These days, there are so many different types of dietary lifestyles. Compared to ten years ago, I feel like we now see them much more often—both in shops and on social media. Many celebrities and models have also started incorporating these diets into their routines. As awareness grows, more restaurants and products are becoming available to accommodate various needs, such as vegan options and food allergies. At our hostel, we occasionally get questions from guests about these diets, and now there are even apps dedicated to them!
Although irregularly, I’d love to start sharing some gluten-free products, restaurants, and cafés that personally catch my interest.
🌿 What is Gluten-Free?
Gluten-free is a dietary approach that avoids consuming foods containing gluten. It was originally developed as a treatment for people with celiac disease—a condition where consuming gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, causing symptoms like stomach pain, fatigue, and other health issues.
Gluten is formed when water is added to wheat flour and kneaded. It gives foods their fluffy texture and elasticity. That chewy bite of udon or the soft fluffiness of bread? That’s gluten at work!
❓ Why is Gluten-Free Gaining Attention?
While gluten is key to making food delicious, it can also cause negative effects. As research on its health impact has advanced, more models and athletes have adopted gluten-free diets, raising public awareness.
One of the most well-known concerns is food allergies. Gluten-related conditions such as wheat allergy, celiac disease, and gluten intolerance are all relatively common. While some allergic reactions are visible—like rashes, asthma, or eczema—others can be harder to recognize, such as headaches, stomach issues, fatigue, or skin problems. It’s said that a small percentage of the population may be affected without realizing it.
🍞 Life’s 100% Rice Flour Bread
The supermarket Life has its own bakery brand called Komugi no Sato (The Wheat Village). At larger locations, you can even see the bread being baked right in the store. Recently, they launched a new product: 100% rice flour bread!
While you may have seen rice flour bread sold at supermarkets or convenience stores, most of them are a mix of rice flour and wheat flour. But Life’s rice bread is completely wheat-free—it’s made from 100% rice flour, with no wheat used at all.
What makes this bread stand out is its softness! 🤗
It’s surprisingly fluffy and chewy—just like regular wheat bread. Most store-bought rice bread, such as those sold at places like Seijo Ishii, are factory-made and tend to be firm unless heated. If you want that bakery-style softness, you’d usually have to travel to a specialty gluten-free bakery or order frozen bread online. While mass-produced rice bread is great for convenience, the taste and texture often can’t compare to freshly baked versions.
In my experience, this level of softness is almost unheard of in store-bought rice bread. Finding this kind of rice bread in a regular supermarket was such a pleasant surprise! 😊🙌
⚠️ A Few Notes on Life’s Rice Flour Bread
The ingredient list includes “starch.” Since starch can come from various plant sources, I asked a staff member at Life for clarification. They explained that the starch used here is potato-based.
While the bread contains no gluten-based ingredients, it’s important to note that the bakery also produces regular wheat-based bread in the same facility. They take precautions to prevent contamination, but they can’t guarantee that it’s 100% free from wheat traces.
So, if you are particularly sensitive or have severe allergies, it’s best to be cautious.
As of January this year, it’s available only at some larger Life supermarkets in Tokyo. That means not every branch carries it.
If you’re around Asakusa, you can find it at the location next to Tokyo Skytree. I definitely recommend giving it a try if you get the chance!
📝 Final Thoughts
To be honest, I think it’s amazing that a supermarket chain like Life is offering such high-quality rice flour bread. I’m not sure what led them to start this project, but I truly appreciate their efforts. I hope demand keeps growing so that more locations will begin to carry it!
