Search - supplements

 
Menu
Search
 
November 09, 2025
 

Today's print edition

Home Delivery
Subscribe for more access
420 results
Sort by: Relevance Newest Oldest
After adjusting your search parameters, press Enter on your keyboard or click on the red magnifying glass to run your query again.
JAPAN
Feb 18, 2006

Supplements for pets selling despite doubts

Sales of supplements for dogs, cats and other pets are on the rise, but veterinarians are starting to take a closer look at some of the products.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 22, 2016

Chinese 'explosive shopping' boom turns to Japanese cosmetics, supplements

The spending power of Chinese tourists in Japan is so impressive there's a special word for it: bakugai, or explosive buying.
Japan Times
COMMUNITY / Voices / FOREIGN AGENDA
Feb 4, 2015

Multivitamins may help ward off common cold

Vitamin and mineral supplements are big business in Japan, but are they really any use?
Japan Times
BUSINESS
May 26, 2021

Japanese firms double down on online sales in China amid tourism halt

Demand for Japanese cosmetics is rising as Chinese consumers unable to travel abroad accelerate purchases on e-commerce platforms.
JAPAN / Media / BIG IN JAPAN
Jan 6, 2013

Additives: Let's hope we are not what we eat

Four-legged chickens
Japan Times
Special Supplements
Jul 31, 2019

Cosmetics maker focuses on expanding product efficacy

DHC Corp. is a manufacturer of cosmetics and supplements headquartered in Tokyo. Having originally started out as a translation firm when it was established in 1972, Chairman and CEO Yoshiaki Yoshida later ventured into the field of health and beauty related consumer products. DHC developed into one...
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Sep 2, 2018

In aging Japan, Nestle begins pivots from candy bars to personalized nutrition, taking beverage capsules to next level

The company that brought you milk chocolate, Maggi instant noodles and Rocky Road ice cream is worried about your health.
LIFE / Language / COMMUNICATION CUES
Oct 5, 2015

Fish oils no help for mental decline

Fish oil supplements do not protect against mental decline despite common belief, a study says.
According to Yano Research Institute, Japan's supplements market grew about 30% in the span of three years.
BUSINESS
Mar 29, 2024

Supplements market in Japan showing steady growth

Improved health awareness sparked by COVID-19 is a major factor fueling the growth, market research firms say.
Takeshi Niinami, the former chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings, at a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday
JAPAN / Crime & Legal / EXPLAINER
Sep 4, 2025

What we know about the supplements scandal linked to Suntory’s ex-CEO

The ex-Suntory CEO’s side of the story offered some clarity, but much remains unknown.
Health ministry officials enter Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's factory in the city of Osaka on March 30.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 26, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma to cover bills of people who got ill after taking supplements

The Osaka company’s board has also set up a third-party panel to probe the company’s handling of the issue.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Tokyo office. The company has received 88,000 inquiries about health damage from its supplements.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 20, 2024

More unexpected compounds found in Kobayashi Pharma's beni kōji supplements

At least two compounds not normally found in the supplements were detected in an analysis of ingredient samples.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical President Akihiro Kobayashi and others at a news conference in Osaka in March.
JAPAN / Society
Jul 3, 2024

492 people hospitalized for 'beni kōji' supplements

Kobayashi Pharmaceutical says it has received consultations about a further 170 deaths possibly linked to its supplements.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Tokyo office. The company reported more cases of hospitalization linked to its dietary supplements.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 2, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma's health supplements tied to 157 hospitalizations

The figure reflects an increase from the 114 hospitalization cases that the company said were linked to its products containing red yeast rice.
Health ministry officials enter Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's plant in the city of Osaka for inspection on March 30.
JAPAN
May 29, 2024

Two more unexpected compounds found in beni kōji supplements

The two compounds are believed to have been created by contamination of blue mold.
Health ministry officials enter Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's plant in the city of Osaka on March 30.
JAPAN / Society
Jun 28, 2024

Dozens more deaths may be linked to Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's supplements

The ministry has instructed Kobayashi Pharmaceutical to create a plan to carry out a probe into the causal relationships between the deaths and their products.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 24, 2024

Osaka drugmaker recalls dietary supplements linked to kidney disorders

The Osaka-based drugmaker announced Friday that, of the six hospitalized, two suffered symptoms serious enough to require temporary dialysis.
A building in Osaka's Chuo Ward housing the Kobayashi Pharmaceutical headquarters
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Apr 7, 2024

Government holds hearings at Kobayashi Pharmaceutical on supplements

Of those who took the supplements, five people have died and 196 people have been hospitalized so far.
Takeshi Niinami, then-chief executive officer of Suntory Holdings, in May 2024
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 2, 2025

Suntory CEO Takeshi Niinami resigns over alleged possession of illegal drugs

Police are investigating Niinami over supplements he allegedly purchased overseas that are suspected to be illegal in Japan, a fact that he was unaware of.
Takeshi Niinami, who has resigned as Suntory Holdings chairman and CEO, speaks during a news conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN / Crime & Legal
Sep 3, 2025

Ex-Suntory CEO Niinami says he is confident he has 'broken no laws'

His comments came a day after Tuesday’s shocking revelation that he is the target of a police investigation over illegal drugs.
JAPAN / Science & Health / EXPLAINER
Mar 28, 2024

What we know so far about Kobayashi Pharma's supplement deaths

The Osaka-based drugmaker is finding itself under further scrutiny as the search to pinpoint the cause of the deaths continues.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's headquarters in Osaka
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 11, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma troubles reverberate in Taiwan as firm assists with recall

Taiwan is the only place outside of Japan to have seen reports of people falling ill after consuming the company's beni kōji.
Mary Ann Eduarte at her home in Montalban, Rizal, the Philippines.
ASIA PACIFIC / Society
Mar 15, 2024

Cancer patients in the Philippines falling for alternative 'cures'

The trend was fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic, when health care systems were overwhelmed and many were too scared to visit a hospital.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical President Akihiro Kobayashi (second from left) and other executives apologize for the deaths and other health damage associated with its dietary supplements, in the city of Osaka on Friday.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Mar 29, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma says blue mold compound may be cause of health problems

The beni kо̄ji red yeast rice dietary supplements are now linked to five deaths and 114 hospitalizations.
Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's Tokyo office. An investigation into the cause of the health issues is underway, with partner companies attempting to recall products that could include the batch of beni kōji said to have caused kidney problems.
JAPAN / Science & Health
Apr 4, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma's wide supply chain complicates search for tainted products

Looking at the overall market, one study showed that around 33,000 companies have sold and distributed products using the firm's red yeast rice.
Former Kobayashi Pharmaceutical President Akihiro Kobayashi, currently director in charge of compensation, speaks during a news conference in Osaka earlier this month.
BUSINESS / Companies
Aug 14, 2024

Chinese shoppers’ infatuation with Japanese brands wears thin

The backlash is reminiscent of last year’s outcry over the Fukushima wastewater release
Health experts say the beni kōji supplement scandal should not be treated as a one-off incident. Instead, it should be seen as a cautionary tale about how such health food items could pose more risks than benefits.
JAPAN / Science & Health / FOCUS
Apr 12, 2024

Kobayashi Pharma’s slow response to scandal spotlights deeper issues

Health experts say the scandal should be seen as a cautionary tale, and not a one-off incident.
Takeshi Niinami resigns as chairman and CEO of Suntory Holdings.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 9, 2025

Niinami’s ouster quick but not unusual as corporations protect reputation

Sometimes it makes sense to act before the investigation is done.
The Toyota buyout is a major test for Japan’s reforms
Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor, speaks during a media preview at the Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo on Oct. 29. Minority investors are challenging the carmaker's bid to take affiliate Toyota Industries Corp. private.
New satellite images suggest 'mass graves' in Sudan's El-Fasher
A general view of a berm construction in Kinin Village near El-Fasher.
From France to Mali, a deportee's struggle far from home
Moussa Sacko, a Malian deported from France — where he had lived since he was a young child — stands on a street in Bamako, Mali, in December. Compared with his home in France, Bamako feels like a different planet, Sacko said.
High-speed rail is expensive and difficult, but seen as a key to growth
Achal Khare, former managing director at India’s National High Speed Rail Corporation, gives a presentation during the IHRA Forum 2025 in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
Takaichi calls for the updating of Japan's economic security law
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi speaks to a panel on promoting economic security in Japan on Friday.
Jon Homewood: ‘There’s beauty in what we throw away’
After a peripatetic childhood around the world, teacher and artist Jon Homewood ended up coming to Japan in 2012 for a professional opportunity.
Yokozuna duo Onosato and Hoshoryu poised for another clash of titans
Yokozuna duo Onosato (right) and Hoshoryu clash for the title on the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sept. 28 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
High-speed rail is expensive and difficult, but seen as a key to growth
Achal Khare, former managing director at India’s National High Speed Rail Corporation, gives a presentation during the IHRA Forum 2025 in Tokyo on Oct. 23.
A 40-year wait for ‘Mishima’ ends at TIFF
Made at a time when Japan was still grappling with Yukio Mishima’s legacy, Paul Schrader’s biopic “Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters” was blocked from screening in the country for decades.
Takaichi’s balancing act: Supporting Taiwan and stabilizing China ties
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shakes hands with Lin Hsin-i, Taiwan’s presidential adviser, on the sidelines of an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit meeting in Gyeongju, South Korea, on Saturday in this image posted to Takaichi's official X account.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo’s ‘stadium of desire’

Longform

Bear attacks have dominated Japanese news headlines in recent months, with 13 people so far having been killed by the animals.
Japan’s bears have been on their killing spree for more than 100 years
By Yukana Inoue

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo
Foreign wrestlers have a long history in sumo

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTS note

Read more

SUPPLEMENTS BINDER