Take KOWA With You For the Big Race in Japan

For many travelers arriving in Japan, itineraries are packed with shopping and eating. But for you, getting out and exploring the landscape might be a higher priority! In some cases, Japan’s major sporting events might even be reason enough for a trip! Every year, Japan’s marathons and road races attract runners, cyclists, and audience members from all over the world, and the events offer participants a unique opportunity to take in the country’s magnificent natural and urban views. Sports travel is becoming a real trend in Japan, and if you look around, it’s easy to see why.

Of course, long workouts or heavy luggage are both enough to wear anyone down, and sore shoulders or tight back muscles can strike at any time. At moments like these, when you’re in Japan, Kowa’s products are useful tools to look for at the drugstore. For pre-race warm-ups, post-race relaxation, or all the sightseeing you’ll do afterward, these helpful products can help make your journey even more comfortable – and more fun!

Pre-Race Workout Prep: Relieve Eye Fatigue with Q&P KOWA i PLUS

When you’re taking on a large-scale race, pure stamina isn’t the only thing that affects performance. Your ability to focus, and the good health of all your body parts – including the condition of your eyes – are also crucial factors. Your eyes are surprisingly important for full-body health, and if eye strain is neglected for too long, the symptoms can gradually build up and lead to a stiff neck and shoulders, a sore back, or headaches. Q&P KOWA i Plus is an OTC medication packed with vitamins, and designed specifically for tired eyes, promoting the blood circulation needed to ease eye fatigue and aching shoulders. Tocopherol calcium succinate helps dilate peripheral blood vessels for better whole-body circulation, while benfotiamine (vitamin B1/thiamin) supports the function of nerves and muscles to help relieve eye fatigue, and gamma oryzanol similarly helps with nerve and muscle function to ease stiffness in the neck and shoulders, and soreness in the lower back.

Q&P KOWA i Plus isn’t just helpful when it comes to exercise. When you return to everyday life and get back to work after your trip, it can still come in handy as a supportive healthcare tool, tackling eye fatigue and shoulder or neck pain caused by long hours at the computer to help you feel your best! Whether you’re traveling, hard at work, or just facing the ups and downs of daily life, adding Q&P KOWA i PLUS can help you stay on top of any eye fatigue, and in top form.

Using Q&P KOWA i Plus（キューピーコーワiプラス）
Effects: Relieves eye fatigue and shoulder-neck pain.
Directions: Adults (15+), take 2-3 tablets once a day. (Can be taken any time of day, regardless of meal times.)
*Not suitable for those under 15.
Product Details (en)

【Race-Time Support: Target Aches and Soreness with VANTELIN KOWA MINI TSUBO KUN

When you’re in the middle of a marathon or a fierce road race, the muscle pain caused by all that intense exertion is going to be at the top of your mind. But when your muscles start to feel the strain, you can reach for your VANTELIN KOWA MINI TSUBO KUN patches! Just as the name suggests, the product is a little patch designed to efficiently relieve stiff shoulders and necks, lower-back pain, and joint soreness, by allowing you to pinpoint painful spots.

The patch contains five main ingredients that effectively address pain. The primary ingredient, glycol salicylate, helps ease muscle stiffness and pain, and is added at the maximum concentration permitted by Japanese standards* for topical analgesics and anti-inflammatories. Glycyrrhetinic acid has anti-inflammatory effects, while nonylic acid vanillylamide provides a warming sensation that promotes circulation and relieves pain, and tocopheryl acetate improves peripheral blood flow. Finally, the cooling ingredient l-menthol helps reduce discomfort. Together, these five ingredients tackle muscle and joint pain to help you get back to feeling normal again.

^{*Pharmaceutical standards established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to streamline approval procedures.}

Of course, lighter luggage is always better when you’re out and about, and these little patches fit the bill! Each box contains 180 small round patches arranged on 15 sheets, and you can cut up the sheets to make it even easier to bring as many as you think you’ll need. Plus, the medicinal scent is barely noticeable, so it won’t bother your nose (or anyone else’s) when you’re using the patches. Convenient!

Using VANTELIN KOWA MINI TSUBO KUN（バンテリンコーワ ミニツボくん）
Effects: Relieves stiff shoulders, lower-back pain, joint pain, muscle pain, muscle fatigue, bruises, and sprains.
Directions:
Peel a patch off the plastic film and apply to the affected area several times a day. (Replace with a new patch when you feel the effect weakening.)
Product Details (en)

Ways to Use the Patches

^{Image Source: Kowa}

The name VANTELIN KOWA MINI TSUBO KUN evokes the image of acupressure in Japanese, and unlike the larger Kowa patches on the market, these small ones put the emphasis on precise targeting. The lightweight material adheres close to the skin while the active ingredients accurately address any soreness, working deeply on stiff muscles and pain. It almost feels like nothing is there, so you can forget the patches and the pain, and get back to your life!

^{*For detailed information on application sites, refer to the instructions on the box packaging.}

For Travel & For the Everyday

These patches offer relief for the sore muscles that come from workouts, races, or even heavy sightseeing days, but they’re also useful for the stiff shoulders, neck, and lower back that comes from long hours at work – or even everyday joint pain. Keep a few of the compact little patches on hand, and you’ll find all kinds of uses!

Post-Race Recovery: Treat Yourself to Something Delicious with THE GUARD KOWA INTESTINAL REGULATION TABLETS α3+

Crossing the finish line is a big deal, and you should reward yourself for a job well done! Of course, Japan is a food lover’s paradise, full of temptations like sushi, yakiniku barbecue, ramen, sweet red bean treats, and more, making it easy to go a little overboard. When you find you’ve overindulged, it’s time for Kowa’s gut-health expertise to take the stage, with THE GUARD KOWA INTESTINAL REGULATION TABLETS α3+.

These convenient tablets contain three kinds of probiotics (lactobacillus, bifidobacteria, and the beneficial bacteria from natto), which ferment sugars to produce acetic acid and lactic acid, creating an intestinal environment that discourages the growth of harmful bacteria. At the same time, they help regulate your intestinal environment, promote digestion, and ease bloating. After finishing a big race, you deserve to treat yourself, and now you can feast without fear!

Using THE GUARD KOWA INTESTINAL REGULATION TABLETS α3+（ザ・ガードコーワ整腸錠α³+）
Effects: Regulates the intestines and improves bowel movements. For loose stool, constipation, bloating, indigestion, weak stomach, loss of appetite, discomfort from overeating or excessive alcohol intake, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, dysphagia, stomach distress, stomach heaviness, gastric hyperacidity, belching, stomach pain, and related symptoms.
Directions Adults (15+), take 3 tablets after meals, 3 times a day. Children (8~14), take 2 tablets after meals, 3 times a day. Young children (5~7), take 1 tablet after meals, 3 times a day.
*Not suitable for children under 5.
Product Details (en)

Build New Daily Routines, From Workouts to Healthcare Habits!

These practical Kowa products are designed to come in handy in a variety of situations, from post-workout relief to the everyday aches and pain of daily life – whether that’s an aching back from poor posture and long desk hours, or sore knees from walking all day during your trip to Japan. (Kowa also makes VANTELIN knee support braces, drinks recommended for pre- and post-workout, and a number of other products that both office workers and athletes would like.)

These non-prescription drugstore health products are easy to find at major Japanese drugstores such as Matsumoto Kiyoshi and Sugi Pharmacy – just remember to ask about tax-free perks for foreign shoppers, and remember to check the Japankuru Coupon page to see if your nearest drugstore in Japan is offering extra discounts! Cross off all the items on your shopping list, and with a little help from Kowa, feel light on your feet throughout your trip to Japan – and beyond!

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