Low/No Sodium options in restaurants

Hello, I am traveling to Japan in about 2 weeks

Recently, my partner had a heart attack. He is OK to travel, but he is on a low-sodium/no sodium diet. We would like to know what foods we should stay away from, and what foods he can try safely.

What is the best way to request no-sodium or low-sodium options in restaurants?

Is there a specific way in Japanese that I could request this?

Thank you!

What is the best way to request no-sodium or low-sodium options in restaurants?

In an ordinary restaurant, any such requests will be met with confusion at best, or simply ignored. Your best bet might be to dine at restaurants in upscale international hotels.

Or, more practically, perhaps there are some pharmaceutical countermeasures he could take for the duration of the trip.

I've had a heart attack in 2008 and have been to Japan in 2010. 2012, 2013 and will go in May. I'm 49, by the way. It's hard to find low/no sodium foods if they have any kind of soy sauce, etc.

I do take medication for this, such as anti-coagulants, cholesterol-lowering, etc. When I go to Japan is when I decide to take a break from my "diet" and appreciate what they have there, sometimes in moderation, sometimes not. What I do a lot of is walking. I walk about 15 miles a day just exploring the cities and countryside. That helps a lot, as cardio exercise is another "prescription" given to me by the cardiologist.

Most foods in Japan, other than sushi can be high in sodium, so you have to watch it a little. Just don't go overboard or deprive yourself of the culinary delicacies of Japan; it would be a pity!

Maybe you can ask them not to add extra salt while preparing the food. Have a friend write a note in Japanese explaining your situation. Some restaurants may be sympathetic. There are a lot of small mom and pop style restaurants all over town where you can speak directly to the chef.

you'd better forget about it

people with special dietary concerns cannot live properly in japan.

as mentioned, even if you request something with low salt it will likely be ignored by the kitchen staff or they won't have any foods with no sodium/salt in it.

bring your own food or make it yourself or choose restaurants that serve foods you KNOW usually do not have salt in them.

soy sauce is in everything.

Yes, sure enough, there's always some well-meaning person who will suggest that you bring along a note in Japanese asking for no salt or no wheat or no MSG or something. It's clear that none of them have ever worked in a busy restaurant kitchen. Or a restaurant where the staff may or may not even be able to read Japanese.

Soy sauce is one of the basic components of Japanese cuisine. A note might cause confusion and anxiety among the staff, but it won't get you any closer to getting a low-sodium meal.

Sorry to hear about your partner's stroke. How strict is his low/no sodium requirement (either suggested by his doctor or what your partner feels comfortable with, considering that it was rather recent)?

Of course there are Japanese locals who have the same "low/no salt" requirement, so I would not make any sweeping statement about unavailability of such food, but it would place quite a bit of restriction on what he can "comfortably" try. Locals can watch out what we eat out (for example for lunch), but can adjust at home at breakfast and dinner with low-salt soy sauce, or using lemon juice as salad flavoring instead of salad dressing, but as travelers he might not have that option. Or can you possibly get an accommodation with kitchen facility?

This chart is a very "general" guide about common dishes Japanese people eat out, and how much salt is in those dishes.
http://www.ketsuatsu.com/lifestyle/06.html

From the top left (numbers are of course salt; left column ranging from 9.0g to 4.7g)

Sukiyaki set (when they say "set," they mean rice and soup and a small side dish included)
Ginger pork set
Pork cutlet on bowl of rice
Grilled yellowtail (fish) teriyaki sauce set
"Udon" noodle cooked with veggies in a pot
Noodles with veggie/meat topping
Ramen noodles
Sushi (per serving)
Chicken, egg & onion on bowl of rice
"Udon" noodles with fried tofu
Sushi (different style)
Veggie/meat topping on bowl of rice
Fried noodles
Barbecued eel fillets on rice
Udon with veggie/meat-rich soup

(Right column, ranging from 4.7g to 2.3g)
"Soba" (buckwheat) noodle in a soup with fried topping
Stir-fried rice
Pork saute set
Fried rice (as in food stalls)
Spaghette
Beef curry & rice
"Soba" noodle with dip sauce
Chicken rice
"Tempura" on bowl of rice
Curry & rice
Beef bowl
"Okonomiyaki"
Hamburg stake
"Soba" noodle
Sandwich combination

They go on to say order sets rather than "rice bowl with topping" type; add a side salad for good balance; leave noodle soup, etc. I wonder if your partner already has a good idea about how strict he needs to be, and how familiar he is with salt content in food he is having usually?