Japanese Drugstores Explained: What to Buy and How Medicine Is Sold

Step through the automatic doors of a Japanese drugstore and the first impression is a cheerful wall of sound and color: looping jingles, shelves of face masks and sunscreen, towers of snacks, and somewhere past the cosmetics, a neat row of cold remedies and pain relievers. These shops are part pharmacy, part beauty counter and part convenience store, and visitors often find themselves spending far longer inside than planned.

This guide explains how drugstores differ from pharmacies, introduces the major chains, shows how over-the-counter medicine is sorted and sold, and covers tax-free shopping, including the refund-based system that begins on 1 November 2026. It ends with the official rules for bringing your own medicine into Japan, which are worth checking before you pack.

Drugstore or Pharmacy? Two Different Shops

In Japan the two words mean different things. A drugstore is a retail shop selling over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, toiletries, supplements, cosmetics and household goods. A yakkyoku is a licensed pharmacy that can fill prescriptions, and a chozai yakkyoku is one that focuses on dispensing them. Some buildings house both, with a drugstore on the main floor and a prescription counter in a corner.

The distinction matters for hours as well. A dispensing counter often closes earlier than the rest of a large drugstore. Japanese pharmacies generally fill prescriptions written by prescribers in Japan, so a prescription from abroad usually cannot be filled directly. Visitors who run out of a regular medicine are better off seeing a local doctor, who can write a Japanese prescription where that is appropriate.

Meet the Big Chains

Several national chains dominate the street. Matsumoto Kiyoshi, often shortened to Matsukiyo, began in 1932 as a small business in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, and was incorporated as a company in 1954. It added cosmetics and personal care products to a drug-focused range in 1987, opened its first overseas store in Bangkok in 2015, and in June 2020 became the first Japanese drugstore brand with stores in every prefecture. In October 2021 it joined with the chain Cocokara Fine, and the parent company is now called Matsukiyococokara & Co.

Other names you will see include Sundrug, often found near major train stations; Tsuruha, which has a strong presence in Hokkaido; Welcia, many of whose branches stay open around the clock; and Cocokara Fine, known for skincare. Store sizes range from small neighborhood shops to large multistory branches. Many chains also run digital coupons, so it is worth checking the chain's app or website before a big shop.

What You Will Find on the Shelves

Medicine is usually grouped by symptom, with shelf signs for colds, allergies, stomach trouble, pain and skin problems. Beyond medicine, the range runs through skincare, sheet masks, makeup, hair care, oral care, vitamins, bandages, baby goods, cleaning supplies and often packaged food and drinks. Many popular souvenirs, such as sheet masks, come straight from these shelves.

When you read a medicine box, look for the ingredients (seibun), the dose (yoho yoryo), the age guidance and the section headed with the idea of consulting a pharmacist or doctor (so-dan suru koto). Brand names change often, so a safer approach is to compare active ingredients, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, rather than hunt for a name you know from home. If you are unsure, show the staff a translation app with the symptom, and ask a pharmacist before buying anything unfamiliar.

How OTC Medicine Is Classified

Japan sorts non-prescription medicines into three classes, and the class decides who may sell them. Class 1 medicines can be sold only by a pharmacist and are kept behind the counter, so if no pharmacist is on duty you cannot buy them that day. Class 2 medicines can be sold by a pharmacist or a registered seller (toroku hanbasha), and they sit on open shelves. Class 3 medicines follow the same pattern as class 2.

The class number reflects regulatory caution, not how safe or strong a product is. Class 2 and 3 medicines come with a legal duty for staff only to make an effort to explain them, so it helps to ask directly. The warnings, dose and list of people who should avoid the product are in the leaflet inside the box, which is usually written only in Japanese, so a translation app is handy. Useful words include kusuri (medicine) and itami-dome (pain relief), and a handy question is to ask whether the shop has something for your symptom, using the pattern ni kiku mono wa arimasu ka.

Tax-Free Shopping and the 2026 Change

Until the end of October 2026, eligible visitors at tax-free counters generally avoid the 10 percent consumption tax at the register. You show your physical passport (copies and phone photos are not accepted), spend at least 5,000 yen before tax, and for consumables such as cosmetics, food and medicine the goods have been sealed in special packaging that must stay closed until you leave Japan.

On 1 November 2026, Japan switches to a refund-based system. Visitors pay the tax-inclusive price at the register, the sale is recorded from the passport, and the consumption tax is refunded once customs confirms at departure that the goods are leaving. The confirmation must happen within 90 days of purchase, and the sealed-packaging rule for consumables is dropped. The separate treatment of general goods and consumables ends, the minimum is 5,000 yen before tax, and the old 500,000 yen daily cap on consumables is removed. Refund methods and timing vary by shop or refund service, so keep all receipts and check the National Tax Agency or Japan Tourism Agency pages for the current procedure.

Bringing Medicine Into Japan

Visitors may bring medicine for personal use without a license, but it cannot be sold or given to others. The Japanese government's published guidance sets quantity limits: prescription drugs and poisons up to one month, OTC medicine and quasi-drugs up to two months, vitamins up to four months, and external-use products such as ointments and eye drops up to 24 units per item. Carry the medicine in its original packaging, and bring a copy of the prescription and a doctor's letter that gives each drug's name and purpose.

Some products are restricted. Medicines containing pseudoephedrine, including common cold products and certain inhalers sold abroad, and those containing codeine, are not allowed in the personal-use category, and stimulants such as amphetamines are banned under Japanese law. If you need more than the allowed amount, or need to bring restricted items such as syringes, you must obtain an import certificate called a yunyu kakunin-sho from the regional bureau of health and welfare before you travel. Applying early is the key, since approval is needed before arrival. Check the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare for current forms.

Tips for Visitors

Carry your physical passport if you plan to shop tax-free, and check the final receipt for every item before leaving the counter. Opening hours vary by branch, and a pharmacist may be off duty at some times, which affects class 1 medicines. Keep medicines in their boxes and note the active ingredient so you can describe them to staff.

For severe or sudden pain, trouble breathing, a persistent high fever or symptoms that keep getting worse, a doctor is the right next step rather than a shelf of remedies. Many large stores have friendly staff who will help you find sunscreen, a cold remedy or a gift, and a short, polite question goes a long way. Prices, hours and coupons change, so check the chain's official site for the latest details.