The core idea: the day is measured in meals
Every prescription bag in Japan says when to take the medicine, how much, and for how many days. The time is almost never a clock hour. It is given relative to meals and sleep, because food changes how a medicine is absorbed and how hard it is on the stomach. Put three meals and a bedtime on a line and every timing word has a fixed spot.
Shokuzen (食前), literally meal-before, is roughly 20 to 30 minutes before you eat. Shokugo (食後), meal-after, is within about 30 minutes after. Shokkan (食間), meal-between, sits in the gap, around two hours after a meal. Neru mae, before sleeping, is about 30 minutes before bed; the printed form is often shūshin-mae (就寝前). These are the usual explanations; a pharmacist may give tighter ones for a particular medicine.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こちらは1日3回、毎食後に1錠ずつお飲みください。 | Kochira wa ichi-nichi san-kai, mai-shokugo ni ichi-jō zutsu onomi kudasai. | Take one of these after each meal, three times a day. |
| こちらは食間なので、食事の2時間後ぐらいに飲んでください。 | Kochira wa shokkan na node, shokuji no ni-jikan-go gurai ni nonde kudasai. | This one is between meals, so take it about two hours after eating. |
| 寝る前に1包飲んでください。 | Neru mae ni ippō nonde kudasai. | Take one sachet before bed. |
| 食後というのは、食べてからどのくらいですか。 | Shokugo to iu no wa, tabete kara dono kurai desu ka. | How soon after eating does shokugo mean? |
| 朝ご飯を食べない日はどうしたらいいですか。 | Asagohan o tabenai hi wa dō shitara ii desu ka. | What should I do on days I skip breakfast? |
| 食間って、食事中のことじゃないんですね。 | Shokkan tte, shokuji-chū no koto ja nain desu ne. | So shokkan doesn't mean during the meal. |
| 食前と食直前は違いますか。 | Shokuzen to shoku-chokuzen wa chigaimasu ka. | Is shokuzen different from shoku-chokuzen? |
Shokkan means between meals, not during
The most common misreading on a Japanese medicine bag comes from one kanji. 間 means an interval or the space between two things, as in aida, between, and jikan, time. Learners see meal plus 間 and read it as mealtime. It means the opposite: the stretch when the stomach is emptier, between one meal and the next. Kampo medicines are often prescribed shokuzen or shokkan for that reason.
Other labels differ from a neighbour by one element, so read them in pairs.
| Label | Reading | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 食間 | shokkan | Between meals, about two hours after eating |
| 食事中 | shokuji-chū | During the meal; rarely printed on a bag |
| 食後 | shokugo | Within about 30 minutes after eating |
| 食直後 | shoku-chokugo | Immediately after the meal |
| 食前 | shokuzen | About 20 to 30 minutes before eating |
| 食直前 | shoku-chokuzen | Right before the first mouthful |
| 寝る前 | neru mae | Shortly before you go to sleep |
| 夕食後 | yūshokugo | After dinner, which may be hours before sleep |
Reading the medicine bag, zone by zone
The bag is kusuri-bukuro in speech and yakutai (薬袋) in pharmacy language. Designs vary, but the order barely changes. The top names the type: naifukuyaku (内服薬), literally inside-take medicine, for anything swallowed; gaiyōyaku (外用薬), outside-use medicine, for creams, patches and drops; and often a separate bag for tonpuku. Your name follows with sama. The middle block is the yōhō (用法), literally use-method: times per day, then boxes for morning, noon, evening and bedtime, with before, after or between meals circled.
Below sit the yōryō (用量), use-amount, usually per dose, and the days' supply. The bottom carries the pharmacy's details, the dispensing date and the pharmacist's name. Read it top to bottom as one sentence: swallowed, three times a day after each meal, one tablet each time, for seven days.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1日3回 毎食後に服用してください。 | Ichi-nichi san-kai mai-shokugo ni fukuyō shite kudasai. | Take three times a day, after each meal. |
| 1日2回 朝・夕食後 | Ichi-nichi ni-kai, asa yū shokugo | Twice a day, after breakfast and dinner |
| 1日1回 寝る前 | Ichi-nichi ikkai, neru mae | Once a day, before bed |
Counting doses: tablets, sachets and days
The amount per dose uses a counter that matches the form of the medicine, often followed by zutsu, each: ichi-jō zutsu, one tablet each time. The days' supply uses ordinary day-counting words plus bun, portion, so nanoka-bun is literally seven days' portion. It tells you how long the supply lasts, not how many pills it holds: three doses a day for seven days is 21 tablets.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1回2錠ずつですね。 | Ikkai ni-jō zutsu desu ne. | So that's two tablets each time. |
| これは何日分ですか。 | Kore wa nan-nichi-bun desu ka. | How many days' supply is this? |
| 14日分出ています。 | Jūyokka-bun dete imasu. | Two weeks' worth has been prescribed. |
| Counter | Reading | Used for | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 錠 | jō | Tablets | Ikkai ni-jō: two tablets per dose |
| カプセル | kapuseru | Capsules | Ikkai ichi-kapuseru: one capsule |
| 包 | hō | Powder or granule sachets | Ikkai ippō: one sachet |
| 滴 | teki | Eye or ear drops | Ikkai itteki: one drop |
| 枚 | mai | Patches | Ichi-nichi ichi-mai: one patch a day |
| 日分 | -ka-bun, -nichi-bun | Days' supply | Jūyokka-bun: two weeks' supply |
Ikkai is the per-dose word and ichi-nichi the per-day word. When a line gives both, as in ichi-nichi san-kai, ikkai ni-jō, multiply them: six tablets a day.
Tonpuku: only when you need it
Tonpuku (頓服) is for medicine taken only when a symptom appears, such as painkillers or fever reducers. The first kanji carries a sense of suddenly or at once and the second means to take medicine, so the word is literally a dose taken at once, when needed. Because there is no schedule, a tonpuku bag carries a condition and a limit instead of the timing grid.
The condition uses toki, when: itai toki, when it hurts; netsu ga deta toki, when a fever appears, sometimes with a threshold such as 38.5 degrees. The limit uses made, up to, or akete, leaving a gap: ichi-nichi san-kai made, up to three times a day.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 痛い時に1錠服用してください。 | Itai toki ni ichi-jō fukuyō shite kudasai. | Take one tablet when in pain. |
| 38.5度以上の発熱時に使用してください。 | Sanjūhachi-ten-go-do ijō no hatsunetsu-ji ni shiyō shite kudasai. | Use when the fever is 38.5 degrees or higher. |
| 1日3回までにしてください。 | Ichi-nichi san-kai made ni shite kudasai. | No more than three times a day. |
| 次に飲むときは4時間以上あけてください。 | Tsugi ni nomu toki wa yo-jikan ijō akete kudasai. | Leave at least four hours before the next dose. |
| 眠れない時にお飲みください。 | Nemurenai toki ni onomi kudasai. | Take it when you cannot sleep. |
Beyond the basics: the information sheet and side-effect words
With a prescription you usually also receive an A4 sheet, the yakuzai jōhō teikyōsho (薬剤情報提供書), which pharmacists shorten to yakujō. It shows a photo of each tablet, its name, what it is for and the points to watch. The sheet writes fukuyō suru, to take medicine; the pharmacist says nomu, or politely onomi kudasai. Side effects are fukusayō (副作用), literally secondary action.
Many sheets ask you not to drive, for medicines that can cause drowsiness, and explain what to do about a missed dose. Wording differs between medicines, so read your own sheet and ask the pharmacist if anything is unclear.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 車の運転は避けてください。 | Kuruma no unten wa sakete kudasai. | Please avoid driving. |
| 2回分を一度に飲まないでください。 | Nikai-bun o ichido ni nomanaide kudasai. | Do not take two doses at once. |
| 発疹が出たら、すぐにご相談ください。 | Hosshin ga detara, sugu ni gosōdan kudasai. | If a rash appears, consult us straight away. |
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 副作用 | fukusayō | Side effect |
| 眠気 | nemuke | Drowsiness |
| 発疹 | hosshin | Rash |
| 吐き気 | hakike | Nausea |
| めまい | memai | Dizziness |
| 飲み合わせ | nomiawase | Combining with other medicines or foods |
| 冷所保存 | reisho hozon | Store in a cool place |
Beyond the basics: over-the-counter boxes and age tables
Medicine bought off the shelf, shihan-yaku (市販薬), comes with a folded insert, the tenpu bunsho (添付文書), literally attached document. Its sections follow a fixed order: shite wa ikenai koto, things you must not do; sōdan suru koto, when to consult a doctor or pharmacist first; kōnō kōka, what it treats; and yōhō yōryō, how much and how to take it. The dosage is a small table by age, and it hinges on two words learners often swap.
Ijō (以上) includes the number: 15-sai ijō is 15 and over. Miman (未満) excludes it: 15-sai miman is under 15, so a fifteen-year-old reads the adult row.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| これは12歳の子どもも飲めますか。 | Kore wa jūni-sai no kodomo mo nomemasu ka. | Can a twelve-year-old take this too? |
| Row on the box | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 成人（15歳以上） | seijin (jūgo-sai ijō) | Adults, 15 and over |
| 7歳以上15歳未満 | nana-sai ijō jūgo-sai miman | Aged 7 to 14 |
| 7歳未満 | nana-sai miman | Under 7 |
| 服用しないこと | fukuyō shinai koto | Do not take |
Okusuri techō: the notebook that follows your medicines
At the counter you will hear okusuri techō wa omochi desu ka. The okusuri techō (お薬手帳), literally medicine notebook, is a booklet in which each pharmacy sticks a printed label listing what it dispensed, the dose and the date; many pharmacies also offer an app version. Any doctor or pharmacist can then see what you already take, which matters most in an emergency or after a disaster. Use one notebook for all clinics and pharmacies.
Counter conversation and the drugstore staff side are covered in separate guides; this article stays with the paper in your hand.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| お薬手帳はお持ちですか。 | Okusuri techō wa omochi desu ka. | Do you have your medicine notebook? |
| 今日は忘れてしまいました。 | Kyō wa wasurete shimaimashita. | I've forgotten it today. |
| シールだけいただけますか。 | Shīru dake itadakemasu ka. | Could I just have the sticker? |
| 新しく作ってもらえますか。 | Atarashiku tsukutte moraemasu ka. | Could you make me a new one? |
Common mistakes when reading medicine labels
Taking a shokkan medicine with food. The cause is the kanji 間, which learners link with during. The fix is to picture the gap on the day line, about two hours after eating.
Reading 7日分 as seven tablets. The cause is treating bun as a pill count. It is a supply in days; multiply doses per day by days to know how many the bag should hold.
Mixing up ikkai and ichi-nichi. Ikkai ni-jō and ichi-nichi ni-kai look alike at a glance, but one is two tablets per dose and the other two doses a day. Find the counter: jō is an amount, kai a frequency.
Treating the tonpuku bag as daily medicine. It arrives with the others, so it feels like part of the schedule. Keep it apart and read its condition line each time.
Reading 15-sai miman as 15 and under. Learners assume the boundary number is included, as it is with ijō. Miman never includes it.