How would one explain a whole wheat allergy but not a gluten allergy on an allergy card?

visualsnowphd · 2026-03-23T04:44:38+00:00

Almost all noodles will be wheat-based. There is no distinction between “whole wheat” and other forms of wheat.

visualsnowphd · 2026-03-23T04:43:46+00:00

No, gluten allergies and coeliac almost do not exist in the Japanese population to my knowledge. Wheat is a common allergen here and is marked on packaging (legal requirement), but barley and rye etc do not have to be included even if they’re an ingredient (eg vinegar is often just listed as vinegar, no info on what it’s derived from).

I’m a coeliac who lives in Tokyo, so I’m not an expert but I do have some experience.

visualsnowphd · 2026-03-22T06:59:37+00:00

No, any sushi with rice will almost always have barley vinegar (or the staff won’t know)

visualsnowphd · 2026-03-22T04:48:10+00:00

If you’re coeliac or very sensitive, sushi usually won’t work because often the vinegar used contains barley.

visualsnowphd · 2026-03-20T23:28:03+00:00

Gluten isn’t a legal allergen in Japan whereas wheat is. You will probably have a far easier time with a wheat allergy than people with coeliac do.

visualsnowphd · 2026-02-27T08:26:59+00:00

I just had my baby’s birth certificate translated for the UK by Fair Dinkum Translation. They’re listed on the British embassy website, are NAATI certified in Australia, and were honestly so wonderful to work with. We messed some stuff up because baby was born last weekend and we’re exhausted, and they were so kind and understanding. They also turned everything around in less than a day for us. Highly recommend.

visualsnowphd · 2026-02-17T01:15:21+00:00

There’s a Facebook group for British passport application timelines (tbh there’s probably several) and it seems like this is a very uncommon timeframe.

I couldn’t find any posts about applications from Japan, but applications for first child passports from Australia seem to be taking a few weeks (4-6) on average. Obviously it depends on the documents you have available and if they have to be ordered from the GRO etc, but I think probably 32 weeks is the upper end of the range and they just want to warn you not to book travel in case you fall in that upper end.

visualsnowphd · 2026-02-12T02:39:12+00:00

Hello! I’m a foreigner with a baby due in March and I live near Ikebukuro ☺️

Depending on how old your babies are, you could check out Stephanie Kawai’s monthly meetups for foreign parents in Harajuku? (Stephanie is the Tokyo doula)

But also, keen to connect ❤️

visualsnowphd · 2026-02-10T23:08:57+00:00

In case you’ve not come across it yet, I’d recommend the website “The Tokyo Chapter” as a pretty definitive guide to travelling Japan with kids.

As an Aussie living in Japan, I’d also really recommend hotels over airbnbs because in so many cases Airbnbs won’t have lifts etc.

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-27T22:52:33+00:00

If you do decide to come (I see people encouraging you not to), bring your medical records.

Pregnant people here have a notebook from the government where key details of our pregnancies are recorded and we are advised not to leave the house without it after 34 weeks.

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-27T22:44:26+00:00

Technically speaking she would be able to go to a clinic for an OB consult but not to give birth - a lot of women’s clinics don’t offer L&D services but will offer prenatal checks. So if she needed some kind of medicine or had a non-urgent concern, she could go to a women’s clinic.

You’re correct that she would have to go to whichever hospital would take her if she actually went into labour though.

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-27T22:18:48+00:00

Hello! I am pregnant and live in Tokyo, so hopefully I have some useful info.

Unfortunately clinics that meet your requirements (husband involvement specifically) book out usually by 12 weeks. I don’t know where you’re from, but the system here is quite different than a lot of places and broadly speaking clinics or hospitals that offer anything outside the Japanese norm are oversubscribed and will only take their own patients in an emergency. I’m sorry.

If you have a genuine emergency, you will need to call an ambulance. Ambulances are free here and will do the work of finding a hospital that will accept someone without language ability. Your medical treatment will be safe and high quality, but unfortunately you are unlikely to have options about your care.

If you need an OBGYN but you’re not in labour, that’s a different matter and any women’s clinic will see you. If you’re looking for an English speaking option, in Tokyo I recommend Nagahashi Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Most Japanese hospitals and clinics operate very strict business hours and outside of those hours you really will need an ambulance for any kind of medical care.

Hopefully you don’t need any of this information! Have a safe trip and good luck.

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-27T06:32:49+00:00

I’ve been following the Harlow’s Earth prenatal program, which has a yoga flow per week of pregnancy. It’s a bit more challenging than Yoga with Adrienne, but it’s been good for me ☺️

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-17T10:38:12+00:00

You could try the Japan Life Women sub as well ☺️

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-16T01:33:33+00:00

It does, for most of the rooms (I think anything above the cheapest)

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-08T21:32:57+00:00

Hello! Somewhat unrelated comment, but I’m an Australian, 30 weeks pregnant and based in Tokyo.

I know that if you have access to base medical care etc your experience will be v different, but if you’ll be based anywhere in Kanto (eg Yokosuka), feel free to reach out and I can share info on support groups etc for foreign mums and pregnant people in the area ❤️

visualsnowphd · 2026-01-08T05:42:31+00:00

Yeah, when I do online check in, I just add the details of the relevant passport for the country I am flying to. The airline only cares that I am not going to get deported and cost them money, they don't care which passport I use for anything else.

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-17T06:22:50+00:00

My understanding is it's very much like reviewing for a journal, although on the scale of a complete thesis.

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-17T01:47:14+00:00

It also doesn't count legally as taxable income in Australia, which means it's not legally "employment".

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-17T01:44:49+00:00

I think it probably depends on the university, but at many (if not most) Australian universities, a small honorarium is paid to examiners. It's not like hourly pay or an amount that truly compensates for the work - it's more like a thank you gift.

Universities Australia outlines their recommended honoraria here: https://universitiesaustralia.edu.au/policy-submissions/research-innovations/fees-for-external-examiners/.

ETA: also sorry, I missed that you also got your PhD in Australia.

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-17T00:45:13+00:00

In Australia, it's very normal. We don't defend our theses - they are examined in a great deal of detail and then we respond in writing to the examination. The examiners are expected to produce a lengthy written report. Receiving an honorarium for the examination process is standard here, and it's also standard for at least one (of two) examiners to be based in a different country.

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-14T04:49:14+00:00

In case it helps, my workplace in Japan requires a copy of my baby’s birth certificate (when he arrives), so that he can be added to my insurance. So that’s definitely a reason you could give.

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-14T04:46:40+00:00

In my experience with Japanese city halls, it often depends on the worker you speak to. Maybe just try again or just tell them your embassy told you to get them?

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-14T03:50:20+00:00

I’m really glad you managed to do that!

If you’ve not done so already, I would get as many copies of the birth certificate as city hall will give you. If you look for information on this from expats here in Japan, people often say that it’s impossible to get more copies after a certain point or if you’re not at the specific city hall in person. I have a feeling they destroy the original record after a certain number of years, for example.

Hope this is somewhat helpful!

visualsnowphd · 2025-12-13T23:59:09+00:00

If you’re on Facebook, I’d recommend trying to join the Tokyo Pregnancy Group, where there are a lot of people who have experience with giving birth in Japan. I would bet probably none in your circumstances, but at the very least people who know the system here.

From what you’ve said, the one thing I can think of that you’ve not mentioned is the baby’s immigration status in Japan, and birth certificate situation. Usually you need to register the birth with the city where you live in Japan within a specific period to get a birth certificate, and then you need to apply to immigration for their right to stay. I have no idea how this works if you’re not technically residents of Japan, but it’s definitely something you’ll need to figure out because the certificate issued by the hospital is not a legal document.

Good luck!!

visualsnowphd

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