Daily Living: Dealing with your menstrual cycle in Japan.

Dealing with your menstrual cycle can be a pain even in your own country. Here are some of the sanitary products available for people who menstruate!

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Menstruation-related Japanese vocabulary and phrases

General Vocabulary / helpful phrases

1. Sanitary Napkins: 生理用品 (せいりようひん, seiri youhin) or ナプキン (napukin)
2. Tampons: タンポン (tanpon)
3. Menstrual Cup: 生理カップ (せいりかっぷ, seiri kappu)
4. Pain Relievers: 痛み止め (いたみどめ, itamidome) or 生理痛対策 (せいりつうたいさく, seiri tsuu taisaku)
5. Heat Patches: 温熱パッチ (おんねつぱっち, onnetsu patchi)
6. Pharmacy/Drugstore: 薬局 (やっきょく, yakkyoku) or ドラッグストア (doraggusutoa)
7. I have menstrual cramps: 生理痛があります (せいりつうがあります, seiri tsuu ga arimasu)
8. Do you have any menstrual pain relievers?: 生理痛対策の薬はありますか？(せいりつうたいさくのくすりはありますか？, seiri tsuu taisaku no kusuri wa arimasu ka?)
9. I need sanitary napkins: 生理用品が必要です (せいりようひんがひつようです, seiri youhin ga hitsuyou desu)

About your flow

You can see this written on the packages of menstruation products.

• Light – karui hi (軽い日/かるい　ひ)
• Regular – futsuu no hi (普通の日/ふつう　の　ひ)
• Heavy – ooi hi (多い日/おおい　ひ）
• Extra heavy flow – toku ni ooi hi (特に多い日/とくに　おおい　ひ)

Talking to your care-giver

If you find yourself at a clinic or hospital and need to express concerns about your menstrual cycle, he are some useful phrases!

1. English: “I have menstrual cramps.” Japanese: 生理痛があります。(せいりつうがあります。, seiri tsuu ga arimasu.)
2. English: “I need to see a gynecologist.” Japanese: 婦人科医に診てもらいたいです。(ふじんかいにみてもらいたいです。, fujinkai ni mite moraitai desu.)
3. English: “I think I have irregular periods.” Japanese: 不規則な生理があると思います。(ふきそくなせいりがあるとおもいます。, fukisokuna seiri ga aru to omoimasu.)
4. English: “I have heavy bleeding.” Japanese: 出血が多いです。(しゅっけつがおおいです。, shukketsu ga ooi desu.)
5. English: “I am experiencing menopausal symptoms.” Japanese: 更年期の症状が出ています。(こうねんきのしょうじょうがでています。, kounenki no shoujou ga deteimasu.)
6. English: “I am pregnant and experiencing vaginal bleeding.” Japanese: 妊娠しており、膣出血があります。(にんしんしており、ちつしゅっけつがあります。, ninshin shiteori, chitsushukketsu ga arimasu.)
7. English: “I have a history of menstrual problems.” Japanese: 生理トラブルの歴史があります。(せいりとらぶるのれきし があります。, seiri toraburu no rekishi ga arimasu.)

What kinds of sanitary products are available in Japan?

Are you worried about how to handle your time of the month in Japan? In Japanese, menstruation is called seiri shoriyou hin ( 生理処理用品 /しりしょりようひん).

Thankfully, access to sanitary products in Japan is pretty good.

Menstrual pads and tampons are the most easily available to find in Japan.

Menstrual cups, reusable pads, and others are less common, but you might be able to find them.

Sanitary Pads

Seiri You Napukin (生理用ナプキン/せいり　よう　なぷきん)

Sanitary pads are the most commonly used sanitary product in Japan.

Helpful Japanese for buying sanitary pads

Ultra-Thin Pads (薄型 – はくがた, hakugata): These pads are thin and discreet, suitable for light to moderate flow.

Regular Pads (普通 – ふつう, futsuu): These pads are medium-thick and offer good absorbency for moderate flow.

Long Pads (ロング, rongu): These pads are longer in length, providing extra coverage and protection, suitable for overnight use or heavy flow.

Overnight Pads (夜用 – ようよう, youyou): These pads are thicker and longer, designed for overnight use or heavy flow.

Wing Pads (ウィング, uingu): These pads have wings that fold over the sides of underwear, helping to secure the pad in place and prevent leaks.

Organic Pads (オーガニック, ooganikku): These pads are made from organic materials and are free from chemicals and fragrances, suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies.

Scented Pads (香り付き – かおりつき, kaoritsuki): These pads are infused with a light fragrance to mask odors, but may not be suitable for those with sensitive skin or allergies.

My recommendations:

Centerin- This is my favorite brand by far. They’re very absorbent and lightweight. You can find them at most convenience stores and drugstores. If you’re feeling shy or if you want to have the convenience of home delivery, you can get them on Amazon JP from the link below!

センターインコンパクト1/2 ホワイトシャボンの香り 多い昼用 羽つき(22枚入) 価格：392円（税込、送料別) (2024/3/1時点) 楽天で購入

Pantyliners

Panti Raina- (パンティライナー/ぱんてぃ　らいなー)

Panty-liners are also readily available at your drugstore or online. I recommend these unscented, no fuss types.

【小林製薬】サラサーティ　Sara・li・e　無香料　72コ入り（生理用品・パンティライナー） ( 4987072038840 ) 価格：262円（税込、送料別) (2024/3/1時点) 楽天で購入

Tampons

Tanpon (タンポン/たんぼん)

Nowadays, tampons can be found at the drugstore in Japan, but they are less common than sanitary pads. I personally don’t use tampons, but I have heard good things about this brand.

ソフィ ソフトタンポン スーパー 量の多い日用 32コ入(unicharm Sofy) 価格：966円（税込、送料別) (2024/3/1時点) 楽天で購入

Menstrual Cups

Gekkei Kappu (月経カップ/げっけい　かっぷ/)

For the sake of your wallet and the environment, I highly recommend menstrual cups! I like to use them when my flow is at its heaviest, and use cloth pads for my lighter days.

You won’t really be able to find these in Japanese brick-and-mortar stores, from what I have seen.

Cloth Napkins

Nuno Napukin (布ナプキン/ぬの　なぷきん)

Cloth napkins are a great way to save money and reduce environmental waste. For me, they work best on my lighter days. You won’t have an easy time finding them in a brick-and-mortar store in Japan, so I recommend buying them online or even making your own.

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Need to see a doctor while in Japan? Here is an article to get you started!

Daily Living: Visiting the Doctor in Japan!