If you've ever stood in a Japanese drugstore, staring at rows of medicine with no idea what any of it does — you're not alone. It's one of the most common challenges international residents face, and it's something we've wanted to solve for a long time.
Today, we're excited to introduce OTC Guide Japan — our dedicated sister site for over-the-counter medicine in Japan, covering products in English with photos, ingredients, dosage, and side effects.
Where It All Started
Back in 2019, we launched Med+ — our first attempt at building a dedicated OTC medicine resource. The idea was simple: help international residents find and understand Japanese medicines in English.
Med+ helped a lot of people. But life got busy. The site couldn't keep up. So we made the difficult decision to step away — but never forgot the people we wanted to help.
OTC Guide Japan — Rebuilt From the Ground Up
Seven years later, we're back — and this time, we did it right. OTC Guide Japan is everything Med+ was, and more.
Every product comes with clear photos so you know exactly what to look for on the shelf. All information — ingredients, dosage, contraindications, side effects — is sourced directly from official Japanese package inserts. No guessing. No Google Translate.
Browse by Category
Whether you need something for pain, allergies, cold medicine, digestive issues, or more — everything is organized by category so you can find what you're looking for quickly.
Every Detail, In English
Each product page gives you the full picture — what it does, who should and shouldn't take it, how much to take, and what side effects to watch for. Designed to be used right at the drugstore, on your phone.
What's Coming
We're just getting started. Our goal is to keep growing the library — more medicines, more categories, more options. We believe everyone deserves to make informed choices about their own health, and we want to be the resource that makes that possible in Japan.
Head over to otcguidejapan.com and take a look. We hope it helps.
— The Life Abroad Team