About OTC Guide Japan

For international residents and visitors in Japan

What Is OTC Guide Japan?

OTC Guide Japan is an English-language reference for over-the-counter medicines sold at Japanese pharmacies (薬局・ドラッグストア). We explain ingredients, dosage, usage instructions, and warnings in plain English so you can make confident, informed decisions — even if you can't read Japanese labels.

Who Is This For?

This site is for anyone living in, working in, or visiting Japan who occasionally needs to buy medicine without fully being able to read the Japanese packaging. Whether you've been in Japan for one week or ten years, navigating the medicine aisle can be confusing — we're here to help.

About the Author

Susumu

Susumu

OTC Guide Japan is run by Susumu, who has passed the Japanese Registered Salesperson exam (登録販売者試験). In Japan, a Registered Salesperson (登録販売者) is qualified to sell category-2 and category-3 OTC medicines — the exam requires knowledge of pharmacology, ingredients, and safe medicine use. All medicine information on this site is verified against official Japanese product documentation.

Susumu also runs lifeabroad.jp, a broader resource for the international community in Japan.

How We Write Each Page

  1. The Japanese package insert is our source. We start from the 添付文書 (package insert) that comes with the medicine, and translate it into English. English leaflets from manufacturers are sometimes out of date or incomplete, so we use them only as a reference or a link, never as the source.
  2. We check every page against the original. After registering a product, we compare the English with the Japanese insert line by line: ingredients, dosage, who must not take it, who should consult first, side effects, and serious symptoms.
  3. We only write what the documents say. We don't add guesses, rankings, or marketing claims. We never call a product "the best", and we don't give prices, which change often.
  4. We label our sources. When a detail comes from somewhere other than the package insert, such as the maker's pre-purchase check sheet or product page, the page says so.

What You'll Find on a Product Page

  • The class of the medicine (such as Class 1, Class 2, or Pharmacist-Guidance Drug) and what it means for how you buy it.
  • Active and inactive ingredients, dosage by age, warnings, side effects, and the rare serious symptoms.
  • Links to the Japanese package insert and the maker's page, and the date we last verified the page.
  • The product's barcode, so you can find it by scanning the box at the store.

What We Are Not

We are an information site, not a pharmacy or a medical service. We can't tell you which medicine to take or whether it is right for you. Please ask a pharmacist or doctor, and bring the package insert.

Corrections

If you find an error or an out-of-date detail, please tell us through the contact page. We check it against the Japanese package insert and fix it, and we update the "last verified" date on the page.

Photos and Links

Product photos are used to help you identify the product. This site participates in the Amazon Japan affiliate program. If you buy through a link on this site, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Contact

Have a question, correction, or suggestion? Get in touch →