Dear (travel partner/ agent)
Thank you again for working with Arigato Japan!
Today we need to update you on serious concerns, please give your full attention to the following information. Apologies in advance for the length but this is crucial for the safety and enjoyment of your guests.
We are currently improving and upgrading our information available for travel partners dealing with guests with allergies or dietary restrictions and we wanted to send along some information about handling these issues in Japan. We request that you actively share this info with your team and your clients. And we will require you to follow some specific requests as well.
At Arigato Japan we try our best and are careful to work with our restaurants and food supplier partners to deal with restrictions and allergies. To ensure that your guests have the best experience possible we ask all suppliers to share the below information with their guests.
Dietary issues, allergies and cross contact are not well known or common in Japan so many restaurants are not equipped to handle these issues. Arigato Japan partners make every attempt to meet allergy and dietary requests but please be aware that we cannot guarantee that they will handle these requests in full.
Liability: If your guests have severe allergies that can cause illness or life threatening situations, please refer to our Terms and Conditions policy here.
Last minute requests are dangerous! Please be aware we cannot prepare adequately for dietary restrictions and allergies that are not communicated to us in advance of the tour. Same day information may result in our not being able to accept a guest on our food tour. Not being able to prepare in advance can be very dangerous for your client and also puts an undue burden on our restaurants and food suppliers. We are unable to change pricing or provrefund for any dietary restrictions or allergies.
Perhaps you already share emergency information but if not; please share the numbers at the bottom of this mail with your guests in case of any allergy related or other medical emergency. The hospitals are well equipped here and they will get wonderful care if needed but the system works a bit differently so we recommend consulting with the English Emergency line or Ambulance Number to find out where to go in a medical emergency. Different than many other countries hospitals are not open 24 hours a day here so the telephone medical emergency staff will be able to tell you where to go and which hospital is open and closest to you.
We also recommend you share this printable card for your guests to use during their travels to make sure restaurants and food suppliers can understand the allergy requirements. We have included some common allergy information in Japanese at the end of this email after the emergency phone numbers section.
Thank you again for supporting us. If you have additional questions or concerns or need more information please let us know.
Police: dial 110 – Fire / Ambulance: dial 119
Emergency services should be able to understand you in simple English.
Other English Assistance Numbers
For medical emergencies in Tokyo, The Tokyo Metropolitan Medical Information Service
(+81 (0)3 5285 8181) Provides information on Tokyo’s hospitals in English from 9am to 8pm daily.
The AMDA International Medical Information Centre KANSAI
+81 (0)6-6636-2333. Provides information on medical facilities throughout the Kansai region (including Osaka and Kyoto). English is spoken from 9 am to 5 pm
Outside of Tokyo and Kansai, The Japan Helpline
+81 (0)120-461-997 or
+81 (0)570-000-911 (for emergency advice in English 24hrs).
Other useful numbers are also available here: https://www.jhelp.com/en/jhlp.html
Nut Allergy:
almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, hickory nuts, macadamia nuts, Peanuts. pecan nuts, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts.
ナッツアレルギー:
アーモンド, ブラジルナッツ, カシュー, ヘーゼルナッツ, ヒッコリーナッツ, マカダミアナッツ, ピーナッツ, ピーカンナッツ, 松の実, ピスタチオ, くるみ
Shellfish (including molluscs and crustaceans) that can cause allergic reactions includes, but is not limited to:
Calamari, crayfish, cuttlefish, lobster, mussels, oysters, prawns, squid.
貝アレルギー:
カラマリ, ザリガニ, いか, ロブスター, ムール貝, カキ, 海老
Fish Allergy: the list of fish that can cause an allergic reaction is quite long, Here are some examples:
cod, salmon, snapper, trout, tuna, yellow tail, mackerel, sardine. Anything that is in the ocean.
魚アレルギー:
タラ、サーモン、スナッパー、マス、マグロ、ハマチ、鯖、イワシ。海に住む生き物
Gluten:
bread, breakfast cereals, porridge, cakes, biscuits, pizza, pasta, wheat-based noodles, soy sauce , yeast extract spread (such as Vegemite), soups, ice cream, custard powder, beer, barbequed chicken, sausages, hamburgers
小麦アレルギー:
パン、朝食用シリアル、お粥、ケーキ、ビスケット、ピザ、パスタ、パン粉、小麦焼きそば、醤油、イーストエキス(ベジマイトなど)、スープ、アイスクリーム、カスタードパウダー、ビール、バーベキューチキン、ソーセージ、ハンバーガー
Lactose Intolerance:
milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, yogurt, biscuits and cakes (if milk or milk solids are added), cheese sauce, cream soups, custard, milk chocolate, pancakes, scrambled eggs, quiche, some bread
乳製品食べません:
牛乳、チーズ、アイスクリーム、バター、ヨーグルト、ビスケットとケーキ、、チーズソース、クリームスープ、カスタード、ミルクチョコレート、パンケーキ、スクランブルエッグ、キッシュ、いくつかパン
Soy:
edamame, miso, natto, soy sauce and shoyu sauce, soy flour, soy nuts, soy bean sprouts, soy-based milk, yogurt, ice cream, or cheese, tamari, tempeh, tofu
大豆アレルギー:
枝豆、みそ、納豆、醤油、、大豆粉、大豆の実、もやし、豆乳、ヨーグルト、大豆アイスクリーム、大豆チーズ、大豆たまり、大豆テンペ、豆腐