Buying runny nose medicine in Japan
A Japanese drugstore sells the remedy for runny nose over the counter, but the boxes are entirely in Japanese. This card puts the symptom in front of the staff in one line.
Loading the card builder...
Nothing is uploaded — the card is built in your browser
This tool only prints what you type. It gives no medical advice, makes no diagnosis and guarantees no translation of anything you write yourself.
What a Japanese pharmacist will suggest for runny nose
Nasal tablets and sprays are sold, with separate shelves for hay fever and for colds.
The exact Japanese on the card
The front reads 日本語が話せません。指さしで説明します。 (I do not speak Japanese, I will point at this card), then 鼻水と鼻づまりがつらいです。 — "I have a runny and blocked nose." — and closes with 処方箋なしで買える薬を教えてください。, which asks for something sold without a prescription. That last sentence is what actually opens the shelf: a Japanese drugstore stocks both prescription-only and over-the-counter products, and staff will not guess which one you are allowed to buy.
How a Japanese drugstore works
A ドラッグストア is a shop, not a clinic. A registered seller can hand over most everyday medicine, while a small set of stronger products needs the pharmacist on duty, which is why you are sometimes asked to wait a moment. Bigger chains keep an English allergy and ingredient sheet behind the counter. You can also add how many days the symptom has lasted, which is the first thing staff ask.
Printing it, and printing it in Japan
The default card is 91 by 55 millimetres, Japanese business-card size, and ten fit on one A4 sheet with cut lines as a single-page PDF. Print at 100 percent scaling rather than "fit to page". If you are already in Japan, a convenience-store multi-copier prints the PDF from a USB stick or a phone for roughly 10 to 60 yen a sheet.
Privacy, and what this card is not
Nothing is uploaded. Symptoms, medicines and contacts are typed into your own browser tab, and the PDF is assembled there by JavaScript, so health information never reaches a server. This page gives no medical advice and makes no diagnosis. The tool prints exactly what you tick or type, nothing is checked or professionally translated on your behalf, and anything you write yourself is printed word for word.
Frequently asked questions
How do I say "runny nose" in Japanese at a pharmacy?
鼻水と鼻づまりがつらいです。 That is a complete, polite sentence rather than a bare noun, which matters: a single word can be read as a question about a product, while the full sentence tells staff it is your own symptom right now.
Can I buy runny nose medicine in Japan without a prescription?
In most cases yes. Nasal tablets and sprays are sold, with separate shelves for hay fever and for colds. If the counter decides it is beyond over-the-counter treatment, staff will point you to a clinic instead, which is a useful answer in itself.
Are drugstores open late in Japan?
City-centre chains often run until 22:00 or midnight and a few are open around the clock, but the pharmacist counter that handles the stronger products can close earlier than the shop itself. Convenience stores stock only a very small selection, so a drugstore is worth the walk.
Is what I type stored anywhere?
Nothing is uploaded. Symptoms, medicines and contacts are typed into your own browser tab, and the PDF is assembled there by JavaScript, so health information never reaches a server.