Tokyo is known for its large variety of quality skin care and innovative beauty gadgets. Aside from food, sight-seeing and cultural activities, another must-do in your itinerary has got to be drugstore shopping!
Unlike conventional pharmacies, the ones in Tokyo sell a huge variety of products ranging from skincare, cosmetics, medicine, daily necessities such as toiletries and cleaning products, to even snacks! Most of the products sold are very affordable and unique to the Japanese market, and are very popular with tourists worldwide.
Here are some of our tips for the ultimate pharmacy shopping experience!
Please read the package precautions carefully before using the medicine.
Pharmacies usually showcase their most popular products or best offers at the entrance to attract customers. If you are at a loss for what to buy, check out the displays near the entrances and you are bound to snag a deal.
Usually, in stores that support tax exemption procedures for foreign tourists, signs are prominently placed at the entrance, so keep an eye out for them to enjoy savings.
Large franchises such Daikoku Drug offer language support in English and Mandarin. This is especially useful when you need help in reading the product labels or recommendations. A helpful tip will be to look out for the name tags on the staff's uniform. They usually indicate their language proficiency
Despite being affordable, Japanese drugstore products are made with stringent standards to ensure the highest quality. Stores are usually brightly lit with neatly organised stocks and testers, and you can easily get lost for hours going through the endless displays.
If you don't know what to buy, why not visit @cosme Store, a retail store operated by @cosme, the most popular beauty review site in Japan. There is a sales floor that reflects the review rankings of Japanese consumers, offering a wide range of products from department store cosmetics to petit price cosmetics.
Japanese cosmetics also produce limited edition items occasionally such as special colour palettes, or packaging tie-ups. Keep an eye out for those and you are guaranteed to find a unique make-up look or souvenir to bring home.
Japanese pay alot of attention to their eye health and with such a huge contact lens culture, they have a large variety of eye drops for various eye conditions and symptoms. Their eyedrops are very well known for their efficacy and are very popular with tourists.
Rohto is a popular brand which offers different ranges of eyedrops for different purposes. One of the more popular types would be the 'cooling eyedrops' that give a minty feeling, instantly relieving tired or irritated eyes. They even have eyedrops specifically to help fight and protect eyes against blue light damage, or a series in elegantly designed bottles for ladies!
Japanese pharmacies have a wealth of drugs that are well known for their effectiveness. Many tourists come to buy these drugs that cannot be found abroad.
For those with coughs and sore throats, there is a granular "Ryukakusan Direct" that evolved from the original fine powder Ryukakusan. It contains herbal medicine as its main ingredient and can be taken directly from a stick bag without water with mint or peach flavor. The fine powder dissolves easily in your mouth, providing relief for your throat.
If you have a scratch or cut, try Kobayashi's Sakamukea Liquid Bandage. It covers the wound with a thin transparent film, which protects it against water and bacteria to support faster healing.
In terms of cosmetics or skincare, Tokyo pharmacies carry some of the best and most affordable products around. If you find department stores a bit too pricey, do try shopping at a pharmacy next time. You will be surprised by the gems you can unearth!
For even more beauty recommendations, https://www.gotokyo.org/en/story/locals-go/for-both-inner-and-outer-beauty-try-these-tokyo-spots/index.html.