This post is for the ladies (or, adventurous men that love them!) who’ve ever wondered about how the Japanese ladies deal with their “time of the month.”
You’ve been warned! ^.~
So…
When I first came to Japan, I had no idea what I would encounter in terms of ladies products. Or, as they’re sometimes labeled here: ladys products.
So, I came with a giant bag of pads (napkins) stuffed into my suitcase! At the time, I found inserting tampons uncomfortable, so I was a pad girl. I’ve since changed sides, though, and am strictly a tampons girl. Much less smell, much less mess! In fact, if it wasn’t for the dull pain in my abdomen, then I would hardly know I was on my period most of the time! I’ve long since gotten over any discomfort too, and now it’s just as natural as ever to sneak something up there to absorb the flow (since it’s just us ladies here!). But whichever you prefer, pads, tampons, or other, have no fear! Japan has you covered!
The thing I do dislike, though, is that on a tight budget like mine, buying tampons can get fairly pricey (I can eat for a few days on what it costs for a box of 36. I’m a pro at frugal-eating-in-Japan these days!).
I think I need a few pictures along to help out, so here we go ^.^
Loading ...So, on with the journey!
I happen to be lucky enough to have several drugstores near me, so my broke butt always goes to the cheapest!
It’s about a 5 minute walk, but 1 minute or so by bike. Yesterday, I went by bike. ^^
This drug store is part of a large chain called Create SD.
Here is their website: http://www.create-sd.co.jp/
Feminine products are also sold at convenience stores and sometimes in department stores, but I head for the best selection/cheapest. LOL Am I predictable?
Most of this row is feminine products! Pads/napkins are the most common here, and come in all shapes and sizes! Some places only carry pads, even! (^^;).
Thin pads.
Each brand has a special selling point: all-cotton, super-soft, super-huge, small, cheap, nice-smelling, etc. Just like pads in the States, and I guess all over the world?
These ones in the midnight blue package claim to be “for women who stand and walk on the job.”
See those blue and green boxes? Those and the row above them are the tampons.
A whole aisle of pads, but these few boxes are all us tampon users get!
There’s one main brand, called “charm.” Until this year, they used to just make “regular” and “super” sizes, but recently I’ve seen “compact” (pictured) and “slim.” (that firey red box on the far right)
The blue boxes on the left are another brand, Eldi (Or possibly LD). They are a new brand– a great sign! I would love for there to be more variety in tampons (both to promote tampon use and to drive down prices!).
Some pantyliners. In Japan, packaging is very important. Many ladies will gladly pay a little more for a cute package, as is evidenced! Even though in the end it’s just a piece of cotton that gets wadded up and thrown away.
That blue package at the top– stay tuned to the end of those post!
That thing on the left……. It’s a washable pad/napkin. Use it, wash it, and use it again! Possibly a great idea, if you like pads and you’re not put off by the scent of blood in your purse when you have to store it there on the go! This store is the only one in Japan I’ve ever seen to carry such a thing, so I imagine that it’s a new concept. I wonder how it’s selling.
I don’t use pads anymore, because I don’t like the smell, the mess, or how it makes me feel “unclean.”
Funny enough, the big box underneath the bottle is unrelated. It’s a product that eliminates back pimples!
Loading ...(I’m in the “never heard of that” crowd. It seems like an odd pairing to me, but maybe I’m the odd one out here 
)
(cute) disposable pad. Not for me!
These are special underwear made to keep that pad in place! Kind of an interesting idea, actually! You can get the one that shapes your butt down, or pushes is a little up (theoretically!). At 1580 yen and up, they’re a little pricey, but I really may consider it!
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My Melody specialty shorts. 
Whenever you buy feminine products (or condoms/enemas/”private items”), the clerks put them in either a paper bag or a black bag. I guess it’s embarrassing to buy tampons! I don’t really think so, though. I mean, having a period is normal. Heck, it’s a great thing to buy condoms too, right? Nothing embarrassing about being responsible! (maybe if you buy the extra-small size, you might be embarrassed, though)
And now, umm.. Remember the blue packages that I said I’d address later?
I said that I don’t buy pads nowadays, which is true. But I was given a free sample a few months ago, and it’s just been sitting around.
On the package, is says “SUPER-assuring, all the way until morning! DELUXE 360″
Which means: “PAD THE SIZE OF A GIANTESS’ PANTIES!”
(Really, look at it in comparison to my giant tall-girl hand!)
Whoa! I freaked out.
It’s like… as big as my head!
I see that this.. size of pad could definitely be useful to some people. I found it a bit like wearing a diaper, though.. ^^; (I tried it on for just a second afterward)
But it just shocked me!
Try your hand at captioning it!
Just write your copy in the comments, or add text to the picture and upload the picture in the comments! (there is an option to upload images with your comments just below the comment box!)
I’ll think up a cool prize for anyone that comes up with an extra-special saying! *^0^*
When I was in Japan I had to deal with this, as I hadn’t brought any supplies with me. I ended up purchasing the pads with the blue hearts on the packaging, and the tampons you have pictured for 249 yen. I got them from a convenience store and I don’t speak Japanese, though the store had limited options. I had a brief moment of panic when I realised I couldn’t read the packaging and I was embarrassed at the thought of accidentally buying “bladder problem” pads or something.
I also was surprised by the black bag, and you confirmed what I thought it was for =) The biggest issue I had was that the tampons were strange. Here in Australia most of our tampons don’t have applicators but it seems they do there.
Also the tampons themselves expanded to be uncomfortably large, though I gather it may just be the brand. (Recently I bought some tampons not realising they are the same I saw an advert for ones I never wanted to use – they have little “wings”, that look like pleats, to supposedly catch extra flow. Funny, I thought that was the whole point of all tampons.)
As for the price, I was pretty happy with it. Pads here are usually AUD$5-6 (for 10 night pads, and depending on brand 12-18 regular/super pads).Tampons are between $5-6 for packs of 16. Generic brands for both can be under $3. The sad thing is there is a tax on feminine hygiene products here; one of our least liked members of parliament once came out saying they are a “luxury”. He is known for being a misogynistic twat =)
Anyway, my main point is that I think they are fairly cheap. And decent quality. Some pads here are stiff, or the cotton bunches up in places after some time. Overall I think there are some good products =)
Your blog is really cool!!! But i wondered if you please could do a “house-tour”? I found your blog by searching for small apartments, so if you have one, please blog about it!!
^^
I’d love to, but my apartment is so tiny, there isn’t much point! XD It’s just one room, really! (okay, there’s a second room off the main one, but I don’t have anything in there besides my old sofa and clothes)
I’m going to be searching for new apartments in the near future though, and I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures of the places that I go to look at!
i’ve read about the washable pad….not very convenient but they say it’s better than using pads because of the material pads are made of is not good for you in the long run or something??! i use pads, not tampons. i like the japanese ones which i discovered in the japan market just 2 yrs ago. it’s expensive, but a lot softerrrr than the ones in america. ~_~
i have seen huge pads like that here too!! xD luckily i’ve never had to use them, but they can be helpful overnight for people with heavier periods i guess.
Jamie~! This is really fascinating. I usually just had craploads of tampons sent to me from America because of the price…is this something you’d like to have in a care-package from America..?
Also, you might want to have your blog put up here: http://www.japanbloglist.com/ if you want more traffic!
Thanks for the idea! I will get it up there pronto!
Hmmmm… well, seeing as I’m okay with tampons here and the shipping price would kill any savings…. I’d much rather have a big case of crystal light in a care package ^.~ (You are the one who got me started on the stuff!)
I don’t find tampons comfortable so I wear pads usually, maybe I’ll give tampons a new try soon, I haven’t in a few years. I just really don’t like the idea of having to try different ones which means I would have to spend money for different boxes and ugh U___U I’m really not that rich myself… Do tampons company offer free samples on their websites? Hmm maybe I’ll have a look and see…
I have a really random question Jamie:
How did you get hair so long? I know that must sound silly but I’ve been trying to grow my hair long like yours for a year now and no matter what I do they just don’t seem to be growing much at all… A hairstylist told me if I cut just the end of it every 3 months they will grow faster, which I’ve been doing but it really doesn’t seem to be working for me. Any tips/suggestions?
What that hairstylist told you is NOT true. Not at all! If you cut off hair faster than it can grow, then all that happens is that it will get shorter! All that cutting hair does is keep the ends from getting old and split.
There are two things that worked really well for me (though I have been growing it out for a few years now. I only cut it about 1cm every year or so), are scrubbing my scalp– if you keep the follicles healthy and clean, hair will grow faster and it will be healthier (you have to work where it grows, not the ends where it will have no effect). The other thing that helped a lot was taking Fish Oil vitamins. It’s more for the body, but ti’s really helped both my hair and my nails be a lot stronger and less brittle.
I used to use pads, but now I use a Mooncup. It’s a reusable silicone cup that catches your flow, and you empty it every few hours just like when you change pads or tampons. What I like about this is it doesn’t create more waste. And it’s fairly cheap, since you buy it once (a little big investment compared to a pack of pads or tampons) but you can use it for up to ten years. Just a few panty liners every month and that’s it.
I’ve been wanting to try a mooncup for a while now! Unfortunately I haven’t found a place in Japan that sells them yet, and shipping overseas is a little too pricey for me. I will one day though!!
Hmm…I am currently a pad girl but I’m gonna try tampons because everyone I know keeps saying that they’re better! the only drawback being that I would have to remember to take it out if I don’t want to get TSS
I wouldn’t worry too much. TSS isn’t really a concern anymore. All you have to do is change it every few hours, or more if you are having a heavy day. I leave mine in overnight with no problems. ^^
Do the Costcos in Japan sell tampons? I would think they’d carry the kind you might prefer and in cheap bulk boxes.
I wonder! They probably do! I will have to check.
But for me, it’s so expensive and time-consuiming to go to Costco (if I had my own car I’d go all the time), that I only go about once a year. It’s actually been over a year since my last trip….
I used those huge pads at night… They did the job well to ensure everything will not be… a mess. And the fact about people getting embarrassed buying personal stuffs… Actually I guess it is an Asian thing… Not only in Japan, if you go to China, Vietnam or any other Asian country… they do the same thing ^_^”
Jeez, that’s a huuuuge pad! It’s like a phone book! You’d think ladies would walk funny. It’s interesting to see the selection available – seems odd that there aren’t as many options with pads vs tampons yet you can buy special underwear!
I admit, I switched to the menstrual cup a few months ago and never looked back. Comfortable, reusable without being gross, cheap, and significantly less mess. I thought it’d be a little weird, but it wasn’t!
Oh, I really want to try the menstrual cup, too! I haven’t figured out where to buy it in Japan, though.
I’d love to see posts on eating cheaply and surviving frugally in Japan!
Then I will definitely do it!
I wonder why I read this post… Oh yeah, I’m the only male in the household, it’s hard to not to try to find a way to understand why everyone will get cranky for “no reason” every month…
Anyway… Let’s make up a joke for your quotes corner
To quote to your boyfriend: “Sure, in a guy’s eye’s it’s a diaper (it’s at that size anyway). But we need them less often than babies. Why you guys don’t need them now-a-days, because males are oblivious to the world of girls, lets keep it that way. Or simply for you to understand: ‘never mind.’ ”
It’s not a harmful joke if it’s a guy making fun of guy’s, is it?
To be honest I use those gigantic ones like in your last set of pics in both the day and to sleep ( cause it kinda guarantees no mess whatsoever instead of the smaller pads ). I have never used tampons and I am kinda uncomfortable with them.
Just curious I noticed that some stores have a replica pads next to the products so ladies can see the sizes etc didn’t see any in that place you went to. Also this post is pretty useful when it comes to buying those stuff xD. I’m glad you did this.
I use pads, although I’m not particularly comfortable wit them; you’re right about the smell and mes. But I’ve tried in the past to use tampons and it felt very uncomfortable for me, more sso than the pads. perhaps I’ll give them anothhe try since you’ve advertised their good points so well
“I love how this fits my Japanese figure so snuggly”
When I first came to Japan (I’m Dutch) I totally hated the lady products! Perhaps it’s because I didn’t know what was on the package, but still. I’ve been using tampons since my first time and I was disappointed in the tampon-department. I actually asked my sister to send me some “decent” tampons, which she did!
I also noticed it’s like…. criminal to talk about your period with Japanese friends. And apparently you have to keep it a secret from all male companions! I thought it so strange, but now I’m used to it.
How does your boyfriend handle your “time of the month”?
I find the long ones good for sleeping though, I have very heavy periods so tampons aren’t really practical for me, but I find the drynet kind are more absorbent than the usual cotton pads.
washable pad/napkin…
It’s that time of the month, so don’t be down
buy a washable pad, it’s new in town!
wear it. wash it. put it away!
Don’t mind the smell cuz it’s here to stay!
just keep in mind all you ladys out there…
squeeze it! squeeze it good! squeeze it REAL good!
I’ll try it out… when pigs fly!>o<
OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGG………………. lol!
hahaha, i too once accidentally bought a pack of those giant diaper ones once!!! and the sad part is that they’re not really more absorbant and whatnot… i think japanese “lady products” are pretty crap compared to their american counterparts, but i suppose they get the job done…
i think this post would be REALLY useful to a lot of newbie girls on their way to japan!!! i get asked questions sometimes, but you really described the whole thing perfectly!
also the “embarrassing” brown buy cracks me up too, because as soon as you walk out with that stupid paper bag, people automatically know you bought something embarrassing, right? whereas if you just had a bag of pads, along with some other stuff, in your normal plastic bag, nobody would even look twice. so silly. i always tell them i don’t need the paper bag when i buy anything of the sort, and they always like at me like “are you REALLY sure???” lol.
I once accidentally bought a pack of those super huge pad things! D= I thought I’d accidentally bought a pack of the Japanese version of Depends (adult diapers), and I just threw them away.
.^^;;;