Japanese OTC Medicine
in English

Feel at home in Japan, even at the drugstore.
Ingredients, dosage, warnings, and more — all in English.
Search by symptom, ingredient, or medicine name.

Browse by Category

Pain Relief

For headaches, fever, cramps, and muscle pain

27 medicines

Allergy

Antihistamines for hay fever, sneezing, and itchy eyes

34 medicines

Cold Medicine

For sore throat, congestion, cough, and fever

41 medicines

Digestive Health

For stomach pain, diarrhea, constipation, and bloating

33 medicines

Sleep Aids

For occasional difficulty falling asleep

6 medicines

Yeast/Thrush

Antifungal medicines for vaginal yeast infections

8 medicines

Feminine Itch Relief

For intimate itching, irritation, and feminine hygiene

14 medicines

Topical

Creams, patches, and gels for pain and skin conditions

40 medicines

Guides

Practical guides for buying medicine in Japan

Understanding Japanese OTC Medicine Classes

Japan classifies all OTC medicines into classes based on risk level. The class determines where you can buy it and what precautions apply — important to know before heading to the pharmacy or ordering online.

All medicines listed are available without a prescription at Japanese pharmacies.
Class 1 medicines require answering several quick questions from a pharmacist at the time of purchase.

Class 1

第1類医薬品

Available at pharmacies only. A pharmacist must be present and provide guidance before purchase.

e.g. Loxonin S, Empecid L

Designated Class 2

指定第2類医薬品

Available at drug stores. Higher risk of misuse — limited to one box per person. Online purchase requires a questionnaire.

e.g. Lulu Attack EX, Benza Block

Class 2

第2類医薬品

Available at drug stores. The most common OTC category — no pharmacist required.

e.g. Allegra FX, Claritin EX

Class 3

第3類医薬品

Available at drug stores and convenience stores. Lowest risk — the easiest to purchase.

e.g. Salonpas, Biofermin VC

Abuse-Prevention Designated

Some medicines on this site carry an additional Abuse-Prevention designation (指定濫用防止医薬品) — limited to 1 unit per person per transaction, with pharmacist confirmation required both in-store and online.

Quasi-Drug

Some products on this site are classified as quasi-drugs (指定医薬部外品) — a Japanese category for products considered mild enough to be sold without restriction at pharmacies, drugstores, convenience stores, and supermarkets. These products do not display a class number.

Each medicine on this site displays its class so you always know what to expect.

Finding Medicine in a Japanese Pharmacy

Not sure which aisle to look in? Japanese pharmacies use these signs to organize their shelves. Pull up this page in-store to find what you need quickly.

Japanese	Reading	What it means
風邪薬	kazegusuri	Cold medicine
鼻炎薬	biennyaku	Allergy / Hay fever medicine
鎮痛剤・頭痛薬	chintsūzai / zutsuuyaku	Pain reliever / Headache medicine
解熱鎮痛薬	genetsuchintsūyaku	Fever & pain relief
胃腸薬	ichōyaku	Digestive / Stomach medicine
睡眠補助薬	suimin hojoyaku	Sleep aid
目薬	megusuri	Eye drops
湿布・外用薬	shippu / gaiyōyaku	Pain patches / Topical medicine

About OTC Guide Japan

Finding the right medicine in Japan can be confusing when you can't read Japanese labels. OTC Guide Japan provides clear, English-language information on common over-the-counter medicines — from cold remedies and allergy pills to topical treatments — so you can make informed decisions at the pharmacy.

Learn more →

Japanese OTC Medicine in English