Tiger balm

Anna Summer

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Does anyone know where in Tokyo I could buy tiger balm? Either red or white. Because of my workouts I go through tiger balm quite fast and so far I only found iherb can deliver it to japan but would be great to have a local store or even online store I can easily order.
 
There are plenty of stores selling tiger balm on www.taobao.com, most of which are able to arrange international shipment to Japan.

Use the keyword "虎标" instead of "tiger balm" to reach those local sellers who tend to be cheaper.

You might encounter some information in Chinese, however an intermediate knowledge of kanji and some help from google translate should work it out.

You might also need to register an Alipay account to finalize the payment...well in my opinion it's worth the trouble to do so.
 
head to Yokohama's china town... there will be stores that carry it there for sure...
 
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It's apparently banned for commercial import in Japan.

You can still bring it in for personal use, I order it through Amazon.
 
It's apparently banned for commercial import in Japan.

You can still bring it in for personal use, I order it through Amazon.

It seems that it's not been marketed locally in Japan since 2015.

What a bummer :( but thanks for the information. Might as well continue to order t from iherb then...

(What sort of workouts require tiger balm??)

I do a lot of active and strength based flexibility training. Tiger balm is a great relieve for sore muscles.
 
This thread saved my injured lower back completely!

I mean I bought a tiger balm last evening and applied it instead of the odd (and expensive) kanpoyaku perscribed by the doctor, and I can walk and run like little red riding hood now:panda:
 
This thread saved my injured lower back completely!

I mean I bought a tiger balm last evening and applied it instead of the odd (and expensive) kanpoyaku perscribed by the doctor, and I can walk and run like little red riding hood now:panda:

Be careful of the big bad wolves then :D
 
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I don’t know whether Thai Golden Cup balm is considered an acceptable substitute... instead of 19g jars, it comes in 12g ones. However, it can be bought or ordered from Asian SuperStore https://asia-superstore.com/at ¥385 each:

The manufacturer’s page
https://www.goldencup.co.th/product/golden-cup-balm/

The listing on Asian SuperStore
https://www.asia-superstore.jp/SHOP/938.html

Although not on their homepage, I know from previous visits they have other products including Thai boxing linament ( eg like Namman Muay ) However, products like those that have 50%+ methyl salicylate sometimes cause problems with patients who are either having kidney issues to begin with and/or are taking other products with salicylate like Aspirin ... as the continuous use of methyl salicylate gets absorbed into the bloodstream from the skin.

With Tiger Balm, the white version ( lavender, I think ) while is less pungent in odor than the red version also differs in composition... and in my view, less effective for pain issues. Down to my last bottle of Tiger Balm, and all I have is a half of red.
 
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For a topical pain killer that is easily available here, comes in an unscented version ( so you don’t end up a smelling like an old aunt using Ben Gay ) , and contains diclofenac which is strangely enough only available as a prescription in the US ( might have changed recently ):

VOLTAREN EX Gel ボルタレンEXゲル
http://www.voltaren-ex.jp/p_product/gel.html
http://archive.is/3QJMf


INGREDIENTS
diclofenac sodium 10 mg
menthol 30 mg​

Price
50 mg package is around JPY1400
25 mg package is around JPY900​

There should be cheaper generic drugstore brands too - just check the labels.

Voltaren® Gel
A useful rub-on anti-inflammatory medication
updated October 15 2016 (first published 2009)
by Paul Ingraham, Vancouver, Canada


Think of Voltaren® Gel as “ibuprofen in a gel.” (It’s actually diclofenac, but ibuprofen is a much more familiar drug name in North America, where the product is still fairly new, and available only with a prescription in the US.) It’s a topical anti-inflammatory medication,NSAID and FDA-approved to treat osteoarthritis in “joints amenable to topical treatment, such as the knees and those of the hands.” The evidence shows that it “provides clinically meaningful analgesia.” This is an appealing treatment idea that actually works reasonably well: what a pleasure to be able to say that!
 
For a topical pain killer that is easily available here, comes in an unscented version ( so you don’t end up a smelling like an old aunt using Ben Gay ) , and contains diclofenac which is strangely enough only available as a prescription in the US ( might have changed recently ):

VOLTAREN EX Gel ボルタレンEXゲル
http://www.voltaren-ex.jp/p_product/gel.html
http://archive.is/3QJMf


INGREDIENTS
diclofenac sodium 10 mg
menthol 30 mg​

Price
50 mg package is around JPY1400
25 mg package is around JPY900​

There should be cheaper generic drugstore brands too - just check the labels.

Voltaren® Gel
A useful rub-on anti-inflammatory medication
updated October 15 2016 (first published 2009)
by Paul Ingraham, Vancouver, Canada


Think of Voltaren® Gel as “ibuprofen in a gel.” (It’s actually diclofenac, but ibuprofen is a much more familiar drug name in North America, where the product is still fairly new, and available only with a prescription in the US.) It’s a topical anti-inflammatory medication,NSAID and FDA-approved to treat osteoarthritis in “joints amenable to topical treatment, such as the knees and those of the hands.” The evidence shows that it “provides clinically meaningful analgesia.” This is an appealing treatment idea that actually works reasonably well: what a pleasure to be able to say that!
Yes, use this one too
 
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Tiger Balm is so popular in Japan! I think Matsumoto Kiyoshi or Tomod's or other drug stores can find? or Amazon, online.
 
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Tiger Balm is so popular in Japan! I think Matsumoto Kiyoshi or Tomod's or other drug stores can find? or Amazon, online.

Yes, it was once produced under license in Japan by the Ryukakusan Company, which was widely marketed. I even remember their TV commercials. The Ryukakusan Company gave up the production and marketing rights in 2015 and transferred them to a company called CMIC. However, so far CMIC hasn't done anything on it while all the Japanese version of Tiger Balm have disappeared from the shelves.
 
For a topical pain killer that is easily available here, comes in an unscented version ( so you don’t end up a smelling like an old aunt using Ben Gay ) , and contains diclofenac which is strangely enough only available as a prescription in the US ( might have changed recently ):

VOLTAREN EX Gel ボルタレンEXゲル
http://www.voltaren-ex.jp/p_product/gel.html
http://archive.is/3QJMf


INGREDIENTS
diclofenac sodium 10 mg
menthol 30 mg​

Price
50 mg package is around JPY1400
25 mg package is around JPY900​

There should be cheaper generic drugstore brands too - just check the labels.

Voltaren® Gel
A useful rub-on anti-inflammatory medication
updated October 15 2016 (first published 2009)
by Paul Ingraham, Vancouver, Canada


Think of Voltaren® Gel as “ibuprofen in a gel.” (It’s actually diclofenac, but ibuprofen is a much more familiar drug name in North America, where the product is still fairly new, and available only with a prescription in the US.) It’s a topical anti-inflammatory medication,NSAID and FDA-approved to treat osteoarthritis in “joints amenable to topical treatment, such as the knees and those of the hands.” The evidence shows that it “provides clinically meaningful analgesia.” This is an appealing treatment idea that actually works reasonably well: what a pleasure to be able to say that!


Yup, these are really good. Whenever we visit Japan, I always buy a bunch to take back home.:)

Currently covered head to toe with Voltaren patches as we just did an intense all day photoshoot yesterday (which included hiking to waterfalls, climbing cliffs, and avoiding tourists) ;)