Salonpas in Japan: Types, Prices, Original vs Ae & How to Use
Tokyo Mate
Salonpas is a stick-on pain-relief patch from Japan's Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical. The original Salonpas costs 1,760 yen for 120 sheets, and Salonpas Ae costs 2,068 yen for 140 sheets. The original has about 1.6 times as much methyl salicylate as Ae.
Salonpas features: original vs Ae
Salonpas (サロンパス) is a pain-relief brand that Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical launched in 1934, with products ranging from stick-on patches to rub-on lotion.
It is the flagship brand of Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical, founded in 1847 in Tosu, Saga Prefecture. In surveys by the global market research firm Euromonitor, it ranked first in the world by sales share in the over-the-counter (OTC) pain-relief patch category for 10 straight years, from 2016 to 2025.
The main products are the original Salonpas 120 sheets and Salonpas Ae 140 sheets. Each original sheet is about 1.2 times the size of an Ae sheet, with about 1.6 times as much methyl salicylate. Both are used for stiff shoulders, back pain, muscle pain and the like.
| Salonpas (original) | Salonpas Ae | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | First launched 1934, renewed 2015 | 1997 |
| Sheet size | 7.2×4.6cm | 6.5×4.2cm |
| Pack sizes | 40, 80, 120 sheets | 140, 240 sheets |
| Features | Beige, rounded corners | White, sweat-absorbing material |
| Ingredient difference | More methyl salicylate | More menthol, with camphor added |
| Official price | 120 sheets 1,760 yen | 140 sheets 2,068 yen |
※ Prices are suggested retail prices including tax, as of October 2026.
Salonpas types and prices in Japan
Japan's Salonpas products, from the original and Ae to EX, the warming types and the lotion, differ in ingredients, size and feel. Below, Hisamitsu's official lineup is split into 10 product groups with types and prices.
The Salonpas EX line is a Class 2 OTC drug, and the rest are Class 3 OTC drugs.
① Salonpas (original)｜サロンパス
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: 4.6×7.2cm
- Official price: 40 sheets 748 yen / 80 sheets 1,188 yen / 120 sheets 1,760 yen
- Features: The original type, with 10% methyl salicylate. It's beige so it stands out less, and the corners are rounded so it doesn't peel off easily.
② Salonpas Ae｜サロンパスAe
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: regular 6.5×4.2cm
- Official price: 140 sheets 2,068 yen / 240 sheets 3,410 yen
- Other sizes: medium 40 sheets 1,650 yen / large 12 sheets 858 yen / perforated 80 sheets 2,068 yen
- Features: Uses a polymer absorber that soaks up sweat. The medium size is 9×6cm and the large is 13×7.2cm, and the perforated Ae is a more breathable type.
③ Salonpas 30｜サロンパス30
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: regular 7.4×4.8cm
- Official price: 20 sheets 968 yen / 40 sheets 1,628 yen / 60 sheets 2,288 yen
- Other types: medium 32 sheets 1,628 yen / 30 Hot 20 sheets 1,078 yen, 40 sheets 1,815 yen
- Features: A mild type that sits gently on the skin, with only a faint smell. The medium size is 9×6cm, and Salonpas 30 Hot is a warming version with capsicum extract.
④ Ra Salonpas｜ら・サロンパス
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: 10×7cm
- Official price: 10 sheets 556 yen / 30 sheets 1,397 yen
- Features: Made from a thin, soft stretchy material that stays on joints you move a lot, like elbows and knees.
⑤ Salonpas-Hi｜サロンパス－ハイ
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: 8×6.3cm
- Official price: 16 sheets 968 yen / 32 sheets 1,628 yen / 48 sheets 2,288 yen
- Features: An odorless patch made of a thin, skin-colored translucent film that's hard to notice. It contains glycol salicylate as its pain-relief ingredient.
⑥ Salonpas EX｜サロンパスEX
- Class: Class 2 OTC drug
- Size: 8.56×5.4cm
- Official price: 20 sheets 1,408 yen / 40 sheets 2,178 yen / 60 sheets 3,058 yen
- Warming type: 20 sheets 1,408 yen / 40 sheets 2,178 yen
- Features: A pain reliever with 3.5% indometacin, for shoulder pain, back pain, joint pain, tendonitis, elbow pain and more. EX Warming has the same indometacin with an added warming effect.
⑦ Salonpas Roll｜サロンパスロール
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: 4.8cm wide × 3m long
- Official price: 1 roll 1,518 yen
- Features: A roll with perforations every 5cm, so you tear off just the length you need. The stretchy material also works on long muscles like those in the arms and legs.
⑧ Salonpas Lotion｜サロンパスローション
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Form: rub-on liquid
- Official price: 85mL 1,078 yen
- Features: A rub-on pain reliever with glycol salicylate as the active ingredient. The bottle makes it easy to apply to hard-to-reach spots.
⑨ Salonpas Tsubokori Patch｜サロンパスツボコリパッチ
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: 2.5cm diameter
- Official price: 64 sheets 644 yen / 160 sheets 1,452 yen
- Features: A small round warming patch with herbal ingredients, applied to sore spots on the shoulders, back, lower back, calves and so on.
⑩ Salonpas Hot｜サロンパスホット
- Class: Class 3 OTC drug
- Size: 13×18cm
- Official price: 3 sheets 1,133 yen
- Features: A large warming patch with capsicum extract and glycol salicylate. It's odorless and has holes for breathability, designed to cut down on trapped sweat.
※ Prices are suggested retail prices including tax, as of October 2026. Actual prices at Don Quijote and drugstores vary by store.
For Japan's small coin-shaped patches, the types and prices are in the post below.
👉 Roihi Tsubokou: Warm vs Cool, Sizes, Prices & Use
How to use Salonpas and cautions
✅ How to use Salonpas
Clean the skin before applying, and if your skin is sensitive, don't apply to the same spot again and again.
| Type | How to use |
|---|---|
| Original, Ae and similar | Apply to the painful area several times a day. |
| Salonpas EX, EX Warming | Apply up to twice a day, and don't use for more than 2 weeks in a row. Use EX Warming only after swelling from a bruise or sprain has gone down. |
| Salonpas Roll | Cut the length you need and apply several times a day. Don't cover a large area all at once, and don't use it for taping or to support joints. |
| Salonpas Lotion | Apply a suitable amount to the painful area several times a day. |
✅ Cautions when using Salonpas
- Don't use around the eyes or on mucous membranes, or on eczema, dermatitis or wounds.
- If a rash or itching appears, or your symptoms don't improve after 5-6 days, stop using it and get advice.
- Children should use it under a guardian's supervision. EX and EX Warming must not be used by children under 11.
- Don't use EX or EX Warming if you have a history of asthma or an allergy to the ingredients. If you're pregnant or may be pregnant, or are being treated by a doctor, get advice before use.
- For sensitive skin, cut a 1-2cm piece of an EX patch and stick it on the inside of your arm for half a day or more to check how your skin reacts.
- Store in a cool place out of direct sunlight and out of reach of children.
※ If you've had an allergic reaction to a medicine, talk to a doctor or pharmacist before use.
✅ Products that need care around bathing
- Remove Salonpas 30 Hot, Salonpas-Hi, the Tsubokori Patch, Salonpas Hot and EX Warming 1 hour before bathing, and apply them again about 30 minutes after. Don't heat the area with an electric heating pad, electric blanket or hot pack.
- Avoid using Salonpas Lotion right before or after bathing, and don't heat the area with an electric blanket or cover it with material that doesn't breathe.
Salonpas has kept the same name for decades, so putting it on a Japan shopping list feels somehow familiar. Even a small box carries a long history, and that makes browsing a drugstore a bit more fun.
🧡 Tokyo Mate Travel Guides
If you plan to buy Salonpas tax-free in Japan, check the changes to the tax-free system too. From November 1, 2026, it switches to a system where the consumption tax is refunded after customs checks your goods when you leave Japan.