Tags
gluten free, gluten free food, gluten free foods, gluten free japan, gluten free products in japan, japan, organic
Only when you come to a country like to Japan do you realise how much celiacs is a western disease.
So buying your normal gluten free alternatives can be a little bit tricky.
Obviously you can find rice everywhere, but the other stuff can be tricky if not near impossible to find.
So I am going to tell you about where I shop for gluten free food in Japan.
Natural House – This is a health food store chain that has a bunch of stores around Tokyo and some even have cafe’s, the only one that I have had the pleasure of visiting is the one under Ikebukuro station in the Tobu building, It is quite small but it also next to a large imported goods store. Which also sells a wheat free soy sauce and organic instant coffee. This Natural house has a few different gluten free flours that I found and plenty of organic products.
The Tokyu hands just above this store also has an extensive range of natural and organic beauty products.
National Azabu – This store is fantastic and definately a favourite for food shopping, not online does it have an extensive amount of familiar imported foods it has a tonne of gluten free and organic products. This is the only place the I have found gluten free bread, biscuits and proper gluten free flours in Japan!
They stock Schar gluten free products from Europe, although they are not cheap, I let myself have these as a treat, they also stock Bob’s Red Mill gluten free flours and they also stock quinoa.
A large section of organic vegetables that are fairly priced and throughout the store you will find plenty of organic products and they have a huge selection of teas. It is expensive to what you are used to but it is worth it for the comfort of knowing those foods you know and have learnt to love.
iHerb – iHerb.com is brilliant online health food store where you can buy pretty much everthing you will need, and most of it cheaper then you can buy it in store at places like Azabu, there are some exceptions and some things you cannot order in like quinoa, chia seeds, hemp seeds and some flours for some reason (most of the unorderable items can be purchased at Azabu). This is my go to store for most of the things that I keep in my household and use on a regular basis, this store has been a life saver and shipping is only roughly $4.00!
Ecosway – Ecosway is also a small chain store that sell eco friendly house cleaning products, beauty products and some organic and gluten free foods. I like this store because I used to shop here back home and I know some of their products.
So now you know my place to buy gluten free foods, you can arm yourself with all the tools you need to buy by in Japan on organic and gluten free diets. It can definately be done.
Happy gluten free eating in Japan!
