universal safe-food guarantee. A major April 2026 update made cashew a mandatory allergen and added pistachio to the recommended list, with an important transition period for older packaging.

Start with the package type, not the food name

Japan requires specified allergens to be declared on packaged processed foods and relevant additives. This commonly covers sealed snacks, drinks, boxed meals, breads, and souvenirs carrying a Japanese ingredient label. The rule does not apply in the same way to loose bakery goods, food sold by weight, restaurant dishes, delivery meals, or alcohol.

A convenience-store meal may have a detailed printed label, while a visually similar deli item packed and sold at the counter may depend on voluntary information. Confirm that you are reading the label for the exact flavor and package size in your hand. Never transfer a result from a similar product or an older photo.

Know which 9 items must be declared

As reviewed on 2026-08-28, the mandatory group is shrimp, cashew nut, crab, walnut, wheat, buckwheat, egg, milk, and peanut. On a Japanese label, search for えび, カシューナッツ, かに, くるみ, 小麦, そば, 卵, 乳, and 落花生 or ピーナッツ.

The allergen may appear immediately after an ingredient, such as マヨネーズ（卵を含む）, or in a collective statement containing 一部に and を含む. Milk may appear as 乳成分を含む, while an additive derived from milk can use 乳由来. There is no single universal icon box, so scan the full 原材料名 area and any separate allergy panel.

• Shellfish: えび means shrimp; かに means crab
• Nuts and peanut: カシューナッツ means cashew; くるみ means walnut; 落花生 or ピーナッツ means peanut
• Grains: 小麦 means wheat; そば means buckwheat
• Egg and milk: 卵 means egg; 乳 or 乳成分 means milk

The other 20 items are recommended, not guaranteed

Japan also recommends labels for almond, abalone, squid, salmon roe, orange, kiwi, beef, sesame, salmon, mackerel, soy, chicken, banana, pistachio, pork, macadamia nut, peach, Japanese yam, apple, and gelatin. Many manufacturers list them, but omission is not proof that a recommended item is absent.

Pistachio joined this recommended group on 2026-04-01. Cashew moved into the mandatory group on the same date, but businesses have a transition through 2028-03-31. A package made under the transition may still use an older format, so travelers with cashew allergy should not treat a missing カシューナッツ line as enough evidence by itself.

• Nuts and seeds: アーモンド, ごま, ピスタチオ, マカダミアナッツ
• Seafood: あわび, いか, いくら, さけ, さば
• Meat and soy: 牛肉, 大豆, 鶏肉, 豚肉
• Fruit and other items: オレンジ, キウイフルーツ, バナナ, もも, やまいも, りんご, ゼラチン

Use a stop rule when the label cannot answer the question

Translation and camera tools can help locate the product name and ingredient panel, but an unclear scan is not a medical clearance. Ikura Cart can help identify an item and organize what you are comparing in the shop. For an allergy decision, match the Japanese terms, check the current package, and contact the manufacturer or seller when wording or cross-contact information is uncertain.

For restaurants and unpackaged food, tell staff the exact allergen and ask whether ingredients and unintended contact can be confirmed. If they cannot confirm, choose another item. Follow the emergency plan and medication instructions given by your clinician. For breathing difficulty, loss of consciousness, or a rapidly worsening severe reaction in Japan, call 119 for an ambulance.