Japan Drugstore Guide: Best Cough Medicine in Japan

A cough is annoying anywhere, but trying to choose medicine while staring at a wall of unfamiliar Japanese boxes certainly doesn’t make it better.

Luckily, Japanese drugstores stock a surprisingly wide range of over-the-counter cough medicines. In fact, some products now contain the same active ingredients at the same strength as medicines also used on prescription in Japan. (Shionogi Healthcare)

The important part is choosing medicine based on the kind of cough you actually have. A dry, irritating cough and a phlegmy cough are not necessarily treated in the same way.

If your cough comes alongside fever, a sore throat, runny nose or other typical cold symptoms, also read our Japan Drugstore Guide: Cold and Flu Medicine.

This article is intended as a general guide, not medical advice. Always read the package instructions carefully, and speak to a pharmacist, registered drug seller or doctor if you are unsure which medicine is appropriate for you.

Best Cough Medicine in Japan: Quick Guide

Medicine	Best for	Main active ingredient	Age	Typical adult dosage
Medicon Cough Suppressant Tablets Pro メジコンせき止め錠Pro	Dry, persistent or irritating cough	Dextromethorphan	15+	2 tablets, 3 times daily
Medicon Cough Suppressant Syrup Pro メジコンせき止め液Pro	Cough with some phlegm	Dextromethorphan + potassium cresolsulfonate	15+	6ml, 3 times daily
Asverin Cough Suppressant Tablets Pro 20 アスベリンせき止め錠Pro20	Early-stage cough; cough with some phlegm	Tipepidine hibenzate	8+	Adults: 2 tablets, 3 times daily
Mucodyne Expectorant Tablets Pro 500 ムコダイン去たん錠Pro500	Thick or stubborn phlegm	L-carbocisteine	15+	1 tablet, 3 times daily
Stona Expectorant Capsules ストナ去たんカプセル	Phlegm and a phlegmy cough	L-carbocisteine + bromhexine	8+	Adults: 2 capsules, 3 times daily

Important: Do not simply combine several cough, cold or allergy medicines. They can contain overlapping ingredients. Check the label or ask a pharmacist before taking medicines together. For example, Medicon’s manufacturer specifically warns against taking it alongside other cough medicines, cold medicines, sedatives and certain oral antihistamines.

Medicon Cough Suppressant Tablets Pro

メジコンせき止め錠Pro

Best for: A Dry or Persistent Cough

If your main problem is coughing rather than nasal congestion, fever or other cold symptoms, Medicon is one of the easiest products to identify at a Japanese drugstore.

Its active ingredient is dextromethorphan, a non-narcotic cough suppressant that acts on the cough center to reduce coughing.

What makes this particular OTC medicine notable is that Shionogi states that it contains the same active ingredient in the same amount as its prescription-grade counterpart. Each adult daily dose of six tablets contains 90mg of dextromethorphan hydrobromide hydrate. (Shionogi Healthcare)

That makes it a particularly useful option for people who have previously been prescribed dextromethorphan for a cough in Japan and recognize the ingredient.

Active ingredient: Dextromethorphan hydrobromide hydrate

Dosage: Adults aged 15 and over take two tablets three times a day, leaving at least four hours between doses.

Under 15: Do not use.

Price: Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is ¥1,529 including tax for 20 tablets and ¥2,541 for 40 tablets. Prices at individual pharmacies may vary. (Shionogi Healthcare)

Considerations: The manufacturer warns that drowsiness may occur and says not to drive or operate machinery after taking it. Do not combine it with other cough/cold medicines or certain medicines containing antihistamines without checking with a pharmacist or doctor.

Medicon Cough Suppressant Syrup Pro

メジコンせき止め液Pro

Best for: Cough With Some Phlegm

Prefer liquid medicine or have a cough that comes with phlegm? There is also a liquid version of Medicon.

It contains dextromethorphan to suppress coughing plus potassium cresolsulfonate, which helps make phlegm easier to clear.

Like the tablet version, Shionogi states that the syrup contains the same two active ingredients in the same amounts as prescription medicines when compared per milliliter. (Shionogi Healthcare)

Active ingredients:
Dextromethorphan hydrobromide hydrate
Potassium cresolsulfonate

Dosage: Adults aged 15 and over take 6ml three times per day, leaving at least four hours between doses.

Under 15: Do not use.

Price: Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is around ¥1,837 including tax for 72ml. (Shionogi Healthcare)

Asverin Cough Suppressant Tablets Pro 20

アスベリンせき止め錠Pro20

Best for: A Cough That Has Just Started

Asverin is another particularly interesting option because it is an OTC version of a name you may already have encountered at a Japanese clinic.

The active ingredient is tipepidine hibenzate. It acts on the cough center to suppress coughing while also helping make phlegm easier to expel.

Unlike Medicon Pro, Asverin Pro 20 can also be used by children aged eight and over when the age-appropriate dosage is followed.

Age	Amount per dose	Frequency
15 and over	2 tablets	3 times daily
8–14	1 tablet	3 times daily
Under 8	Do not use	—

Leave at least four hours between doses.

Price: Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is ¥1,529 including tax for 20 tablets and ¥2,541 for 40 tablets.

Mucodyne Expectorant Tablets Pro 500

ムコダイン去たん錠Pro500

Best for: Thick, Stubborn Phlegm

Sometimes the coughing itself isn’t really the problem—the mucus causing you to cough is.

For thick or persistent phlegm, look for Mucodyne Expectorant Tablets Pro 500.

Its active ingredient is L-carbocisteine, which helps normalize airway mucus and makes phlegm easier to clear.

This is another particularly useful Japanese OTC medicine because each tablet contains 500mg of L-carbocisteine.

Active ingredient: L-carbocisteine 500mg per tablet

Dosage: Adults aged 15 and over take one tablet three times daily, leaving at least four hours between doses.

Under 15: Do not use.

Price: Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is ¥1,529 including tax for 10 tablets and ¥2,541 for 20 tablets.

One important distinction: Mucodyne is an expectorant, not primarily a cough suppressant. If you’re coughing because sticky mucus is irritating your airways, dealing with the phlegm may be more useful than simply suppressing the cough.

The manufacturer advises consulting a healthcare professional if symptoms have not improved after five or six doses. It also recommends seeking advice before using the medicine for longer than two weeks, even if symptoms have improved.

Stona Expectorant Capsules

ストナ去たんカプセル

Best for: Phlegm and a Phlegmy Cough

Another option commonly available at Japanese drugstores is Stona’s expectorant capsule.

Rather than suppressing coughing directly, it contains two ingredients designed to make phlegm easier to expel:

• L-carbocisteine, which helps improve the consistency and clearance of mucus
• Bromhexine hydrochloride, which helps thin phlegm

The medicine is approved for phlegm and cough associated with phlegm. (佐藤製薬 販売店様専用サイト)

Age	Amount per dose	Frequency
15 and over	2 capsules	3 times daily after meals
8–14	1 capsule	3 times daily after meals
Under 8	Do not use	—

Price: Varies by pharmacy and pack size.

Dry Cough or Phlegmy Cough: Which Medicine Should You Choose?

The shelves become much easier to navigate once you work out what you are actually trying to treat.

Your main symptom	What to look for	Example
Dry, irritating cough	Cough suppressant / 鎮咳薬	Medicon Tablets Pro
Cough plus some mucus	Cough suppressant + expectorant / 鎮咳去痰薬	Medicon Syrup Pro or Asverin Pro 20
Thick, difficult-to-clear phlegm	Expectorant / 去たん薬	Mucodyne Pro 500
Phlegmy cough	Expectorant / 去たん薬	Stona Expectorant Capsules
Fever, sore throat, runny nose and cough together	General cold medicine / かぜ薬	See our Cold and Flu Medicine guide

A cough is a useful reflex for clearing mucus and irritants from your airways, so automatically suppressing every cough isn’t necessarily the best approach—especially when thick phlegm is the main issue.

Useful Japanese Words at the Drugstore

Can’t explain your cough in Japanese? These words can help.

English	Japanese	Reading
Cough	咳	seki
Cough medicine	せき止め / 咳止め	sekidome
Phlegm	痰	tan
Expectorant	去たん薬 / 去痰薬	kotanyaku
Dry cough	乾いた咳	kawaita seki
I have phlegm	痰がからみます	tan ga karamimasu
My cough won’t stop	咳が止まりません	seki ga tomarimasen
I’ve had a cough for three weeks	3週間咳が続いています	sanshūkan seki ga tsuzuite imasu

A pharmacist or registered drug seller can also help check whether a medicine is appropriate for you, particularly if you already take prescription medication.

When Should You See a Doctor for a Cough in Japan?

For a straightforward cough caused by a cold, you may not need to immediately visit a clinic. Many acute coughs improve on their own.

However, a cough that continues for three weeks deserves medical attention rather than another trip down the drugstore aisle.

The Japanese Respiratory Society classifies coughs lasting longer than three weeks separately from acute coughs, and its public guidance says that if coughing or phlegm continues for three weeks or longer, an underlying condition should be considered. Possible causes include asthma, COPD, postnasal drip and other respiratory conditions. (一般社団法人日本呼吸器学会)

Seek medical attention urgently if you have difficulty breathing, significant chest pain or are coughing up blood. These symptoms should not simply be treated with OTC cough medicine. (nhs.uk)

For a severe or potentially life-threatening emergency in Japan, call 119 for an ambulance. (防災科学技術研究所)

If you’re dealing with several cold symptoms rather than just a cough, read our Japan Drugstore Guide: Cold and Flu Medicine before choosing another product.

FAQs

This information is based on current manufacturer information and medical guidance available as of September 2026. Product availability and prices may vary between pharmacies. Always read the package insert and follow the stated dosage.

This page has been brought to you as a public service of The Bluff Medical and Dental Clinic in Yokohama.