How to Read a Japanese Nutrition Label

Updated 2026-08-31

Reviewed 2026-08-31

The biggest number trap on a Japanese food package is usually not the calorie figure. It is the small line above it that says whether the table covers 100g, one serving or the whole package. Find that reference amount first, then read the five required nutrients and calculate only if your portion differs.

Start with the amount above the table

Look for 100g当たり or 100ml当たり for per 100g or 100ml, 1食当たり for one serving, 1個当たり for one item, and 1包装当たり or 1袋当たり for one package or bag. Japanese rules allow any of these reference units, so a pouch that looks like one snack is not automatically one labelled serving.

Also find the net weight or volume elsewhere on the package. If a 150g bag gives values per 100g and you expect to eat it all, multiply every figure by 1.5. If you eat half, multiply by 0.75. The stated serving is a calculation basis, not personal dietary advice.

Recognize the five required lines

The standard order is 熱量 or エネルギー for energy, たんぱく質 for protein, 脂質 for fat, 炭水化物 for carbohydrate and 食塩相当量 for salt equivalent. Energy is commonly shown in kcal. Fibre, sugars, saturated fat, vitamins and minerals may appear too, but they are not all mandatory on every ordinary packaged food.

Do not assume 炭水化物 means sugar. It is the broader carbohydrate figure. A separate 糖質 or 糖類 line is voluntary in many cases, so its absence does not mean the product contains no sugar.

Salt equivalent is not sodium in grams

Japan normally labels sodium as 食塩相当量, the equivalent amount of salt in grams. It is not a gram figure for sodium itself. This is why a Japanese label can look much higher than a home-country panel that lists sodium in milligrams.

When you genuinely need a comparison, the official conversion is sodium in mg × 2.54 ÷ 1,000 ≈ salt equivalent in g. Reversing it gives approximate sodium in mg: salt equivalent in g × 1,000 ÷ 2.54. Use the label's stated salt figure directly when both products use the same basis.

Compare products on the same basis

Two tables are comparable only after their reference amounts match. Convert both to the whole pack when deciding what you will actually consume, or convert both to 100g or 100ml when comparing products with different package sizes.

Dry noodles, rice products or concentrates may show values for the product as sold and may also show prepared values. Check whether sauce, soup powder or added ingredients are included. A camera translator can help identify the terms, while Ikura Cart can scan the price tag and keep the item in a shopping total. It does not provide dietary or medical advice.