The most familiar plant-based therapy for Japanese people

Herbal medicine, also known as phytotherapy, is a therapeutic approach that utilizes plants themselves or phytochemicals extracted from plants to prevent and treat illnesses in a holistic manner.

The chemical components found in plants are known to have various effects on our body and mind. Phytotherapy harnesses these components to support the body's natural healing power and immune functions, addressing the root causes of illness and discomfort.
Phytotherapy has been used since ancient times in various cultures and ethnic groups around the world and is deeply intertwined with traditional medicine systems globally, such as aromatherapy, Ayurvedic medicine, and traditional Chinese medicine.

In Japan, tea was used as a medicine and antidote before it became a beverage.
After the Edo period, tea became widespread as a beverage and an indispensable part of Japanese cuisine, which favors perishable raw fish.

The "agari" (last cup of tea) we drink after eating sushi has the effect of preventing food poisoning.
This is because the tea catechins contained in green tea have excellent antibacterial properties.
Professor Ishii of Meiji Pharmaceutical University taught us that green tea drunk with sushi, combined with gari (pickled ginger) and vinegared rice, is the most familiar form of herbal medicine and phytotherapy that Japanese people have practiced for a long time.

Written by: Natsuko Hayashi, Representative of NACHARAL
Supervised by: Professor Fumiyoshi Ishii, Meiji Pharmaceutical University