Japanese drugstore goodies are amongst the most sought-after items people like to purchase when they’re in Japan. With the variety of different types of goodies and colourful and fun packaging, it’s no wonder it attracts people’s eyes.
Amongst all the beautiful products you’ll get lost in when visiting these stores, you will likely come across Japanese eye drops. These are some of the most popular items bought at drugstores amongst both local Japanese people and foreigners.
The Japanese eye drops market is actually much bigger than people realise. Japanese people live in a digital age where they rely heavily on the use of screens for work, such as computer screens and tablets, and also for personal use, such as phones and TVs.
With this heavy use of technology comes, of course, the strain on people’s eyes. To ease the uncomfortable dry, tired, and tight feeling, people tend to turn towards eye drops.
Not only do the Japanese eyedrops provide temporary relief, but some also have special active ingredients that go beyond that. From preventing further blue light damage to lubricating eyes as well as contact lenses, there are eye drops for all your problems.
The 10 Best Japanese Eye Drops in 2024
Below we have listed the top 10 best Japanese eye drops you should look out for in Japan.
- Rohto Z Pro C
- Rohto VITA 40a
- Rohto COOL 40a
- Sante Beauteye
- Rohto Lycee / Rohto Lycee Contact
- Lion Smile 40 Premium
- Sante FX Neo
- Sante PC
- V Rohto Premium
- Rohto C3 C Cube
1. Rohto Z Pro C
The distinct packaging of the Rohto Z Pro C is what makes it stand out from the crowd. You really can’t miss the bright gold ‘Z’! This Japanese eye drop is one of the most popular in the market and can be found at almost any drugstore.
It’s one that’s got a healthy amount of menthol for those looking for that slight stinging feeling. It is known to have a super refreshing effect on tired eyes. It also aids in preventing UV ray damage, which is great for those who are constantly outdoors in the sun.
2. Rohto VITA 40a
This one is a great one to purchase if you are looking at trying eyedrops for the first one. The best thing about the Rohto Vita 40 Alpha is its value for money – it’s one of the most affordable ones in the market!
It contains various vitamins and amino acids that aid with the most common eye problems that people have. These symptoms include eye tiredness, soreness and dryness. Using this eye drop a few times a day will help you tackle these issues effortlessly.
3. Rohto COOL 40a
The Rohto Cool 40a looks similar to the Rohto Vita 40a, except it comes in a blue packaging and has distinctly more menthol.
This one is one of the top-sellers in the market due to its affordability, fun and light packaging, and surprisingly addictive stinging sensation that stops just before it burns too much.
This may be slightly shocking if you are using it for the first time, but it will immediately get rid of any fatigue. Once you get over the sensation, you will feel super refreshed.
This product is known for containing the four essential fundamental ingredients to improve tired and red eyes: vitamin E, vitamin B6, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, and potassium L-aspartic acid. You can see that the packaging displays this information brightly and proudly at the front.
4. Sante Beauteye
Sante Beauteye is designed specifically for aging. It helps to keep eyes youthful, moist and clear. It’s a good choice for those who are constantly exposed to electronic screens on the daily.
One of the reasons why it’s so popular is because of its distinct packaging. Rather than being cute and colourful, the packaging is elegant and simplistic. A small pink perfume-like bottle sits amongst a pure white background. Due to this aspect alone, it is incredibly popular amongst women and teenage girls.
It contains taurine which assists with the turnover of the eyes, sodium chondroitin sulfate which protects and lubricates the cornea, as well as B12 and other important ingredients.
5. Rohto Lycee / Rohto Lycee Contact
Lycee is yet another distinct Japanese eye drop that is popular amongst the Japanese females. This is purely for its fun and cute pink packaging which is quite eye catching!
However, anyone with eyestrain, red eyes, and constant exposure to UV rays can use this. It’s effective in completely moisturising the eyes upon application.
A special note about the Rohto Lycee is that it also comes in a similar version called Rohto Lycee Contact that is great for contact lens users. The ingredients in the Rohto Lycee Contact eye drops assist in penetrating through the thickness of contact lenses.
You can use the eye drops with or without contact lenses in your eyes. You can also take out your contact lenses to give them a clean with the Rohto Lycee eye drops before putting them back in your eye.
The packaging for these two eye drops is distinctly hot pink. When making the purchase, remember to look out for the word ‘CONTACT’ on the packaging if you’re looking for the version compatible with contact lenses.
6. Lion Smile 40 Premium
This eye drop is considered more on the pricey range of drugstore eye drops, but for good reason. The Smile 40 Premium contains a whopping 10 essential ingredients aimed at blurred vision and painful eyes that are a result of aging and stress.
It also assists with any itching and reddening of the eyes with ingredients such as vitamins A, E and B6.
It has the look and feel of a premium product. It’s been around for a long time and has plenty of users of all ages.
7. Sante FX Neo
The exterior of this Japanese eye drop makes it look like a slick packaging for perfume. Its cool silver box looks as upmarket as they get, but the Sante FX Neo is actually made for people of all ages.
This particular eye drop aims to reduce eye fatigue that’s caused by excessive use and thus stress on the eyes. When applied, the eye drops cause a strong and refreshing invigoration of the eyes.
The feeling may be addictive, but we recommend not using more than the daily recommended amount as it may cause red and sensitive eyes.
8. Sante PC
It didn’t take long for Japan to come out with an eye drop very specifically for PC users, and it was all in all a very good move. Sante’s PC is made to fight the damage caused by staring endlessly at the blue light of computer screens as well as mobile phones.
It helps to rehydrate tired and dry eyes and moisturise to reduce the strain and irritations.
If you’re an office worker, you know what we’re talking about when we say computer fatigue. This eye drop is the perfect way to combat it. The cute colourful packaging is a nice touch as well!
9. V Rohto Premium
If you’re on the market for a Japanese eye drop that can do it all, look no further than the V Rohto Premium. This is one of Rohto’s selling items. It can effectively moisturise eyes, reduce redness, relax sore and tired eye muscles, and make you feel invigorated after one application.
The reason is because there are actually 12 active ingredients in this eye drop to assist with your dry eyes. The price tag is slightly higher than average, but for these kinds of results, you’d say that it’s worth it!
10. Rohto C3 C Cube
This one’s for all the menthol-lovers out there. If you’re looking for various types of eye drops that provide that slightly addictive cooling sensation when applied, give the Rohto C3 C Cube range a try. More specifically, you need to try either the ‘Cool’ or the ‘Ice Cool’ version (not the regular pink version).
The reason why menthol is so refreshing is because it causes the eyes to naturally tear up, thus lubricating the eye and also cleansing the eyes in a way. One the tears disappear, it’s like your vision becomes brighter
The Rohto C3 C Cube Cool and Ice Cool eye drops offer some of the most satisfying cooling sensations out there. As you can imagine, the latter is the one with stronger menthol effects.
The above list is the 10 best Japanese eye drops we believe in, however, there are hundreds of types out there to try.
If you’re a first-time user, we recommend trying one without menthol to ease into it. However, if you want to try something different, then go for the minty ones – the experience of trying one will be one to remember!
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As more and more people spend time in front of their screens, whether it’s at work, at home, or even on the road, it’s essential that we take care of our eyes. Being constantly exposed to the blue light of the screen can lead to strong discomfort and fatigue. With the help of eye drops, we can combat that and treat our bodies better.
For more healthcare products from Japan, you can also read our list of best Japanese face washes and cleansers, the best Japanese toners and our top 10 Japanese face masks.
And for more general tips about Japan, make sure to check out these blog posts: Japan Travel Tips.