OTC Drugs
Over-the-counter / drug store
Buying medicine in a foreign country can be intimidating at best, downright scary at worst. We’ve got a comprehensive list of the most common over-the-counter drugs you can buy at any drug store in Japan, complete with pictures, ingredients, and instructions all in English.
Use our website at the store to help you locate what you’re looking for, or show a shop clerk the picture so they can find it for you. Most of these products can even be bought on Amazon Japan to make it even easier for you.
Pain Relief
Need headache, cramp, or muscle-ache relief? See the NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory) medications available over-the-counter in Japan.
Click here to see the entire list, or choose the active ingredient from the drop-down menu on the left.
Allergy
Whether you have seasonal allergies or need a daily antihistamine, you can find what you need here. Take a look at the pills and nasal sprays that will help you control your allergies.
Click here to see the entire list, or choose the medicine type from the drop-down menu on the left.
Cold/Flu
Here you can find all the cold and flu medicines to help you get through your work day, get the sleep you need, and recover.
Click here to see the entire list or select from the drop-down menu on the left.
Digestive/GI
For troubles with your lower digestive tract, see the medicines we have listed. Click here to see the whole list or choose the type of medicine you want from the drop-down menu on the left.
Supplements
Whether you’re looking for a multivitamin or another kind of supplement, we’ve got you covered. Click here to see the whole list or choose the supplement type from the drop-down menu on the left.
Sleep Aids
Having trouble sleeping? Take a look at the sleep aids you can buy at any drug store to help you rest up. Click here to see the whole list or select from the drop-down menu on the left.
Topical
From adhesive pain relief patches to itch relief cream to fever reducing gel strips, we’ve got what you need. Click here to see the whole list or select the category you want from the drop-down menu on the left.
Yeast / Thrush
Many people think OTC yeast/thrush medication cannot be bought in Japan. Check out this section to learn more about what medicines are available and what the rules are for purchase.
Feminine Itch Relief
Do you need an intimate cream to combat itching and burning? Click here to check out popular products you can find at your local drug store.
Med+ (Medplus)
New service released at May 14th, 2019
Med+ is an answer to a call we experienced while operating our main site, Life Abroad. Through our analytics, we were able to see that the majority of visitors to our site came in search of medical information.
Med+ is an interactive source of information regarding over-the-counter medications available in Japan, with a social media aspect that allows users to recommend certain medicines to others through the use of comments, likes, Facebook, and Twitter.
Our goal with Med+ is to get more reliable information out to those who need it, and allow our users to communicate with each other regarding their own experiences with different medicines.
