Like the Japanese language, herbal medicines originating in China have been adapted into something peculiarly Japanese.
Chinese herbal remedies, known as "kampo" in Japan, have been adopted and adapted by Japanese pharmaceutical companies, which use herbal materials and prescription methods imported from China.
In a bid to differentiate themselves from Chinese dispensers, who prescribe the remedies in line with tradition and based on experience, Japanese pharmaceutical firms claim their kampo medicines have been developed and produced on the basis of scientific data.