This is a complete guide to Japanese Food Labels.
In this guide, you’ll learn all about:
- the policy on the food labeling system
- a vocabulary chart of food labels
- examples of several food labels
- useful apps to read them
- key phrases to communicate your food allergy
Please jump to the relevant area for you from the table of contents. We hope this guide helps you with your everyday grocery shopping in Japan.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Quick Video Guide
Chapter 2: Grasping the Basics
Why it is important to understand Food Labels?
Understanding food labels in Japan is crucial for several reasons:
Language Barrier: Many food labels in Japan are in Japanese, so it’s important for foreigners or non-Japanese speakers living or traveling in Japan to understand them.
Cultural and Dietary Differences: Japanese food labels may contain ingredients common in Japanese cuisine but unfamiliar to other cultures. Understanding these labels helps in making informed food choices.
Policy Differences: Each country has different policies on how to write about allergens, expiration dates, etc. Understanding Japan’s policies helps consumers make safe choices.
Chapter 3: The Policy Of Japan's Food Labelling System
Before learning how to read food labels in Japan, it’s crucial to understand Japan’s food policies, which may differ from those in your country. Here are the policies outlined by the Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan, regarding allergens, expiration dates, and nutritional information.
Allergen
Firstly, let’s talk about allergens. Different countries have different lists of allergens that must be labelled. In Japan, if any allergens designated by the government as potentially causing food allergies are used, they must be labelled in the “Ingredients” and “Food Additives” columns. However, alcoholic drinks are not required to carry allergen information.
| Labelling is Mandatory | Requirement |
|---|---|
|
Shrimp/Prawn, Crab, Walnuts,Wheat, Buckwheat, Egg, Milk, Peanuts |
Labelling is mandatory if the packaged food includes these allergens. |
| Labelling is Recommended | Requirement |
|---|---|
|
Almonds, Abalone, Squid, Salmon roe, Oranges, Cashew nuts, Kiwifruit, Beef, Sesame, Salmon, Mackerel, Soybeans, Chicken, Bananas, Pork, Macadamia nuts , Peaches, Yams, Apples, Gelatin |
The labelling may not show these items even if they are part of a packaged food. |
*From March 28, 2024, macadamia nuts have been added to the recommended labeling, and matsutake mushrooms have been removed. For a while, there may be a mix of old and new displays in stores.
Expiration Date
When it comes to expiration dates, it’s important to understand the difference between “賞味期限” (Best Before Date) and “消費期限” (Use By Date). The 賞味期限 is the date by which the food will remain tasty, while the 消費期限 is the date after which the food may no longer be safe to eat. 賞味期限 is typically given to foods that are less perishable, while 消費期限 is used for foods that spoil easily, such as meat, fish, prepared dishes, and cakes.
Dates are written in the year-month-day order, such as 2025.1.1. However, for foods with a best-before date longer than three months, it is also possible to indicate just the year and month. They might also be written using the Japanese calendar system, called “gengo.” For example, 2024 is the 6th year of 令和, and 2025 is the 7th year of 令和. In this format, the date would be written as 令和7年1月1日.
Source: Bureau of Public Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | Definition |
|---|---|---|---|
|
賞味期限 |
shoumikigen |
しょうみきげん |
Date by which the food will remain tasty |
|
消費期限 |
shouhikigen |
しょうひきげん |
Date after which the food may no longer safe to consume |
Nutrition
In Japan, it is mandatory to list nutritional components on food labels, except for items like water where the nutritional contribution is considered small. The five mandatory items are ‘Calories,’ ‘Protein,’ ‘Fat,’ ‘Carbohydrate,’ and ‘Equivalent amount of salt.’ These items should be labeled in this order.
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
熱量 |
netsuryou |
ねつりょう |
calories |
|
たんぱく質 |
tanpakushitsu |
たんぱくしつ |
protein |
|
脂質 |
shishitsu |
ししつ |
fat |
|
炭水化物 |
tansuikabutsu |
たんすいかぶつ |
carbohydrates |
|
食塩相当量 |
shokuensoutouryo |
しょくえんそうとうりょう |
equivalent amount of salt |
Chapter 4: Vocabulary Chart of Japanese Food Labels
In Chapter 3, let’s explore Japanese vocabulary commonly found on food labels. We’ll cover the definitions and pronunciation of these terms, which will help you understand food labels in Japan. We will show all the vocabulary shown in the picture below.
Japanese Food Label
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
商品名 |
shouhinmei |
しょうひんめい |
item name |
|
商品 |
shouhin |
しょうひん |
goods, products |
|
名称 |
meishou |
めいしょう |
type of product |
|
原材料名 |
genzairyoumei |
げんざいりょうめい |
ingredients |
|
内容量 |
naiyouryou |
ないようりょう |
quantity |
|
保存方法 |
hozonhouhou |
ほぞんほうほう |
how to store |
|
保存 |
hozon |
ほぞん |
preservation |
|
方法 |
houhou |
ほうほう |
method |
|
販売者 |
hanbaisha |
はんばいしゃ |
company which sells product |
|
加工所 |
kakoujyo |
かこうじょ |
processing plant |
|
原産国名 |
gensankokumei |
げんさんこくめい |
country of origin |
|
輸入者 |
yunyusha |
ゆにゅうしゃ |
company which imported product |
|
産 |
san |
さん |
Produced in |
|
養殖 |
youshoku |
ようしょく |
farmed |
Japanese Nutritional Information
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
栄養成分表示 |
eiyouseibunhyouji |
えいようせいぶんひょうじ |
nutrition fact |
|
栄養 |
eiyou |
えいよう |
nutrition |
|
成分 |
seibun |
せいぶん |
ingredients |
|
表示 |
hyouji |
ひょうじ |
list |
|
熱量 |
netsuryou |
ねつりょう |
calories |
|
たんぱく質 |
tanpakushitsu |
たんぱくしつ |
protein |
|
脂質 |
shishitsu |
ししつ |
fat |
|
炭水化物 |
tansuikabutsu |
たんすいかぶつ |
carbohydrates |
|
食塩相当量 |
shokuensoutouryo |
しょくえんそうとうりょう |
equivalent amount of salt |
|
エネルギー |
enerugii |
– |
energy |
|
鉄 |
tetsu |
てつ |
iron |
|
亜鉛 |
aen |
あえん |
zinc |
|
葉酸 |
yousan |
ようさん |
folic acid |
|
食物繊維 |
shokumotsuseni |
しょくもつせんい |
dietary fiber |
|
ビタミン |
bitamin |
– |
vitamin |
Nutrition Restriction
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
カロリーゼロ |
karorii-zero |
– |
calorie free |
|
脂質ゼロ |
shishitsu-zero |
ししつぜろ |
fat free |
|
糖質ゼロ/無糖 |
toushitsu-zero/muto |
とうしつぜろ/むとう |
sugar free |
|
糖質オフ/低糖質 |
toshitsu-ofu/teitoshitsu |
とうしつぜろ/ていとうしつ |
low sugar |
|
カロリーオフ/低カロリー |
karorii-ofu/teikarorii |
– |
low calorie |
|
脂質オフ/低脂質 |
shishitu-ofu/teishishitsu |
ししつおふ/ていししつ |
Low fat |
|
塩分オフ |
enbun-ofu |
えんぶんおふ |
Low salt |
Allergens - Seafood & Meat
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
海老 |
ebi |
えび |
Shrimp |
|
蟹 |
kani |
かに |
crab |
|
鮑 |
awabi |
あわび |
abalone |
|
いか |
ika |
– |
squid |
|
いくら |
ikura |
– |
salmon roe |
|
鮭 |
sake |
さけ |
salmon |
|
鯖 |
saba |
さば |
mackerel |
|
牛肉 |
gyu-niku |
ぎゅうにく |
beef |
|
鶏肉 |
toriniku |
とりにく |
chicken |
|
豚肉 |
butaniku |
ぶたにく |
pork |
Allergens - Vegetable & Fruits
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
オレンジ |
orenji |
– |
orange |
|
キウイ |
kiui |
– |
kiwi fruit |
|
バナナ |
banana |
– |
banana |
|
林檎 |
ringo |
りんご |
apple |
|
桃 |
momo |
もも |
peach |
|
山芋 |
yamaimo |
やまいも |
wild yam |
Allergens - Others
| Japanese | Romaji | Hiragana | English |
|---|---|---|---|
|
胡桃 |
kurumi |
くるみ |
walnut |
|
小麦 |
komugi |
こむぎ |
wheat |
|
蕎麦 |
soba |
そば |
buckwheat |
|
卵 |
tamago |
たまご |
egg |
|
牛乳 |
gyuunyuu |
ぎゅうにゅう |
milk |
|
マカダミアナッツ |
makadamia nattsu |
– |
macadamia nuts |
|
落花生/ピーナッツ |
rakkasei/pinattsu |
らっかせい |
peanut |
|
アーモンド |
āmondo |
– |
almond |
|
カシューナッツ |
kashūnattsu |
– |
cashew nut |
|
胡麻 |
goma |
ごま |
sesame |
|
大豆 |
daizu |
だいず |
soybean |
|
ゼラチン |
zerachin |
– |
gelatin |
Chapter 5: Example of Food Labels
Chapter 4 provides examples of nutrition food labels and other types of food labels. We explain how to read each label and define the terms used. We cover typical products such as yogurt, imported foods, as well as how to read allergen information.
Typical Nutrition Food Label
This is an example of typical nutrition information. The top row above the box says “栄養成分表示,” which means “Nutritional Facts.” To the right of that, you can see “1袋（33g当り）,” which translates to “Per 1 bag (33g).” In this example, it is for a pack of biscuits.
In the box, it shows the nutrition per 33g serving. For this example, the Calories are 153kcal, Protein is 4.2g, Fat is 9.2g, Carbohydrates are 18.6g, and the amount of salt per 33g is 0.3g.
Rest Of The Food Label
This is a typical Japanese food label. It starts with the “Item Name” (商品名), followed by the “Type of Product” (名称), which is written as ビスケット (biscuit) in this example. Next, the ingredients are listed. The list of ingredients includes both food items and food additives, which are displayed by separating them with a ‘/’, starting a new line, or using separate sections. The expiration date is indicated as either “Best Before Date” (賞味期限) or “Use By Date” (消費期限); in this case, it’s the “Best Before Date.” Following that is “How to Store” (保存方法). For items that do not need refrigeration, it often says “Avoid direct sunlight, high temperatures, and humidity” (直射日光、高温多湿を避けて保存してください). This means you should store the product in a cool, dry place. Lastly, the label includes the company that sells the product and the processing plant.
Food Label on Yogurt
Shall we now look at the yogurt example. Typically, on the back of the package, you can find information such as the type of product (種類別), the percentage of solids in this container, excluding water and milk fat (無脂乳固形分), the percentage of milk fat (乳脂肪分), the ingredients (原材料名), quantity (内容量), best eaten by date (賞味期限), storage information (保存方法), and the company name.
Food Label on Imported Product
In terms of imported products, the difference is that they show the country of origin as well as the company name that imported them. This is an example of organic peanut butter. As shown in No.6, the country of origin is the Netherlands (オランダ). In No. 7, the importing company’s name, Nichifutsu Boeki Kabushiki Kaisha (日仏貿易株式会社), and its address are written.
Food Label on Meat
Now, let’s talk about the meat. “(国産)” means that this meat is domestically produced. No. 3 explains how to store it; in this case, it says to keep it below 4 degrees Celsius. No. 4 indicates the “use by” date as April 19, 2024. Additionally, No. 5 shows the price per 100g, with a quantity of 300g listed below it. The price without tax is 980 yen.
No antibiotics or synthetic antibacterial agents
Additionally, you might see meat in supermarkets that has been raised without antibiotics or synthetic antibacterial agents. In such cases, you will see a label indicating that antibiotics (抗生物質) and synthetic antibacterial agents (合成抗菌剤) are not used, as mentioned in No. 3. “不使用” means “not used.
Food Label on Fish
When you look at the labels on fish in Japan, it typically shows the origin prefecture. As you can see in No.1, in this case, it says “from Ehime Prefecture.” No.2 indicates that it is farmed (養殖). The rest of the information is similar to what we have seen on the label for meat.
For fish in Japan, you might also see labels that say “刺身用” or “加熱用”. “刺身用” means it is suitable for raw sashimi, and “加熱用” means you must cook it before eating.
Food Label on Vegetable
Furthermore, let’s examine the label on organic vegetables, using carrots as an example. In No.1, it shows the origin prefecture, in this case, Kumamoto Prefecture. “有機” means organic in Japanese. No.2, “有機栽培” means it has been cultivated using organic methods. This includes the non-use of chemically synthesized fertilizers or pesticides. Instead, organic fertilizers and naturally derived pesticides were used in the cultivation process.
Allergy Information on Food Labels
Allergy information is often written in the ingredients list as shown below. In this example, at No. 1, it indicates the inclusion of wheat, soybeans, and gelatin. Additionally, at No. 2, it states that this product contains allergens, specifically wheat, soybeans, and gelatin, among the 28 items for mandatory and recommended labeling. At No. 3, it is mentioned that “This product is manufactured in a facility that also processes products containing shrimp, egg, and milk.”
Additionally, it might be indicated with a table like below, which shows all mandatory and recommended allergen labeling items we have discussed. The table lists the 28 allergen items, and only the items colored in orange are used.
*From March 28, 2024, macadamia nuts have been added to the recommended labeling, and matsutake mushrooms have been removed. For a while, there may be a mix of old and new displays in stores.
Chapter 6: App to help read Japanese Food Labels
Here are two apps you might be interested in for reading food labels:
First, the Google app, which many of you might already have installed on your mobile phones, can be used for this purpose. As shown in the video below, you can:
- Tap the Google Lens icon.
- Tap “Translate.”
- Tap the shutter button to search.
- The translated text will appear.
Translation from Japanese to your preferred language is possible. Sometimes, the translation is not 100% accurate, but it can help you understand the general overview.
Microsoft Translator
Next is the Microsoft Translator app, which allows you to easily get translations by taking a photo. The steps are shown below:
- Start by pressing the camera button.
- Take a photo of the document you wish to read.
- The translation will then appear.
We have an article dedicated to Microsoft Translator. If you’re interested, please view it by tapping below.
Chapter 7: Essential Japanese Phrases for Discussing Food Allergies
Finally, in Chapter 6, let’s go through typical Japanese conversations regarding food allergies. By learning some key phrases, it might help you to understand and communicate your food allergies more effectively.
#1: When you want to inform the restaurant you have food allergies
This is example of conversation. Please use the phrase below to communicate with the staff.
Customer: I have food allergies.
食物アレルギーがあります。(shokumotsu arerugī ga arimasu)
Staff: Which foods are you allergic to?
どのようなアレルギーをお持ちですか？ ( Donoyouna arerugī wo omochidesu ka?)
Customer: I am allergic to peanuts.
ピーナッツアレルギーです。 (pīnattsu arerugī desu.)
Staff: Understood. We will ensure your dish is prepared without peanuts.
承知しました。ピーナッツを入れないように調理します。 (shōchi shimashita. Pīnattsu wo irenai yō ni chōri shimasu.)
#2: When the restaurant asks about food allergies
Now, let’s look at another example. This time, the restaurant is asking you about your food allergies, and you respond by requesting a change to another food.
Staff: Do you have any food allergies?
何かアレルギーはありますか？ (nanika arerugī wa arimasu ka?)
Customer: I am allergic to oranges. Can you change it to another fruit?
オレンジアレルギーです。他のフルーツに変えてもらえますか？ (orenji arerugī desu. Hoka no furūtsu ni kaetemo emasu ka?)
Staff: Of course, we can change it to a different fruit.
もちろん、他のフルーツに変更できます。(mochiron, hoka no furūtsu ni henkō dekimasu.)
In conclusion, understanding Japanese food labels is essential for anyone living in or visiting Japan, especially those with dietary restrictions or food allergies. By familiarizing yourself with the key vocabulary, policy guidelines, and common phrases related to food labels, you can make informed choices about the food you consume and communicate your needs effectively. Additionally, using translation apps can be a helpful tool in deciphering labels that are not in your native language. Hope this guide is helpful for you to live in Japan.
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