Visiting a Japanese pharmacy chain store like Matsumoto KiYoshi is definitely a shopping highlight in Japan. This leading chain store has 722 stores throughout Japan and provides an eye-opening experience for tourists to their enormous range of toiletries, cosmetics, counter medications, home cleaning essentials and tidbits. In this article, I will introduce some of my recommended buys from Matsumoto KiYoshi.
1. Eyeglass Shampoo Disinfecting EX
Did you know water alone or using the incorrect cleanser for your spectacles will not remove smudges effectively and will compromise the lifespan of your lens? However, this problem can be resolved by using a specialized eyewear shampoo!
The gentle Eyeglass Shampoo Disinfecting EX is a sterilizing agent foam solution that can effectively remove all smudges, fingerprints and marks on your lens instantly, as well as sterilize bacteria and sebum on the frames and nose pads. The foaming texture resembles Kirei Kirei hand foaming soap and it is extremely easy to use. Just spray the foam on your lens and wash it off with water.
Eyeglass Shampoo Disinfecting EX comes in five different scents: mintyberry, aquamint, floral, fresh musk and tropical sweet, and two types packaging: the original spray container and the economical 160ml refillable packs. As such, you can just purchase one bottle and stock up on refillable packs on future visits!
2. Apagard Smokin’ – Stain Care Toothpaste
Dental cleanliness plays an important role as part of personal grooming in Japan and as such, there is a wide range of whitening dental products in the pharmacy. If you are a daily coffee or tea drinker, you might want to check out the various brands of whitening toothpaste on the market.
I am a fan of Apagard toothpaste manufactured by Sangi Co. Ltd, Japan, whose patent technology and ingredients are proven to effectively support tooth enamel and restore mineral density. My favourite is the Apagard Smokin’ – a special care whitening range that has added ingredients for extra protection against nicotine, wine and coffee stains.
Apagard toothpaste are also available in Tokyu Hands or Japanese marts in Singapore, but the price is at least 30% higher. As such, it is definitely cheaper to buy it in Japan.
3. Pain Relief Patches
Pain relief patches are well-known to effectively relieve sudden pain such as muscle ache, stiff shoulder or back pain. There is a wide range of pain relief patches available in pharmacies, broadly categorized into two types: cold and warm version. Please take note that the heat of the warm pain relief patches is too much to bear (even during winter)! Having tried several different brands, I realized they actually have very similar features: stretchable in all directions, easy to put on, and do not come off easily. As such, you may purchase based on your budget. They made great gifts for the elderly too!
4. ESTACQUEVE Fine EX Painkillers
Due to the language barrier, it is typical of tourists to be cautious of buying medications in foreign countries. However, if you encounter the unfortunate experience of falling sick in Japan especially contacting a cold, sore throat or fever virus, I would highly recommend you to buy this Japanese Panadol. It is the most effective over-the-counter painkiller I had that could cure running nose, fever, headache and sore throat symptoms within two intakes! A highly recommended medication that has since been a definite repurchase on my shopping list.
5. Hairbrushes and Hair Styling Products
One of the distinctive characteristics of Japanese culture is their impeccable grooming standards. Japanese are generally well-groomed, in particular, Japanese ladies with perfectly-styled voluminous hair. This could be due to the many good hair styling products easily available in pharmacies. There are numerous hairbrushes with various functions: oil-infused, moisturizing, anti-static, detangling and others. You can also find hair styling and plaiting tools as well as hair styling booklets to achieve the beautiful Japanese salon hair styling effect.
I hope you will like these recommendations. Now you can enjoy your shopping at Matsumoto KiYoshi!
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