Japan shopping guide
Drugstore shopping in Japan: what to know in 2026
Last checked: July 2026
The tax-free experience changes on November 1, 2026:
- Until October 31: the tax comes off at the register, and cosmetics and medicine go into a sealed bag you must not open in Japan.
- From November 1: you pay the full price in the store and claim the refund at the airport. No more sealed bags — but you still need the goods with you when you leave.
TL;DR
- Any chain will do for the popular items — pick whichever is closest. Prices differ store by store, so compare if you're buying in bulk.
- Tax-free needs ¥5,000 before tax in one store on one day plus your physical passport. That threshold stays after November.
- The real constraint is not Japanese law but your own country’s customs — several countries cap common cold and cough medicines.
- Buying medicine? Bring a photo of what you take at home. Staff can match ingredients far more reliably than product names.
Which chain should you walk into?
Honestly: the nearest one. The big chains carry broadly the same best-sellers, and prices vary more between individual branches than between brands. What differs is how easy each one is to get to and get through.
| Chain | What stands out |
|---|---|
| Matsukiyo / Cocokara | The biggest group after the 2021 merger, around 3,000 stores. You'll trip over one in any city center or shopping street — usually the easiest to find. |
| Welcia | Has said it will roll tax-free service out to around 1,000 stores, suburban branches included. Often larger, with a pharmacy counter attached. |
| Tsuruha | Tax-free from ¥5,000 (before tax) and free multilingual Wi-Fi in every store — handy if your eSIM is acting up. |
| Don Quijote | Not a drugstore as such, but stocks the same cosmetics and medicine alongside everything else. Late hours, dedicated tax-free counters, and it takes just about every payment method. |
Tourist-heavy branches in Shinjuku, Shibuya, Namba, and Ginza stay open late and usually have multilingual staff or translation devices. Quieter neighborhood branches are often cheaper but close earlier and may not offer tax-free at all — look for the “Japan Tax-Free Shop” sticker.
Tax-free at a drugstore
Cosmetics, medicine, supplements, and food all count as consumables, which is the category with the extra rules. Spend ¥5,000 or more (before tax) in one store on one day and show your physical passport.
- 1
🧺Pay the full tax-included price
Show your passport at the register or the tax-free counter. There's no discount at checkout anymore — that's the big change.
- 2
🧳Keep the goods with you
The sealed-bag rule disappears, but you still have to be able to show the items when you leave Japan.
- 3
🛃Confirm at customs before departure
Present your passport at the airport terminal so customs can record that the goods are leaving the country — and do it within 90 days of purchase.
- 4
💴Get the 10% back
The store or its refund operator returns the tax. Methods vary by store — ask when you buy.
Until October 31, 2026 the old system applies instead: tax deducted at the register, consumables sealed in a bag you must not open inside Japan.
Under the current system, opening that sealed bag in Japan means customs can collect the waived tax when you leave — so resist testing the face masks in your hotel room. Our tax-free shopping guide covers both systems in full.
What people actually fill their baskets with
Government retail data puts beauty and skincare at the top of visitor spending in drugstores, ahead of over-the-counter medicine. The categories that come up again and again:
- Skincare and cosmetics, including brands and lines sold only in Japan
- Sunscreen — the light, non-sticky textures Japan is known for
- Sheet masks, usually bought by the box rather than one at a time
- Everyday over-the-counter medicine: painkillers, stomach remedies, eye drops, medicated patches
- Supplements and baby care
We deliberately don’t quote prices: the same product can differ by store, and drugstore pricing moves constantly. If you’re buying a large quantity of one item, it’s worth checking a second branch.
Taking medicine home: check your own customs first
Japan lets you buy over-the-counter medicine freely, and taking a reasonable personal quantity out isn't the problem. The restrictions that actually bite are on the arrival side, and they vary a lot:
- Singaporerestricts medicines containing pseudoephedrine or codeine: small personal quantities in original packaging are generally fine, but anything beyond that needs advance approval from the Health Sciences Authority. Plenty of ordinary Japanese cold and cough medicines contain these ingredients, so check the HSA’s current limits before you stock up.
- Chinaapplies a “personal use, reasonable quantity” test. Narcotic and psychotropic medicines need a doctor’s certificate and stay within prescribed limits; traditional medicines containing musk or tiger bone are banned outright.
- Everywhere else: assume nothing. Check your own customs and health authority before you buy in bulk — the rules are written per ingredient, not per brand.
Keep medicine in its original box and packaging, and don’t buy quantities that look commercial rather than personal. If you take prescription medication, carry your prescription or a doctor’s letter.
Practical tips
- Photograph what you use at home. Brand names rarely translate, but staff can match active ingredients from a photo of the packaging.
- Payment is easy at tourist branches. Don Quijote takes all major cards, contactless, transit IC cards, and — at tourist locations — Alipay and WeChat Pay. Smaller neighborhood drugstores can be more limited, so carry some cash.
- Do the tax-free math before you queue. ¥5,000 is per store per day, so combine your purchases into one visit rather than spreading them.
- Buying late? Don Quijote and some city-center drugstores run very late or around the clock; ordinary suburban stores usually close in the evening.
Sources
Facts above were checked in July 2026 against primary sources including the National Tax Agency’s tax-free explainer, the national tax-free shops association on the refund switch, Tsuruha and Don Quijote on in-store tax-free rules, and METI retail statistics on what visitors buy.
Rules and store policies are as of the last check and can change; customs limits are summarized for orientation only — always confirm with your own country’s authorities before traveling. This page contains no affiliate links; links go to official or primary sources.