[Tokyo Crude Drugs Association] Deepen Your Knowledge of Medicinal Herbs This Autumn at the Botanical Garden—Event Registration Now Open

Spanning more than 30,000 square meters, the Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden in Kodaira City, Tokyo, is home to some 1,600 species of medicinal herbs and trees, which delight visitors with delicate seasonal flowers that bloom throughout the year. While operated as a research facility by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the garden is open to the public free of charge and serves as a relaxing local gathering place.

One of the seasonal highlights as autumn deepens is the gentian. Its vivid lapis-blue, tube-shaped blossoms open only during the daytime on clear days. Known by its crude drug nameryutan(dragon gall), its roots and rhizomes are primarily used as bitter stomachic medicine.

Other medicinal plants that bloom in autumn include well-known species such as saffron andsenburi(Swertiajaponica). Saffron, a variety of crocus, makes use of the bright red stigmas that hang from the center of its light-purple flowers. While widely known for use in paella and other dishes for color and aroma, in Japan it has traditionally been used to help improve cold sensitivity. Senburi, with its charming star-shaped flowers, is used as a crude drug under the nametoyakuand has been valued in Japan since the Muromachi period as a bitter stomachic and intestinal remedy.

The Tokyo Crude Drugs Association, which manages the Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden and ensure the stable supply and promotion of crude drugs derived from medicinal plants, hosts various events in the garden’s training room as part of its educational efforts, commissioned by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. One such free event is the Medicinal Herb Class, offering lectures by experts from various fields on a wide range of topics, including the relationship between crude drugs,kampo(traditional Japanese medicine), and the latest medical treatments., as well as highlights of plants in the garden. In addition, the paid Lectures on Medicinal Plants, Crude Drugs, andKampoare held five times annually and can also be attended on a single-session basis. This autumn’s offerings include unique topics such as “The Benefits of the Tea Plant, Eisai, and theKissaYojoki” and “Kampoand Mental Well-being.” If any of these pique your interest, why not join in and deepen your knowledge?

【Event Details】 ＊All events conducted in Japanese.
Medicinal Herb Class: “Plant Walk at the Watarase-yusuichi: From Early Spring to Summer”
October 17, 2025 (Friday)
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden, Educational Training Facility
Registration: Applications must arrive by Friday, October 3

Medicinal Herb Class: “Preventive Care in Eastern Medicine: Lessons from Famous Monks (Takuan, Hakuin)”
November 19, 2025 (Wednesday)
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden, Educational Training Facility
Registration: Opens Wednesday, October 8 (Applications must arrive by Wednesday, November 5)

Lecture Series on Medicinal Plants, Crude Drugs, andKampo(2025, Session 3): “The Benefits of the Tea Plant, Eisai, and theKissaYojoki/Kampo and Mental Well-being IV”
October 26, 2025 (Sunday)
Lecture Series on Medicinal Plants, Crude Drugs, andKampo(2025, Session 4): “Plants That Created Medicine/Kampofor Digestive Disorders”
November 30, 2025 (Sunday)
Venue: Tokyo Metropolitan Medicinal Botanical Garden, Educational Training Facility
Capacity: 80 participants (first come, first served)
Fee: 2,500 yen per session
※ These are part of a five-session series, but individual sessions may be attended separately. No pharmacist license or qualifications are required.

Advance registration required for all events. For full details on how to register, please visit:
https://www.tokyo-shoyaku.com/evs.php

■ Tokyo Crude Drugs Association
Official website
https://www.tokyo-shoyaku.com/