meggycam

Can anyone give me advice on what Japanese food would be OK for someone with a sensitive stomach.
I'm going there soon, and would love to eat all the delicious food there, but for now a health problem makes me sensitive to hot (e.g. chilli), spicy, peppery or very salty food. Most everything else I will be able to eat.

I know very little about Japanese food, though have eaten teriyak, and a bit of sushi - though that is a while ago.

I've found this site so good for all sorts of travel advice, so hope I might get some help on this one.

mflickermd

I have a sensitive stomach,also.Not only did we live in Japan for three years,we have made numerous trips back to one of our favorite destinations.Most Japanese food is not spicy.I have never found anything too salty,either.You can stay away from the obvious-certain condiments and pickled things.If you have a probllem with fried foods, they are very easy to avoid.Most Japanese food is quite healthy,especially when you compare it to our own.Enjoy your trip!

EricH

You won't find a lot of spicy Japanese food, except for wasabi at the sushi bar. A colleague, who I guess isn't a sushi maven, popped the green stuff into his mouth at dinner in Tokyo last week. He said that the pain passed quickly.

TravelTwiddle

I lived in Japan for 3 years in the 90s' and ate everything one could imagine. However, for raw stuffs, I always eat them with wasabi and drink rice wine to go with it. My Japanese colleagues taught me. They said wasabi and the alcohol in rice wine is good to kill off any bacteria in raw seafood. It works for me.

Vonk17

Our family was surprised how non-spicy most food there was. We don't speak Japanese and just had to point to food pictures and never had a problem.

WillJame

In the line of "very salty food" that you mention wanting to avoid, you might want to be careful of the fish often served at breakfast, as well as miso soup. My wife and I both remember these dishes as being noticeably salty.

TokachiM

You may want to avoid the broiled fish, which sometimes is good, but sometimes is very, very salty.

In general, Japanese food is not that spicy, except for the wasabi. If you are suffering from GERD or something, I would stay away from raw fish, anyway.

Shojin-ryouri (sp?) -- the traditional Buddhist food -- is slightly salty, but mostly bland. It uses a lot of tofu, and should be pretty safe. White rice will be fine. Nabe (seafood soup) should be perfectly bland and OK.

Can you eat greasy stuff, like tempura? (Which isn't terribly greasy, to tell the truth.) You can often get this in a set with rice. Also, soba noodles are pretty bland. Udon noodles will be fine. Some ramens have spices, but in general, ramen noodles are mostly chicken soup without very much spice.

You will be able to find crackers, rice balls and all sorts of bland things in convenience stores, as well.

If you find yourself in dire straits, you can get someone to mix you up some "arrowroot jelly" -- which is just katakuri-ko (kind of like corn starch, but made from arrowroot or potatoes) mixed with hot water. It forms a clear kind of jelly which is soothing to the digestive system.

meggycam

Thanks everyone for their advice on this. Now I can go and enjoy my trip.
Meggycam