Best Japanese Pain Relief Patches 2026: 7 Picks + Box Words

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Ski slopes, long city walks, heavy suitcases on station stairs, cold weather, long hours at a desk: winter in Japan often brings stiff shoulders, a sore back or tired legs. Japanese drugstores such as Matsumoto Kiyoshi, Sundrug or Don Quijote have a whole wall of pain relief patches, 湿布 shippu, almost all labelled only in Japanese. Salonpas is also a well-known drugstore souvenir.

This guide is only about patches: tapes, テープ剤, poultices, パップ剤, small plasters. It explains the types, box words, what to check, then 7 products with prices checked on 14 November 2026. There is no ranking. Doses, ages, warnings come from the package inserts, 添付文書, on PMDA, Japan’s medicines agency, plus the makers’ pages. This is not medical advice: read the label, ask the pharmacist, 薬剤師 yakuzaishi, if unsure.

For other medicines, see our Japanese drugstore medicine guide. For how drugstores work in general, see our Japan drugstore shopping guide. Disposable heat packs are covered in our kairo guide.

Which type for which pain

All these patches list similar uses: back, shoulder, joint, muscle pain, bruises, sprains. The differences are the ingredient, the risk class, how often you may use it, the feel.

※ Summarised from the package inserts on PMDA, from the makers’ product pages. Daiichi Sankyo says its パップ is a cool type suited to fresh inflammation.

What the risk class on the box means

The Japan Self-Medication Industry, 日本OTC医薬品協会, explains the risk class on the box:

• 要指導医薬品, 第1類医薬品: only a pharmacist can sell them, with a written explanation. None of the patches on this page is in these classes.
• 第2類医薬品, class 2: a pharmacist or a registered seller, 登録販売者 tōroku hanbaisha, can sell it. 指定第2類 marks class 2 products that need extra care.
• 第3類医薬品, class 3: lower risk.

So you can take any of these boxes from the shelf, then ask questions at the counter.

Read the box, check before you buy

The pains on the box come from the official list of uses, 効能・効果. The words you will see most often:

※ Words taken from the package inserts on PMDA, from Hisamitsu product pages.

7 patches to look for

Four NSAID tapes, one classic Salonpas, one warm tape, one poultice.

1. ロキソニンSテープ (Loxonin S Tape)

From the maker of Loxonin S tablets. The tape contains loxoprofen, an NSAID painkiller, used once a day, max 4 sheets a day. The maker calls it a stretchy, beige tape with a slight scent. Do not use another topical pain reliever at the same time.

2. ボルタレンEXテープ (Voltaren EX Tape)

This stretchy tape contains diclofenac, another NSAID: 1 to 2 sheets once a day. Its label says do not use if pregnant, or if you might be, nor if you have had asthma. Not for under-15s.

3. フェイタス (Feitas)

Feitas contains felbinac, an NSAID, plus menthol, vitamin E, used up to twice a day. Hisamitsu says フェイタス5.0 is now simply フェイタス, so old boxes may remain. Not if pregnant, not under 15. The old フェイタスZαジクサス tapes end once stock runs out; the newer diclofenac line is フェイタスZプレミアム, ¥1,410 for 7.

4. サロンパスEX (Salonpas EX)

Not classic Salonpas: サロンパスEX contains indometacin, an NSAID, in a card-sized plaster. It is 第2類, used up to twice a day, not for under-11s. If pregnant, ask a doctor, pharmacist first. A warm サロンパスEX温感 costs ¥969 for 20.

5. サロンパスAe (Salonpas Ae)

The classic small Salonpas, with methyl salicylate, menthol, camphor, vitamin E, but no strong NSAID. It is 第3類, used several times a day. Its uses add 筋肉疲労, tired muscles, plus しもやけ, chilblains. Medium, large sizes are also sold.

6. ロキソニンS温感テープ (Loxonin S Warm Tape)

No. 1 plus a warming ingredient, nonivamide, ノナン酸バニリルアミド, which is capsaicin-like; the maker says it helps blood flow. Same rules: once a day, max 4 sheets, 15+. For comparison, the フェイタス温感 label says to remove it 1 hour before a bath, wait about 30 minutes after, and not to heat the area with a kotatsu. Read your own box.

7. ロキソニンSパップ (Loxonin S Pap)

A poultice, larger, thicker than a tape. The maker calls it a cool type suited to fresh inflammation that absorbs sweat well. Loxoprofen, once a day, 15+. Read the insert before use.

Also on shelves: Hisamitsu’s warm サロンパスホット, a large 13 × 18 cm 第3類 plaster, ¥813 for 3, plus サロンパス30ホット, ¥1,360 for 40. We did not check their inserts.

Prefer a gel? Most brands also sell gels, lotions, such as ロキソニンSゲル; the same checks apply.

All 7 compared

※ Prices as shown on Yodobashi.com, with tax. Drugstore prices differ. Classes, ages, doses are from the package inserts on PMDA, from the makers’ pages. Hisamitsu does not label サロンパスAe as cool; it simply contains menthol.

Buying, tax-free, when to stop

How to ask at the counter

Look for the shelf marked 湿布. Staff badges say 薬剤師, pharmacist, 登録販売者, registered seller. Useful phrases:

• 「肩こりに貼る湿布はありますか？」 Katakori ni haru shippu wa arimasu ka? Do you have a patch for stiff shoulders?
• 「ぜんそくがあります。」 Zensoku ga arimasu. I have asthma.
• 「妊娠しています。」 Ninshin shite imasu. I am pregnant.
• 「ほかの薬を使っています。」 Hoka no kusuri o tsukatte imasu. I am using other medicine.

More tips are in our drugstore shopping guide.

Can I buy patches tax-free?

Since 1 November 2026, Japan uses a refund method. According to the Japan Tourism Agency, 観光庁, you pay the full price with tax, then get the tax back after customs checks the goods when you leave Japan, within 90 days of purchase. You must spend at least ¥5,000 before tax in one shop on one day, then carry all the goods with you at departure.

The agency says that if you use up consumables such as food, drinks, cosmetics in Japan, you cannot get the refund. Medicines are not named there, so keep tax-free patches unopened. Read more in our Japan tax-free shopping guide.

Taking patches home

Your own country sets the rules for bringing medicine in. Check them before you fly; keep the box, the insert.

When to stop, ask for advice

Every label on this page says: if there is no change after 5 to 6 days, stop, take the box to a doctor, pharmacist or registered seller. The NSAID tapes add: never 2 weeks or more in a row. Stop at once if a rash, itching appears. If pain is strong, comes back, or follows a fall or accident, see a doctor. See also our OTC medicine guide.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a pharmacist to buy Japanese pain relief patches?

No. All the patches on this page are 第2類, 第3類, so a registered seller, 登録販売者, can sell them.

What is the difference between Salonpas Ae and Salonpas EX?

サロンパスAe is a mild 第3類 plaster with methyl salicylate, menthol, used several times a day. サロンパスEX is a 第2類 NSAID plaster with indometacin, used up to twice a day, not for under-11s.

Should I choose a warm or a cool patch?

Both list the same pains. Warm types, 温感, contain a capsaicin-like ingredient that feels hot; the フェイタス温感 label says to remove it 1 hour before a bath. If unsure, ask a pharmacist.

Can I use a patch while pregnant?

ボルタレンEXテープ, フェイタス must not be used during pregnancy. For ロキソニンS, サロンパスEX, the labels say to ask a doctor, pharmacist first.

How many days can I use a patch?

All labels here say to stop and ask for advice if there is no change after 5 to 6 days. The NSAID tapes must never be used for 2 weeks or more in a row.

Can children use Japanese patches?

The NSAID tapes here are for ages 15 and up; サロンパスEX from 11. For any child, ask a pharmacist, doctor first.

The short version

For back, shoulder or muscle pain, Japanese drugstores offer two kinds of patch. Strong NSAID tapes: ロキソニンSテープ, ボルタレンEXテープ, フェイタス, サロンパスEX, all 第2類, about ¥700 to ¥1,700 for a small box, mostly ages 15 and up, never 2 weeks or more in a row. Classic サロンパスAe: 第3類, milder, used several times a day. Want warmth? Try a 温感 tape such as ロキソニンS温感テープ. For a cool poultice, ロキソニンSパップ. Never use a patch on broken skin, check the asthma, pregnancy warnings, and see a doctor if pain continues. For warmth without medicine, see our kairo guide.

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