Travelling in Japan with a tree-nut allergy
Verify before eating
Japanese cuisine is largely low in tree nuts, but pastries, bento garnishes, and fusion dishes can introduce them. Japan's restaurant industry is highly literate about allergens — written cards work very well.
Why this verdict
- Core Japanese dishes (sushi, ramen, tonkatsu, donburi) rarely use tree nuts.
- Wagashi sweets and modern pastries can contain ground nuts.
- Imported and fusion menus introduce nuts more often than traditional venues.
Watch out for
- Goma (sesame) — not a tree nut, but a separate allergen worth noting.
- Pine-nut garnishes in some tea-ceremony sweets.
- Crushed-nut toppings on parfaits and cakes.
Safer alternatives
- Sushi and sashimi at established sushi-ya
- Tonkatsu and katsu-don sets
- Soba and udon with traditional broths
What to ask staff
- Does this dish contain any kind of nut (almond, walnut, cashew, pistachio, hazelnut, pine nut)?
- Is the kitchen ever using nut oils or nut pastes?
Allergen card · JA
私は木の実（アーモンド、くるみ、カシューナッツ、ピスタチオ、ヘーゼルナッツ、松の実など）にアレルギーがあります。この料理に木の実は使われていますか？