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Your ultimate guide toJapanese Drugstores

What should you buy in a Japanese drugstore? Medicines, skincare, tax-free tips and local favorites, explained by a licensed pharmacist with 20+ years in Japan's largest drugstore group.

For travelers

Japanese drugstores are full of treasures. Let's make shopping simple, safe, and fun.

Beauty, skincare, supplements, daily goods, and trusted medicines share the same shelves. With so many options, it's easy to feel lost. That's why Japan Go To exists.

Medicines

Clear guides to medicines & health products

What each product is for, how to read the box, and what to ask the pharmacist at the counter.

Skincare

Skincare & cosmetic picks loved by locals

The sunscreens, lotions, and beauty staples Japanese shoppers buy again and again.

Shopping tips

Tax-free tips, bestsellers & hidden gems

How tax-free shopping works, what sells out first, and the quiet favorites most visitors miss.

Insider view

Insights you won't find in travel blogs

Why products sit where they do on the shelf, from someone who has run the stores.

Yasue Muramoto, licensed pharmacist, smiling and touching her glasses

Meet your guide

Hi, I'm Yasue Muramoto.

Licensed pharmacist · 20+ years in Japan's largest drugstore group

Over two decades, I rose from pharmacist to company president, working across store operations, merchandising, sales floor design, and growth strategy.

Now I share what I know with visitors from around the world, so you can shop in Japan with confidence.

  • Licensed pharmacist
  • 20+ years in the drugstore industry
  • From pharmacist to company president
  • Co-author of a 2025 business book

The book

The Career Strategy of a Salaryman President

Tokyo News Books · 2025 · In Japanese

Co-authored by three company presidents who rose from employee to the top: lessons on overcoming setbacks, finding mentors, building networks, and developing a leader's perspective.

The shop floorWhat you see in the aisle: the products, the signs, the advice at the counter.
The boardroomThe decisions that put it there. Every topic is explained from both sides.

For business

Translating Japanese drugstore and retail wisdom for the world.

Drawing on 20+ years in Japan's largest drugstore group, from the pharmacy counter to the president's office, Yasue helps companies, marketers, and media understand Japanese retail from the inside.

  • Why are Japanese drugstores so trusted?
  • Why do Japanese sales floors sell so well?
  • What can retailers around the world learn from Japan?
  • What lies behind the products Japan has loved for decades?

Retail & business advisory

Practical advice on store operations, merchandising, sales floor design, and growth strategy, grounded in what works on Japanese shop floors.

Product features

Introducing your products to international visitors who shop in Japanese drugstores, through the Japan Go To channel.

Product review & supervision

A licensed pharmacist's review of product content, claims, and explanations for health, beauty, and daily-care products.

Media & interviews

Expert commentary on Japanese drugstores, retail trends, and inbound shopping for articles, TV, podcasts, and research.

I hope Japan Go To becomes a gateway to trust: the place where future business partners, companies, marketers, and retail professionals think, “I'd like to meet this person.”
Start a conversation

Contact

Get in touch

Questions about Japanese drugstores, business inquiries, or interview requests. Every message is read personally.

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