Rohto Eye Drops: Types, Prices & Which to Pick
Tokyo Mate
Among the Japanese eye drops people recommend, Rohto has a wide range: New V Rohto, V Rohto Premium, Lycee and Rohto Vita 40a. Here are the types of Rohto eye drops with their official prices, whether you can use them with contact lenses, and how to choose by symptom.
What kind of brand is Rohto
Rohto Pharmaceutical (ロート製薬) is a Japanese pharmaceutical company that has been developing eye care products for over 100 years, since releasing its first eye drops, Rohto Eye Drops, in 1909.
Its flagship line, V Rohto, launched in February 1964 as Rohto's first eye drops in a plastic bottle, and has continued for more than 60 years.
The V in the brand name carries three meanings: Vitamin, Vivid and Victory.
Today the range covers everything from eye fatigue, redness and dryness through to discomfort from wearing contact lenses and using digital devices, with different products for different symptoms and situations.
※ The prices below are the suggested retail prices (tax included) from Rohto Pharmaceutical's official Japanese product pages as of August 2026. Open-price products are marked separately.
New V Rohto: price, effects and ingredients
The official Japanese product name for New V Rohto is Shin V Rohto (新V・ロート).
It is the flagship product of the V Rohto series, used for a range of eye symptoms including fatigue, redness and itchiness.
| Product | Size | Official price |
|---|---|---|
| Shin V Rohto | 13mL | 825 yen |
| Shin V Rohto large size | 20mL | 968 yen |
| Class | Class 2 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 3 (of 5) |
| Effects | Eye fatigue, conjunctival redness, blurred vision, itchy eyes, prevention of eye disease, blepharitis, inflammation from UV and other light, discomfort when wearing hard contact lenses |
| Dosage | 1-3 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Panthenol, vitamin B6, potassium L-aspartate, neostigmine methylsulfate, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, chlorpheniramine maleate, tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride and others, 8 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
Shin V Rohto can be used while wearing hard contact lenses, but not with soft lenses in. If you wear soft lenses, take them out, put the drops in, and put the lenses back after 5 to 10 minutes.
V Rohto Premium: the four compared
The V Rohto Premium series is the premium line built on Rohto's more than 100 years of developing eye drops.
| Product | Main symptom |
|---|---|
| V Rohto Premium | Severe built-up eye fatigue |
| V Rohto Active Premium | Eye fatigue and blurring from age and dryness |
| V Rohto Dryguard Premium | Dry eye and eye fatigue |
| V Rohto Contact Premium | Eye fatigue while wearing contact lenses |
① V Rohto Premium
| Size | 15mL |
| Official price | 1,650 yen |
| Class | Class 2 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 4 (of 5) |
| Effects | Eye fatigue, conjunctival redness, blurred vision, itchy eyes, prevention of eye disease, blepharitis, inflammation from UV and other light, discomfort when wearing hard contact lenses |
| Dosage | 1-2 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, neostigmine methylsulfate, allantoin, dipotassium glycyrrhizinate, zinc sulfate hydrate, chlorpheniramine maleate, vitamin B6, panthenol, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate, potassium L-aspartate, taurine, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, 12 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
V Rohto Premium can be used while wearing hard contact lenses (including O2 lenses), but not with soft contact lenses in.
② V Rohto Active Premium
| Size | 15mL |
| Official price | 1,650 yen |
| Class | Class 2 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 2 (of 5) |
| Effects | Blurred vision, eye fatigue, conjunctival redness, itchy eyes, prevention of eye disease, blepharitis, inflammation from UV and other light, discomfort when wearing hard contact lenses |
| Dosage | 1-3 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Retinol palmitate (vitamin A), tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, neostigmine methylsulfate, chlorpheniramine maleate, vitamin B6, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate (natural vitamin E), potassium L-aspartate, taurine, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, 9 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
V Rohto Active Premium can be used while wearing hard contact lenses (including O2 lenses), but not with soft or coloured contact lenses in.
③ V Rohto Dryguard Premium
| Size | 15mL |
| Official price | 1,650 yen |
| Class | Class 3 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 1 (of 5) |
| Effects | Eye fatigue, replenishing tears (dry eyes), discomfort when wearing soft or hard contact lenses, blurred vision |
| Dosage | 1-2 drops at a time, 3-4 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Sodium chondroitin sulfate ester 1% |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
V Rohto Dryguard Premium can be used while wearing hard or soft contact lenses. It is not used with coloured or circle lenses in.
④ V Rohto Contact Premium
| Size | 15mL |
| Official price | 1,650 yen |
| Class | Class 3 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 4 (of 5) |
| Effects | Eye fatigue, blurred vision, discomfort when wearing hard or soft contact lenses, prevention of eye disease, inflammation from UV and other light, itchy eyes |
| Dosage | 1-3 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Retinol palmitate (vitamin A), neostigmine methylsulfate, chlorpheniramine maleate, d-alpha-tocopherol acetate (natural vitamin E), taurine, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, 6 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
V Rohto Contact Premium can be used while wearing hard or soft contact lenses other than coloured and circle lenses, and it can also be used with the lenses out.
Rohto Lycee: types and prices
Lycee (リセ) is a Rohto eye drop series you can pick from by purpose, covering redness and eye fatigue through to dryness while wearing contact lenses.
| Product | Main symptom |
|---|---|
| Rohto Lycee b | Redness and eye fatigue |
| Rohto Lycee Contact w | Dryness and discomfort while wearing contact lenses |
| Rohto Lycee Glow | Eye fatigue from dryness and the like |
① Rohto Lycee b
The liquid is pink because of the vitamin B12, and it has a fresh feel and a rose scent.
| Size | 8mL |
| Official price | 770 yen |
| Class | Class 2 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 3 (of 5) |
| Effects | Conjunctival redness, itchy eyes, eye fatigue, prevention of eye disease, discomfort when wearing hard contact lenses, inflammation from UV and other light, blepharitis, blurred vision |
| Dosage | 1-3 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Tetrahydrozoline hydrochloride, zinc sulfate hydrate, vitamin B12, chlorpheniramine maleate, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, potassium L-aspartate, 6 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
Rohto Lycee b can be used while wearing hard contact lenses, but not with soft contact lenses in.
② Rohto Lycee Contact w
| Size | 8mL |
| Official price | 770 yen |
| Class | Class 3 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 1 (of 5) |
| Effects | Discomfort when wearing soft or hard contact lenses, replenishing tears (dry eyes), eye fatigue, blurred vision, help with putting lenses in |
| Dosage |
|
| Active ingredients | Potassium chloride, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, hypromellose, glucose, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, 6 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
Rohto Lycee Contact w can be used with every type of contact lens in, including coloured and circle lenses. It can also be used without lenses in.
③ Rohto Lycee Glow
It uses a fine nozzle that produces the smallest drop of any Rohto eye drops, which reduces the liquid spilling out of the eye and was designed with smudged make-up in mind.
| Size | 8mL |
| Official price | Open price (the shop sets the price) |
| Class | Class 3 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 1 (of 5) |
| Effects | Eye fatigue, discomfort when wearing soft or hard contact lenses, blurred vision, itchy eyes, inflammation from UV and other light, prevention of eye disease |
| Dosage | 1-3 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | Vitamin B12, vitamin B6, neostigmine methylsulfate, chlorpheniramine maleate, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, 5 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
Rohto Lycee Glow can be used while wearing hard or soft contact lenses. It is not used with coloured or circle lenses in.
Rohto Vita 40a: price and effects
Rohto Vita 40a (ロートビタ40α) is an eye drop used to improve eye fatigue and blurring by supplying four nutrients the eye needs.
Natural vitamin E promotes blood flow and helps ease eye fatigue, and vitamin B6 promotes the metabolism of eye cells. Sodium chondroitin sulfate ester protects the surface of the cornea, and potassium L-aspartate helps oxygen reach the eye and eases fatigue.
| Size | 12mL |
| Official price | 528 yen |
| Class | Class 3 pharmaceutical |
| Coolness | Level 3 (of 5) |
| Effects | Blurred vision, eye fatigue, conjunctival redness, prevention of eye disease, blepharitis, itchy eyes, inflammation from UV and other light, discomfort when wearing hard contact lenses |
| Dosage | 2-3 drops at a time, 5-6 times a day |
| Active ingredients | d-alpha-tocopherol acetate (natural vitamin E), vitamin B6, sodium chondroitin sulfate ester, potassium L-aspartate, neostigmine methylsulfate, chlorpheniramine maleate, 6 in total |
📌 What about while wearing lenses?
Rohto Vita 40a can be used while wearing hard contact lenses (including O2 lenses), but not with soft or coloured contact lenses in.
How to pick by symptom
Choose the product by your symptoms and by whether you wear contact lenses.
| Symptom | Pick |
|---|---|
| Eye fatigue, redness, blurring | New V Rohto |
| Severe built-up eye fatigue | V Rohto Premium |
| Eye fatigue and blurring from age and dryness | V Rohto Active Premium |
| Dry eyes and eye fatigue | V Rohto Dryguard Premium |
| Eye fatigue while wearing contact lenses | V Rohto Contact Premium |
| Redness and eye fatigue | Rohto Lycee b |
| Dryness and discomfort with coloured or circle lenses in | Rohto Lycee Contact w |
| Use with make-up on, portability | Rohto Lycee Glow |
| Focused on the four nutrients | Rohto Vita 40a |
The coolness number is not the strength of the effect but how cool the drops feel when you put them in. Eye drops for the same purpose can differ in coolness, so if you are sensitive to that, it is worth also looking at the lower-level products.
If you are going to use them with contact lenses in, the lens types allowed differ by product, so check the per-product notes above as well.
Rohto eye drops FAQ
Q. What is the difference between Class 2 and Class 3 pharmaceuticals?
A. It is Japan's classification of over-the-counter medicines by risk, and Class 2 requires more care in use than Class 3.
Q. Where can I buy Rohto eye drops in Japan?
A. At pharmacies and drugstores in Japan, and at Don Quijote stores that handle medicines. Which products they stock and what is in stock differs by shop.
Q. Can I buy Rohto eye drops tax-free?
A. Yes. Until 31 October 2026, buying consumables at the same tax-free shop for 5,000 yen or more and up to 500,000 yen before tax can qualify for the tax exemption, and medicines bought tax-free cannot be opened or used in Japan.
From 1 November 2026 it changes to a refund system: you pay including consumption tax, and get the refund after your export is confirmed when you leave.
Q. What if something goes wrong with my eyes after using the drops?
A. If you get a rash, redness or itching, or your eyes become red, swollen or painful, stop using them and speak to a doctor, pharmacist or registered seller. You may also need to ask before use if you have severe eye pain, have been diagnosed with glaucoma, or are currently under treatment.
Go into a Japanese drugstore and you will find Rohto eye drops in a lot of varieties.
They look similar, but the ingredients, the coolness and whether you can use them with contact lenses all differ, so work out what your eyes need first.
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