HOW TO: Find anti-itch, insect bite medicine in Japan

This post is a follow-up to A Survival Guide to Mosquito Repellent in Japan, for those who try in vain but perhaps still end up with itchy, annoying bites (I know the feeling...). My first apartment in Japan was constantly bombarded with mosquitoes, as it was next to this swampy water pool. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't keep them all away. (Although I'm convinced I seem especially attractive to them - they go after me far more than my husband!)

I visited a drug store in the first month after my arrival in hopes of discovering some anti-itch cream, the kind you use for mosquito bites, but without any idea of what exactly to look for or what it was called. After browsing the walls and aisles of various items, still unsure of what to get, I asked one of the store employees for help. I looked up mosquito in the Japanese-English dictionary on my phone, showed her the result, pointed to some of the red welts on my hand and arm, and asked if they had anything for that. Fortunately for me at the time, she understood right away and led me to the anti-itch/insect bite medicine, pulling out a box of ムヒ (Muhi), which is a common brand here in Japan.

So, to help you in your search for anti-itch/insect bite medicine, and perhaps save you some trouble of finding what you need at the store, I've included some necessary words to know, and some of the common ingredients you'll typically find in these types of medicine.

English Language Magazines in Japan - What's Your Favorite?

For those wondering if it's possible to find English language magazines in Japan, I've compiled a list of various publications, both print and online. If your favorite is missing, or you have some suggestions to add, let me know in the comments and I'll compile an additional list to run.


Print is suffering, but English readers have never had it so good via The Japan Times


(Thanks to those who have already provided suggestions! If you said something last week, you received a special mention in the article above.)

A Survival Guide to Mosquito Repellent in Japan

That wonderfully hot and humid time of year is upon us - summer. And of course, the rainy season and along with it, mosquito season. I still remember my first apartment in Japan, next to a large drainage pool area where I can only guess thousands of mosquito eggs were hatching every day. And then they show up at 3am - that high-pitched buzzing whine in my ear as I attempt to sleep.

Since being in Japan, I've struggled with the best ways to control them, and though not every solution is always 100% effective, hopefully some of these options may help you get through the summer with a few less uncomfortable, itching bites and restless nights.

HOW TO: Find a hair salon in Japan

A reader of Surviving in Japan wrote in asking how to go about finding hair salons in Japan and also if they offer services such as eyebrow waxing/plucking. Certainly a great question, especially for anyone planning to move to Japan and unsure if they'll be able to maintain their particular hairstyle (or color, but that's an entirely different issue...).

In my experience, and from what I’ve heard of others’ experiences, it’s usually not too hard to find great hair stylists in Japan. I’ve heard some people say that if you have very fine hair, or any type or texture different than “Japanese hair” (which is more or less a myth, as Japanese women have a range of hair types as well) you may have trouble, but I’ve never had problems, and my hair is very fine. Though, this may not be true for everyone, depending on what part of Japan you live in, what your hair type is, among other factors. This is just my experience, so would love to hear your experiences - both good and bad.

Before we look at some tools for finding hair salons, let’s go over some services (and their Japanese counterparts) so you can find what you’re looking for more easily (note, there are more services than these, but these are quite common):

Hair salon                  ヘアサロン
Cut 　                        カット
Coloring                     カラー
Perm                          パーマ
Straight perm　         ストレートパーマ
Spiral perm                スパイラルパーマ
Digital perm　           デジタルパーマ
Hair straightening      縮毛矯正  (しゅくもうきょうせい）
Extensions　             エクステ　or     エクステンション
Shampoo (Wash)　   シャンプー
Blow dry (plus styling usually)　ブロー
Treatment　              トリートメント
Updo                          アップ

So how do you find a good hair salon?