It can be scary if it’s your first time shopping in a Japanese supermarket if you don’t have a strong grasp of the language yet. The types of dishes you are used to making may require ingredients that are hard to come by in Japan. Moreover, the majority of produce is seasonal. To prepare you for your trip to the supermarket, here is a list of some essential ingredients, their kanji (Chinese characters with Japanese meaning). Since the packaging and ingredients list are in Japanese, it may also be risky for those with food allergies or dietary restrictions. To learn more about different food labels in Japan, click on this article by SavvyTokyo.
Food Allergies
The seven ingredients manufacturers are legally obligated to list.
Any vegetarian or person with allergies will tell you that it isn’t enough just to know what something is, you also sometimes need to know what is inside your food. Here is a general breakdown of two common Japanese labels to help you understand more about what you are buying.
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Egg
卵
たまご
tamago
Gluten
麩質
ふしつ
fushitsu
Peanuts
ピーナッツ
peanuts
Wheat
小麦
こむぎ
komugi
Soy
大豆
だいず
daizu
The label below explains what allergies may be triggered by the product if consumed. The allergies that could be triggered are written in black on a yellow background. Most processed foods will have this sign, or one similar to it, to let you know of the possible dangers for those with allergies. Be aware that some products simply don’t have an allergy warning.
Product Labels
Next is the label explaining the origin and important information regarding a supermarket’s fresh produce. A Japanese food label will tell you what a product is, its quantity, its price and, most importantly, its storage instructions and its expiration date.
While this list is by no means a complete guide, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with the most commonly used characters to make your shopping experience much easier. If you need to avoid eating any gluten in your diet you can print this card out here.
Produce
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Bamboo shoots
竹の子
たけのこ
takenoko
Bean sprout
萌やし
もやし
moyashi
Cucumber
胡瓜
きゅうり
kyuuri
Onion
玉葱
たまねぎ
tamanegi
Pumpkin
南瓜
カボチャ
kabocha
Spinach
ほうれん草
ほうれんそう
horenso
Broccoli
ブロッコリー
burrokori
Tomato
蕃茄
トマト
tomato
Meat
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Beef
牛肉
ぎゅうにく
gyuuniku
Chicken
鶏肉
とりにく
toriniku
Chicken Breast
鶏の胸肉
にわとりのむねにく
niwatori no muneniku
Chicken Thigh
鶏もも肉
にわとりのももにく
niwatori no momoniku
Lamb
羊肉
ようにく
youniku
Pork
豚肉
ぶたにく
butaniku
Seafood
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Crab
蟹
かに
kani
Fish
魚
さかな
sakana
Shrimp
海老
えび
ebi
Dairy
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Dairy products
乳
にゅう
nyuu
Milk
牛乳
ぎゅうにゅう
gyuunyuu
Condiments
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Miso Paste
味噌
みそ
miso
Oil
油
あぶら
abura
Pepper
胡椒
こしょう
koshou
Soy Sauce
醤油
しょうゆ
shouyu
Sugar
砂糖
さとう
satou
Tofu
豆腐
とうふ
toufu
Vinegar
酢
す
su
Wasabi
山葵
わさび
wasabi
Rice Wine
お酒
おさけ
osake
Salt
塩
しお
shio
Noodles
Item
Kanji Reading
Kana Reading
Romaji Reading
Buckwheat Noodle
蕎麦
そば
soba
Ramen
拉麺
ラーメン
ramen
Wheat Flour Noodle
饂飩
うどん
udon
If you are a seasoned pro when it comes to food shopping, please feel free to add to this guide by adding in the comment section below. And for those who would rather shop online, check out our list of online shopping resources for groceries, vegan ingredients and halal.
Wow thank you for this , I just arrived in Japan an have a baby it’s so hard to go buy myself coz am frm S.A. and I understand zero Japanese, have to go with my husband all the time coz he learnd the language at work ,so thank you somuch
Another good website if you are looking for specialty meats is themeatguy.jp They have lots of other hard to find in your average supermarket items (cheeses, dry goods, sauces) and they have a good range of payment options. Also, if you have one near you, restaurant supply type supermarkets also can offer some imported, hard to find elsewhere things. I love Japanese food, but sometimes a taco night or big roast is in order. Those can help you with that. Happy eating!
「Firstly, most supermarkets in Japan are actually better described as grocery stores, in that they exclusively sell food. Don’t go in expecting to buy bubble bath, a razor and a few cheap t-shirts because most supermarkets just won’t stock these kinds of items.」
Really? I live in one of Japan’s least populated prefectures and other than t-shirts, all the items you wrote about are available at every supermarket in town.
If you are in Tokyo and want access to more “exotic” (read foreign) foodstuffs, go to Kinokiniya, National Azabu or NIssin World Food. Of the three Nissin tends to have the best prices. If you want access to specifically American stuff go to FBCUSA.com. Sony Plaza has some foreign candies and snacks. Kinokuniya and National Az usually have English speaking staff on hand as well.
Thank you this is very helpful. Do you know what the Japanese word is for M.S.G. (monosodium glutamate)? And what the kanji/ hiragana/ katakana is/are? Many people are allergic to MSG and a couple of people I know ended up in hospital in Japan because of a reaction. Apparently they use it also in flavoring sauces for example as well as in cooking. Do you know in which foods or sauces it is used? It is used in Chinese and Asian food extensively but I wasn’t aware that they use it in Japan as well.
My first trip to Japan to meet the in-laws, they gave me the honor of being first to use the bath that evening. I had several soaps to choose from and they all had cats or dogs on the bottle, so I chose one and washed up. Afterwards, my wife kept sniffing my hair and giving me a funny look. Turns out I used the dog shampoo to wash my hair. On the bright side, I was flea and tick free for 30 days.
i have seen the kanji 南京豆 for peanuts before. my main concern when i lived in japan for a semester was my severe allergy to peanuts/nuts. i was relieved when i found out that japan also listed allergens, even ones i was unfamiliar with (bananas, peaches, etc). I also remember looking for this symbol ※ because that is usually where allergens were listed on products.
Great post, I recommend people to learn the kanji where the food comes from asap
(pointed out with 産 kanji). Especially since some of the food
comes from 中国産！ China or sometimes people are still wary about buying food from Fukushima 福島.
6 years here and still dont know most of the food kanji as there are simply too many, anyway adding this to my studylist 🙂
its like you are narrating my story when i come here in japan it was really frastrating wen i go to supermarket n i am still facing these kind of hurdles as i cant understand kanji yet as a muslim i only eat Halal so Minichi Minich i have to get detail of all main and raw ingredients of products.
your post is really appreciateable
Thanx 🙂
Check out this website. They have an app that shows Halal certified restaurants in Tokyo. It’s still under development but something to keep an eye on. http://www.halal-navi.com/
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I need this thanks.
Wow thank you for this , I just arrived in Japan an have a baby it’s so hard to go buy myself coz am frm S.A. and I understand zero Japanese, have to go with my husband all the time coz he learnd the language at work ,so thank you somuch
Card for vegans would be helpful, many don’t know enough Japanese to say so.
Maybe if veganism was actually about health, like allergies are
Pretty Interesting.
Great info✌️
Thank you this is very helpful. I spent many a day feeling hungry in Japan as a celiac.
Me too 🙂
Another good website if you are looking for specialty meats is themeatguy.jp They have lots of other hard to find in your average supermarket items (cheeses, dry goods, sauces) and they have a good range of payment options. Also, if you have one near you, restaurant supply type supermarkets also can offer some imported, hard to find elsewhere things. I love Japanese food, but sometimes a taco night or big roast is in order. Those can help you with that. Happy eating!
Very helpful! Thanks!
「Firstly, most supermarkets in Japan are actually better described as grocery stores, in that they exclusively sell food. Don’t go in expecting to buy bubble bath, a razor and a few cheap t-shirts because most supermarkets just won’t stock these kinds of items.」
Really? I live in one of Japan’s least populated prefectures and other than t-shirts, all the items you wrote about are available at every supermarket in town.
If you are in Tokyo and want access to more “exotic” (read foreign) foodstuffs, go to Kinokiniya, National Azabu or NIssin World Food. Of the three Nissin tends to have the best prices. If you want access to specifically American stuff go to FBCUSA.com. Sony Plaza has some foreign candies and snacks. Kinokuniya and National Az usually have English speaking staff on hand as well.
Thank you this is very helpful. Do you know what the Japanese word is for M.S.G. (monosodium glutamate)? And what the kanji/ hiragana/ katakana is/are? Many people are allergic to MSG and a couple of people I know ended up in hospital in Japan because of a reaction. Apparently they use it also in flavoring sauces for example as well as in cooking. Do you know in which foods or sauces it is used? It is used in Chinese and Asian food extensively but I wasn’t aware that they use it in Japan as well.
MSG=ajinomoto.味の素
My first trip to Japan to meet the in-laws, they gave me the honor of being first to use the bath that evening. I had several soaps to choose from and they all had cats or dogs on the bottle, so I chose one and washed up. Afterwards, my wife kept sniffing my hair and giving me a funny look. Turns out I used the dog shampoo to wash my hair. On the bright side, I was flea and tick free for 30 days.
Many many thanks. Very helpful.
Thank you for this post. Super helpful!
For those who are allergic, gluten is more グルテン than 麩質, and peanuts may also be written as 落花生 🙂
Good post. Maybe you should include the kanji / Japanese for whale and horse for people who would wanna avoid those meats.
whale: 鯨肉 くじらにく kujiraniku
horse: (called two ways)馬肉／桜肉 ばにく／さくらにく baniku／sakuraniku
(I am a native Japanese, have not seen 鯨肉 in any restaurant or izakaya though.)
Or seriously search them..
i have seen the kanji 南京豆 for peanuts before. my main concern when i lived in japan for a semester was my severe allergy to peanuts/nuts. i was relieved when i found out that japan also listed allergens, even ones i was unfamiliar with (bananas, peaches, etc). I also remember looking for this symbol ※ because that is usually where allergens were listed on products.
just little thing ,dairy products and eggs have the same romanji read form, xD egg is tamago if anyone ask
Great post, I recommend people to learn the kanji where the food comes from asap
(pointed out with 産 kanji). Especially since some of the food
comes from 中国産！ China or sometimes people are still wary about buying food from Fukushima 福島.
6 years here and still dont know most of the food kanji as there are simply too many, anyway adding this to my studylist 🙂
yup, they were some useful kanjis, kani pls
its like you are narrating my story when i come here in japan it was really frastrating wen i go to supermarket n i am still facing these kind of hurdles as i cant understand kanji yet as a muslim i only eat Halal so Minichi Minich i have to get detail of all main and raw ingredients of products.
your post is really appreciateable
Thanx 🙂
I think you are referring to the guy who posted, not me lol
Check out this website. They have an app that shows Halal certified restaurants in Tokyo. It’s still under development but something to keep an eye on. http://www.halal-navi.com/