Raw Eggs in Japan: Are They Safe to Eat?

Many of us grew up in countries where we were specifically warned against eating raw or undercooked eggs. So you might be surprised when you arrive in Japan and find that they’re something of a delicacy. But are they safe to eat? We review the evidence and talk with an expert below.

What foods in Japan are served with raw eggs?

While chickens came to Japan via the Korean peninsula around 100 CE, Buddhist custom meant that most people didn’t eat eggs for food until sometime during the Edo era. At that time, however, eggs were used more for their health and medicinal value.

That changed during Japan’s Meiji era. Perhaps the best example of the use of raw egg is tamago-kake gohan ((卵かけご飯) – or, more simply, TKG. This is exactly what it says in Japanese: rice with a (raw) egg on top and seasoned with soy sauce and chili powder.

Journalist Kishida Ginko was the first person to promote eating tamago-kake-gohan in 1872. The dish took off in the Taisho and Showa eras, particularly after the war, as eggs became more available to the general public.

Tsukimi udon is another famous raw egg dish, typically eaten during Japan’s Tsukimi season. Sukiyaki, Japan’s most famous hotpot-style meal, can also be served with a raw egg into which you dip the cooked meat.

Raw egg may also come as an option with other dishes. I used to eat a delicious smoked chicken soba dish at an izakaya in Meguro that came with a raw egg on top. Many teishoku restaurants (meals with a main dish and a set number of sides, like rice and miso) offer an optional raw egg for dipping meat or creating tamago-kake-gohan. It’s also a standard addition to gyudon (beef bowls) at most gyudon chains.

Japan isn’t the only country where raw eggs are part of the local cuisine. France has steak tartare and meringue. Even the United States has eggnog (though those eggs are pasteurized via heat treatment). However, it’s one of the few where raw eggs are so prevalent.

The trouble with raw eggs

In general, eggs can be part of a healthy diet. They have a decent amount of protein and healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

However, as most of us know, you run a serious risk when you eat eggs raw. The bacteria salmonella can infect an egg not only during processing at a farm, but even while still inside the hen. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, stomach cramps, and vomiting.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States experiences roughly 1.35 million cases of salmonella every year and some 26,500 hospitalizations. To help prevent such cases, the US requires pasteurizing all egg products (e.g., cartons of egg whites). However, while it’s possible to pasteurize eggs in the shell, the government doesn’t require it. Only around 3% of egg manufacturers use in-shell pasteurization.

Are raw eggs in Japan safe?

But what about Japan?

The good news is that Japan knows its unique place in the culinary world regarding raw eggs. As a result, the government, farms, and restaurants take numerous steps to keep it safe.

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF; 農林水産省 – nourinsuisanshou) and the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW; 厚生労働省 – kouseiroudoushou) publish extensive guidelines for farms and supply chain workers on the proper handling of eggs. Part of those guidelines requires in-shell heat sterilization for any eggs whose intended purpose is raw consumption.

It appears these procedures are effective. According to MAFF, Japan only experiences around 3,000 cases of salmonella poisoning yearly.

But sterilization will only take care of “on-egg” cases of salmonella. How do Japanese manufacturers handle the “in-egg” case where a hen herself is infected?

In a bulletin for the Food Safety Commission of Japan, Committee Chairman Representative Satou Hiroshi says that egg farms address this by ensuring infection-free chickens. This also appears effective. In one study, experts tested for salmonella in 100,000 eggs, inspecting them in pools of 20. They only found salmonella in three of the pools. Combined with other data, this means Japan’s risk of in-egg salmonella infection is a low 0.0029％.

The opinion of a raw egg expert

We wanted an opinion from the field, so we also asked Takagi Daichi, the owner of Kisaburo Nojo, a restaurant in Sengoku, Bunkyo City, Tokyo that specializes in egg dishes, particularly TKG.

Takagi confirmed everything we’d learned about the strict handling of eggs in Japan. He also added that Japan takes care to respect a strict expiration date on eggs of two to three weeks maximum.

Compared to many foreign farms where free-range raising is becoming the norm, said Takagi, Japanese egg producers still primarily keep hens in cages. This is also to ensure egg freshness, he said.

“In a pasture, there are times you can’t find an egg because it’s hidden. If you can’t take them directly after they’re birthed, there’s a danger that old eggs will be mixed in with new ones.”

It’s up to you

Of course, there are other reasons to avoid eating raw eggs. To wit, you may just not like them. Like raw fish, some people can’t stomach the taste or texture.

I’ll occasionally eat a raw egg with dishes – but I have to be in the mood for it. My current favorite way to eat them is as a dipping sauce for my chicken shogayaki (meat stir-fried with ginger) at the teishoku chain Shinpachi Shokudo.

If you don’t like raw eggs, there are plenty of Japanese dishes where you an eat them cooked. The most famous are tamagoyaki (卵焼き; egg roll cooked with a sweet dashi and soy sauce) and omuraisu (オムライス; rice omelet). There’s also the unfortunately named oyakodon (親子丼), chicken and eggs in a dashi sauce served atop a bowl of rice. (Be aware, however, that with the latter two dishes, leaving a slightly shimmering and uncooked layer on top is standard.)

If you do choose to eat raw eggs in Japan, rest assured that you can do so safely. You may have many interesting experiences in Japan but odds are low that salmonella poisoning will be one of them.

What to read next

Beyond Noodles: A Guide to the Different Types of Restaurants in Japan

Sources

Raw Eggs: Are There Health Benefits? WebMD

鶏卵の生産衛生管理ハンドブック（参考資料）. MAFF

生卵は海外じゃ食べない!? 日本の「生食文化」に各国で賛否！macaroni

French Cuisine: 23 Things You Must Eat in France. Bacon is Magic

たまごかけごはんの歴史. Japan TKG

Is Eating Raw Eggs Safe and Healthy? Healthline

What Are Pasteurized Eggs? Webstaurant Store

Salmonella. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

安心して生卵をたべられる国. Food Safety Commission of Japan