The Best Cold Medicine in Japan!
It's never fun to be sick, especially when you're traveling or living in a different country where you may not be able to speak the language. If you're in Japan and you suddenly catch a cold, going to the doctor to get medicine can be very intimidating if you don't speak Japanese and can't find an English-speaking doctor.
Luckily, Japan has tons of effective, over-the-counter cold medicine available for sale at any local drugstore. You'll find medicine tailor-made to target stuffy and runny noses, coughs, sore throats, fevers, or whatever other symptoms you might have. But when there are so many choices available, finding the best medicine to fight your cold can be an overwhelming process, especially when you're faced with boxes covered in kanji that you may not be able to read!
So let's take a look at what kind of medicine is used in Japan to treat different cold symptoms, along with some recommendations for some of the best cold medicines to buy. We'll also cover over-the-counter medicine options for kids so that you don't need to stress about whether a medicine you find at the drugstore is safe for your child to take.
The Best Fever Medication in Japan
When people have a fever in Japan, their go-to medicines tend to include anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen or Loxoprofen, the latter of which is not as common in other countries around the world but provides effective fever and pain relief. Acetaminophen can also be commonly found in fever and pain medicine. Depending on the country you are from, you may find that Japanese medicines containing these drugs contain smaller dosages of each compared to medicines in your country, so you may be required to take more than one tablet in order for them to have the same effect. That being said, be sure to follow the instructions on the medicine's box, and don't take more than the recommended amount!
Some of the best medicines to take when you have a fever include:
・Loxonin S｜ロキソニン S:
A strong medicine that contains the same ingredients as the prescription version of Loxonin, this Loxoprofen-based medicine is perhaps the strongest of the ones available and provides rapid relief for fever and pain symptoms. It also doesn't contain any ingredients that will make you drowsy, so you won't have to worry about feeling sleepy if you take it. While it is available over-the-counter, some drugstores may require you to talk to the pharmacist on duty before buying it, so keep that in mind.
・Tylenol A｜タイレノールA:
This is the same Tylenol that you'll find in many countries around the world, including the US and Canada. These acetaminophen tablets work great for fever and headaches. It's worth noting that one Japanese Tylenol tablet contains 300mg of acetaminophen, whereas in countries like the US, the dosage is sometimes higher.
・EVE A｜イブA:
This is a very popular ibuprofen-based medicine that you'll find in any drugstore. There are many different varieties of EVE A, some of which are stronger or faster-acting than the regular version. Any version of EVE A will provide effective relief for your fever.
If you have a headache, all of the medicines above are also go-to headache relief medicines!
Medicine for Sneezing & Runny Noses
Sneezing and runny or stuffy noses can be incredibly annoying, which is why many medicines in Japan contain antihistamines to get rid of those symptoms. Here's our recommendation for a great medicine that will help keep your nose clear and easy to breathe through.
・Shin LuLu A Gold DXa｜新ルルＡゴールドDXα:
This is actually a general-purpose cold medicine, but it also contains antihistamines and Belladonna total alkaloids, which target the symptoms of runny noses and sneezing and will therefore provide long-lasting relief. This medicine also provides great relief for coughing and has acetaminophen as an active ingredient, meaning it'll also help with fever, headaches, and other pains (though it won't be as effective as medicines like Loxonin or EVE A). It is also safe for children ages 7 and up to take, making it a great general-purpose cold medicine to have on hand in case you or someone else in your family gets sick.
Soothe Your Sore Throat with These Medicines
Sore throats are awful and can make eating and drinking, something you probably really want to do if you're visiting Japan as a tourist, uncomfortable or even painful. There are many cold medicines in Japan that specifically target sore throats, and these medicines usually contain ingredients like acetaminophen, herbal components like licorice, or other anti-inflammatory ingredients meant to soothe your sore throat and help you feel like you don't even have a cold. Here are two sore throat medicine recommendations.
・Shin Jikinin Granules｜新ジキニン顆粒:
This medicine contains acetaminophen, licorice, and other active ingredients which help soothe sore throats. It usually comes as granules in a packet that you have to swallow by taking with water, which depending on where in the world you are from may be a new experience. It's not uncommon for medicines in Japan to come in granule or powder form packaged in packets, and while they may seem different or hard to take at first, they usually act fast since they can dissolve quickly in your body, making them quite effective relief for your cold symptoms.
・PELACK T｜ペラックＴ錠:
This medicine is specifically designed to target sore throats, so if that is your only symptom then this medicine may be the right choice for you to pick up at a drug store. It doesn't contain any ingredients that cause drowsiness, meaning you'll be able to continue on with your day without feeling sleepy, and also includes 3 kinds of vitamins. It can be taken by kids aged 7 and older, so like 新ルルＡゴールドDXα it's a great medicine to have on hand if you have kids.
Speaking of children...
Japanese Medicine for Children
Knowing what medicine is safe for your kids and what medicine isn't can be really challenging when you're in Japan, since if you can't read the packaging easily then you might not even be able to tell if the medicine is recommended for children or not.
Generally speaking, if you see a medicine in a drugstore labeled Junior (or Jr.) or "for Children (こども)" is safe for kids to take. These medicines will also usually have packaging covered in cute characters, not unlike in other countries. Many children's medicines in Japan include acetaminophen, so you can always look for cold medicine with acetaminophen labeled "for children."
Be sure to avoid any medicine with anti-inflammatory ingredients like NSAIDs (including ibuprofen or loxoprofen) or codeine-related products. These usually aren't safe for kids until they're older.
Here are some of our recommendations for children's cold medicine!
・Chewable Bufferin for Children｜小児用バファリンチュアブル:
This medicine can be taken by kids aged 3 to 15 and is great for fevers and headaches since it contains acetaminophen. They're chewable tablets, making it easy for kids to take.
・Chocola BB Mouth Ulcer Repair Shot｜チョコラBB口内炎リペアショット:
This sore throat medicine is a throat spray that especially helps if the sore throat is caused by throat inflammation. While the name of the medicine translated to English includes "mouth ulcer," don't let that scare you away from it. You can use this medicine no matter what kind of sore throat your child has.
・Kid's Bufferin Syrup S｜キッズバファリンシロップS:
This medicine is great for fevers and runny noses, making it a good all-round cold medicine for kids. It's strawberry-flavored and caffeine-free, meaning that it should be relatively easy to give it to your kids and have them drink it. There are also other versions of Kid's Bufferin Syrup that specifically target different symptoms, such as coughs. While this medicine is recommended for children ages 3 and up, you may be able to give it to your child if they are younger than 3 if your doctor recommends it.
・Pabron Kid's Cold Tablets｜パブロンキッズかぜ錠:
These cold tablets are excellent all-around cold medicine for kids, containing acetaminophen, cough suppressants, and antihistamines to help with other cold symptoms. If you just want to keep one cold medicine for your kids on hand at all times, then this one could be best for you.
Take Care!
These are just some of the many different medicines available in Japan to treat colds. If you're living in Japan, you may find other cold medicine that works best for you, so don't be afraid to try different brands to find the one that helps you the most.
If you're not confident in your Japanese, you can always search online for these medicines and then show a pharmacist or staff at a drugstore the medicine's name along with a picture, and they'll help you find it. Hopefully, you won't often need to buy or take any of these medicines, but at least now you'll be prepared in the unfortunate event that you do catch a cold while you are in Japan.
