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What Is Halal? It Means “Permitted”: The Basics of Halal Food

Published: September 28, 2026 / Last updated: October 24, 2026

Category: For visitors

Halal means “permitted” under Islamic law. Food that Islamic law permits is called halal food. Pork and things made from pork, alcohol, meat not slaughtered in the Islamic way, blood, and some other things are avoided. How strictly people avoid them differs by country, region, and person.

Halal means “permitted”

Halal is a word that means “things that are permitted” under Islamic law.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) explains halal and haram (the opposite of halal) on its website like this:

Halal means “things that are permitted” under Islamic law. On the other hand, “things or acts that are forbidden” are called haram.

The page goes on to say that things created by God are, as a rule, considered halal, and some things are forbidden as exceptions. It explains that vegetables, fruit, fish, and water are considered halal in principle, except for things such as anything poisonous.

Halal is not a word for “special food.” The idea is that most food is halal to begin with, and certain things are to be avoided. Knowing what is avoided is a quick way to understand halal.

In Japanese, the word is written in two ways: ハラル and ハラール. They are the same word. Documents from MAFF and the Japan Tourism Agency use ハラール. The Japanese version of this site uses ハラル, but keeps the original spelling in quotes.

This article is based mainly on documents published by MAFF and the Japan Tourism Agency. It explains what is avoided, how the rules differ, and how people differ in following them. We checked the documents on September 25, 2026 (except the Codex Alimentarius Commission guidelines, which we checked on October 18, 2026).

The main things that are avoided

MAFF’s “Basic Information on Halal” is a summary of published materials. It lists the main foods and drinks that Muslims are not allowed to consume. A note at the start of the document says that it does not represent MAFF’s views.

Pork and things made from pork

The first is pork. The document lists the meat and skin of pigs. It then says that, by extension, things such as pork extract and additives that contain pork ingredients are also avoided.

Pork itself is easy to spot. But in processed foods in Japan, pork-derived ingredients are sometimes listed under other names. We explain how to find them on the ingredient list in How to Spot Pork and Alcohol on Ingredient Lists, and What the Label Alone Can’t Tell You. For how additives are labeled, see Are Emulsifiers and Gelatin Halal? What the “Origin” (由来) Wording on Ingredient Lists Tells You.

Alcohol

The second is alcohol. The document lists alcoholic drinks. It then says that for very small amounts of alcohol used as an additive, the judgment differs from person to person.

Alcohol can also go into dishes through cooking sake (料理酒), mirin (みりん), and seasonings that have alcohol (酒精, shusei) added. People draw the line in different places. For alcohol in Japanese seasonings, see Are Soy Sauce, Mirin, Miso, and Vinegar Halal? Checking the Ingredients of Japanese Seasonings for Alcohol.

Things from animals other than pigs

The third is things that come from animals other than pigs. The document lists these three:

  • Meat from animals that were not slaughtered in the Islamic way
  • Animal blood
  • Carrion (meat from animals that died without being slaughtered)

There are also rules on how to slaughter. As an example, the document mentions slaughtering after saying the name of Allah. Even for beef or chicken, how the animal was slaughtered matters.

Different schools of Islamic law treat seafood differently

The document also notes that some schools of Islamic law say certain seafood should be avoided. The MAFF website says fish are halal in principle, but some seafood is treated differently depending on the school of Islamic law.

The rules differ by country and region

Halal rules are not collected in one rulebook that is used everywhere in the world.

The MAFF document explains that halal rules are generally religious rules, not laws. They are not written down as a formal code, and the details differ by country and region.

It also says that Malaysia and Indonesia have put their halal food systems into written rules, while in the Middle East, each religious body makes its own decisions. Because religious interpretation and culture differ, the content of halal standards and the certification systems themselves differ by country and region.

In Is Japanese Halal Certification Recognized in Malaysia and Indonesia? Checking Those Countries’ Official Lists, we check each country’s official lists to see how Japanese certifications are treated there.

How people follow the rules differs from person to person

Pork: over 70% “won’t eat it if they can’t confirm”

People also differ in how they follow the rules. In April 2024, the Japan Tourism Agency published the “Hospitality Guide for Vegetarian, Vegan, and Muslim Travelers.” The guide’s Reference Volume includes the results of a survey of Muslims.

The survey was done online in December 2023. A total of 224 people answered: 56 from Indonesia, 58 from Malaysia, 55 from Singapore, and 55 from Turkey. The respondents were Muslims aged 20 or older who had traveled abroad in the past 10 years. More than half of them had been to Japan.

The survey asked: “When you eat while traveling in non-Islamic countries, do you check the following points?” The share of people who answered “I always check, and if I can’t confirm it, I don’t eat it” was as follows.

What they check“I always check, and if I can’t confirm it, I don’t eat it”
The ingredients are not pork or processed pork products163 people (73%)
No pork-derived seasonings, additives, etc. are used in the dish165 people (74%)
The meat in the dish was slaughtered in the Islamic way138 people (62%)
No animal-derived seasonings, additives, etc. are used in the dish116 people (52%)
No seasonings that contain alcohol (cooking sake, mirin, etc.) are used in the dish116 people (52%)

For pork, the share was almost the same for pork itself and for pork-derived seasonings and additives. This shows that many people think it is not enough for a dish to simply have no pork meat in it.

More than 60% also always check whether the meat was slaughtered in the Islamic way. If a dish contains meat, how the meat was slaughtered matters, even when there is no pork.

Seasonings with alcohol: half “always check”

For seasonings that contain alcohol, 52% answered “I always check, and if I can’t confirm it, I don’t eat it.” Another 27% answered “I check, but if I can’t find out, I eat it because I have no choice,” and 21% answered “I eat it without worrying about it.”

Muslims have different views on cooking sake and mirin. Still, half said they always check. For restaurants and friends, the key is to tell them whether it is used, and not to decide for them that “this little bit is probably fine.”

Cookware: about 40% “uncomfortable unless it is only for Muslims”

The same Reference Volume also asks about cookware. Here are the answers to the question “Do you feel uncomfortable if food is not cooked with cookware used only for Muslims?”

  • I feel uncomfortable: 85 people (38%)
  • I feel a little uncomfortable, but I accept it: 56 people (25%)
  • It’s fine if it is washed well: 56 people (25%)
  • I don’t mind at all: 27 people (12%)

The Japan Tourism Agency document sums up these results this way: about 40% feel uncomfortable unless the cookware is only for Muslims, while the other 60% tend to accept it, to different degrees.

There are also questions about cooking areas and food storage. One question asked if they feel uncomfortable when food is not cooked in a cooking area used only for Muslims. 36% said “I feel uncomfortable,” 45% said “I feel a little uncomfortable, but I accept it,” and 20% said “I don’t mind at all.” Another question asked about storing ingredients in the same fridge or other storage as non-Muslims’ food. 41% said “I feel uncomfortable,” and 21% said “It’s fine if they are kept separate, even in the same fridge or storage place.”

Even without separate cookware or a separate area, you can tell people what you do, such as storing food separately or washing cookware before use. This helps some people decide.

What does halal certification check?

The MAFF document explains that in countries with many non-Muslim consumers, certification bodies certify foods, and the foods are sold with a halal certification mark. This lets Muslims tell which foods are halal. Halal certification is a system that lets people decide without checking the ingredients and production process themselves.

The same document describes halal certification as a certification body auditing a product or service and confirming that it meets certain standards. As a rule, certification is given for each production line. Keeping a product halal covers the whole supply chain, from the ingredients to processing, packaging, storage, transport, and display.

To get certified, a business applies, and the certification body then reviews its documents and inspects the site. After certification, the business is also audited regularly.

The document lists many areas where halal applies. Besides food and drinks, these include food additives, sweets and dairy products, medicines, personal care products such as cosmetics, supply chains, tourism and services, and even clothing and leather goods. Halal covers more than the food people eat.

Getting certified takes money and effort. We compare the cost breakdown, and ways to tell customers what you do without getting certified, in How Much Does Halal Certification Cost? A Breakdown, and Ways to Serve Muslim Customers Without It.

Why it is better not to simply say “It’s halal”

The guide’s Reference Volume includes a caution for restaurants and other businesses about how to use the word “halal.”

Leave the decision about what is “halal” to Muslim travelers. Be careful not to use the word “halal” casually.

Instead, the guide recommends telling customers whether pork or alcohol is used. The same page says that just adding English to the dish names and ingredients on the menu helps Muslims decide for themselves whether they can eat it. The example given is adding “Fried Noodles (Pork)” next to the menu item for yakisoba with pork (焼きそば（豚）).

As we have seen, there is no single answer to what is avoided, what the rules say, or how people follow them. Rather than just saying “It’s halal,” telling people what is used and what is not lets them decide for themselves. The same is true for the “Muslim-friendly” (ムスリムフレンドリー) label. We explain what it means in What Does “Muslim-Friendly” Mean? How It Differs from Halal Certification, and Standards That Vary by Who Uses the Label.

What to check when choosing food in Japan

Finally, here is a summary of which articles on this site can help when you choose food in Japan.

For packaged food from stores, start with the ingredient list on the back of the package. How to find pork and alcohol is in our article on ingredient lists. How to read the “origin” (由来) of additives is in our article on additives.

For rice balls (onigiri) and boxed meals (bento) from convenience stores, see Are Convenience Store Onigiri and Bento Halal? What the Published Information from 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson Tells You. For dishes at chain restaurants, see How Much Can Chain Restaurants’ Published Information Tell You About Pork and Alcohol? Both explain how to check, based on the information each company publishes.

Dishes labeled “vegan” (ヴィーガン) do not use anything from animals, but they may use alcohol such as mirin or cooking sake. The difference between vegan and halal is explained in If It’s Vegan, Is It Halal? What Each Avoids, and What to Check in Vegan Dishes.

When you ask at a restaurant, see “Is It Halal?” Is Not Enough: How to Ask When Checking at a Restaurant. Instead of just asking “Is it halal?” (ハラルですか, hararu desu ka), ask about the specific things you want to know, such as pork, alcohol, or cookware. You are more likely to get an answer.

Quotes from Japanese sources in this article are our own translations.

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