7 Must Buy Medicines at Japanese Drugstores

Must have drugstore medicines in Japan

Must-Buy Japanese Medicines

Are you worried about getting ill while travelling in Japan?? Yes, it is scary and we don’t wanna ruin the trip because of it. But if the conditions are not very serious, it can be cured with the medicines on markets.

However, another thing which might worry you is that once you enter a pharmacy or drugstore, you have no idea which medicine to choose cos they are all written in Japanese and shop assistants don’t speak English.. To avoid this kind of awful case, it’s better to remember some of Japanese essential medicines for common illnesses.

I’m going to introduce 7 essentials for different symptoms!

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.


1. Bufferin (バファリン) for Headache

BUFFERIN: The common painkiller in Japan

Best selling medicine in Japan. Bufferin is a general pain killer which eases your pain quickly.

▶︎▶︎Check out Bufferin on Amazon.com!

2. Seirogan (正露丸) for Stomachache

Seirogan is effective for stomachache

Because you don’t wanna spend all day in a bathroom when you travel. This is a quick resolution for runny stomach.

3. Pabron (パブロン) for Cold

Pabron is effective for early stage of cold

This is effective for common cold symptoms like runny nose, sorethroat, cough, etc, to put them off before get worse.

▶︎▶︎Check out Pabron on Amazon.com!

4. Pansiron (パンシロン) for Upset stomach

Pansiron for upset stomach or hangover

Sometimes we enjoy too much of food and drinks because we want to taste the local flavour as much as we can while travelling. Treat your stomach with this one if your stomach is upset next morning.

5. Hepalyse (ヘパリーゼ) Before Night-out

Heparize: hangover cure drink in Japan

This is a true life savor for preventing from hangover. Drink this before you start boozing to stimulate your liver function!

▶︎▶︎Check out Hepalyse on Amazon.com!

6. Chocola BB (チョコラBB) for Rough skin

Chocola BB: Vitamin supplements

It’s not chocolate.. it’s quite opposite! The essential tablet for girls. This Vitamin B2 tablet is very effective when you have pimples or a mouth ulcer.

▶︎▶︎Check out Chocola BB on Amazon.com!

7. Vantelin (バンテリン) for Muscle pain

Vantelin for sore muscles

Your body muscle can get exhausted when you travel all day but not much time to rest. This Vantelin gel work pretty quick to heal your muscle pain.

▶︎▶︎Check out Vantelin on Amazon.com!


These 7 medicines can be found in most of drugstores or pharmacies in Japan. If you have any sort of similar symptoms, try these first!

For more useful information about travelling and shopping in Japan, check these links, too!

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Written by

"The world is my oyster" A globetrotter 🌎 and hammock lover 🌞 who loves taking adventures to fuel wanderlust. Spent around a decade by living and travelling across the world and currently reside in Japan working as a social media writer for Japan Web Magazine 💻 I spend my days by researching and discovering new places and hidden gems for my next journey, and write articles based on my knowledge, interests and travel experiences. I hope you find my stories helpful to plan your trip and have a wonderful time in Japan 🌈