Starting in the ancient time, Japan have learned medical plants' prescriptions
mainly from China. In Japanese word these herbal medication is called
"Kan-po." The "Kan" part is the name of dynasty ruled the land of China
existed around 200 BBC to 200 AD.
As many of you know, Chinese letters used in Japan today are called "Kan-ji,"
which also meaning these came from China area around that time. Although,
historians are not sure of when was the exact period those prescriptions and
the letters brought to Japan.
As you see, the word "kanji" and "kanpo" is using same letter at the top,
which is the name of an ancient Chinese empire.
Anyway kanpo came in to Japan very long ago, if it wasn't 2000 years ago, maybe it
was 1000 years ago, and since then the technology has been adopted to many area.
I am guessing the cough drops are also one extension of that, though it has been
so many hundreds years past since, we don't really know its history.
A pack of cough dropｓ may look like this, containing 10 to 20 little packed
candies in side priced 100 to 300 Yen or so.
There are always one or two little cutting spot on the edge of a package,
easy to lip the bug open with your hands.
Little packs also have some jaggy edge can be ｒipped with your hands very easily.
See?
I really like this 3 layered cough drops, looking nice, taste good and
surprisingly works well, even though this is not counted as a medicine in Japan.
Because kanpo drugs are usually made out of plants, some are not
regulated like chemical drugs and can be sold as a kind of food.
As you eat any cough drops, you should not bite them, but
melt in your mouth slowly, so the medicinal properties to be
absorbed fully.
There are three type of tastes manufactured from very popular
mint and candy company. I actually like the one in the middle
"milk and mint taste." My husband's favorite is the lemon taste, the yellow one.
Because the air is very dry, or low in humidity, in winter season here in Japan,
cough and sore throat are common stress to many people.
If it is severe you should see a doctor, but have some cough drop is easy and
surprisingly effective to ease the symptoms as well.
When I was living in the United States, I saw some cough drops mostly looks like this,
which can be found at a drugstore, but Japanese cough drops (non medicated one)
can be find at a candy section of grocery stores, supermarkets and
any place selling some snack and candies.
Cough drops also can be found at chewing gum shelves at a store.
The packages are somewhat like gums and mints but this is one type of
cough drops.
This one taste more like herb with hint of fruit called Pseudocydonia sinensis,
or the Chinese quince. Because this fruit is containing something works to
ease the cough and frog, Japanese people have been using it traditionally.
Chinese quince tree.
To open this package, please find a little tip behind and start ripping.
Like this.
I guess it maybe same as chewing gum packages in your country.
This product can be found in two types of taste but
I like green one better.
There are many cough drops manufactured at many candy companies
as well as drug companies.
Ryukakusan Co., Ltd, is maybe the most famous drug company making
cough and sore throat related medicine.
They are also making candies for sore throat and making big money.
Ryukakusan company was established 1872, but its prescriptions was
created about 200 years ago for landlord of Akita area of Japan by his family doctor.
By the way the doctor was the ancestor of the president of this company today.
These three letters are company name "Ryukakusan,"
which you can find on any Ryukakusan company's products.
This one is medicated cough drops made by Ryukakusan Co., Ltd,
can be found at a drug stores or any pharmacy.
There are some cute looking package of cough drops as well.
These are products of UHA Mikakuto Co., maybe another most famous
cough drop company, though they are more of a candy company.
So their fancy colored drops are usually taste sweeter than Ryukakusan drops.
Other example of "e-ma" cough drops by Mikakuto Co..
These handy packages are nice to carry around in a hand bugs.
Mikakuto is also making anime character package cough drops for kids.
On the other hand they are manufacturing medical herb related cough drops, too.
The illustrations of plants on the package are the plants they are using.
They are also using Chinese quince as you can see.
If you are at candy section of a supermarket, you can find 5 to 10 kinds
of different kind of cough drops. If you cannot decide what to pick
I would recommend honey and lemon taste one.
As you are looking for a cough drops around a candy selves, you must
know one Japanese word, "NODO-AME." This means cough drop in Japanese,
though the word its self mean throat candy. There are same looking candies,
doesn't have any function to ease your sore throat, so you must be sure to
find this word on the candy package somewhere.
Because the Chinese letter meaning throat is a bit difficult, most candy
companies are not using it.
Like this package.
There are 2136 well used kan-jis (Chinese letters) selected by ministry of education
or something, which have to be learned before finishing school education in a Japan.
Many companies usually avoid using those letters not included
in that list for their products' name.
As my recommendation, if you rinse your mouth before eating a nodo-ame, to
clear some dusts you swallowed, these candies works more effectively. And if
your sore throat doesn't get any better eating two or three of those drops, you
should see a doctor or take some stronger medications.
Please have a good time in Japan!
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