Showing that life is about more than just work, we wanted to congratulate Alastair Abbott (Director) on having his travel article published recently. Over the Christmas break, Alastair took some time away in Japan with his family. It seems that the trip was as much about the skiing and sights as it was about the food.
In their most recent edition, The Australian Coeliac magazine devoted three pages to sharing Alastair’s story; excerpt below:
I have just returned from my fourth trip to Japan; twice before [coeliac] diagnosis and twice since. It is an amazing country and well worth visiting; all that is needed is a little planning to avoid the gluten that is in almost every food on offer! On this trip we flew into Sapporo (on the North Island) where we spent a week skiing, before traveling to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.
My top tips for Gluten Free travelling in Japan are:
1. Have a printed copy of the Coeliac Society translation card
2. Have a translation app on your phone (and a SIM card)
3. Take your own gluten free soy sauce
4. Only order foods that are likely to be gluten free
5. Join the Facebook group ‘Gluten-Free Expats Japan!’
And if all of that sounds too difficult, consider a gluten free tour such as https://glutenfreetoursjapan.com.au/ (recommended by others, though I haven’t used their services).
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The funniest experience of this trip was at ‘Sakura’ Japanese Restaurant, inside Tokyo Disney Sea. After showing my Gluten Free Card, the waitress went away for a very long time, and eventually brought back the ‘children’s allergy menu’. Apparently the only thing I could eat in the whole restaurant was the special gluten free kids meal!
My final thought, make sure you try the green tea soft serve ice cream!
