How to Pick Drugstore Restocks in Japan: Comparing 4 Cleansers, a Bigger Price Gap Doesn't Mean Buy the Bigger Bottle

These four items include a face wash, a gel cleanser, and a cleansing oil, each with a different purpose and formula. The table answers "where is the same item cheaper to buy," not a ranking of their cleansing power, skin feel, or effectiveness, and it does not simply pick the lowest price-per-gram as the best.

For restocking, the most useful order is: first confirm which version you already use and how much you have left, then find the same version and capacity. Even if you spot a large price gap, there's no need to add a cleansing product you don't need to the list.

Melano CC Enzyme Face Wash 130g: Japan ¥787, about NT$163; Taiwan NT$239, buying in Japan saves NT$76. Japan source: Rohto official store (2026-09-11); Taiwan source: PChome 24h (2026-09-11).

MUJI Gentle Gel Cleansing Oil 220g: Japan ¥850, about NT$176; Taiwan NT$453, buying in Japan saves NT$277. Japan source: MUJI Japan official online store (2026-09-12); Taiwan source: momo third-party seller (cross-border direct from Japan) (2026-09-12).

Both items cost under ¥1,000 per purchase, but the savings differ a lot. The Taiwan source for the MUJI item is a momo third-party listing shipped direct from Japan across the border, so shipping needs to be checked separately — it shouldn't be read as the price at MUJI Taiwan stores generally; the Melano CC figure uses Japan's Rohto official store listing. The table compares these named sources specifically, not the brands' overall pricing policy across both markets.

Curél Deep Cleansing Oil Gel 130g: Japan ¥1,100 ≈ NT$228; Taiwan NT$275, saving NT$47 by buying in Japan. The Japan price is sourced from Hands Net Store (2026-09-11), and the Taiwan price from momo (2026-09-12).

This item differs by about NT$47. This is the 130g gel, so don't treat another cleansing oil, refill, or set as the same item. If the retailer's page offers multiple specs, be sure to select the version compared in this article, then confirm the checkout price.

Shu Uemura Sake-Yeast Radiance Cleansing Oil 450mL: Japan ¥13,200, about NT$2,740; Taiwan NT$2,850, buying in Japan saves NT$110. Japan source: @cosme SHOPPING (2026-09-11); Taiwan source: momo Shu Uemura official direct store (2026-09-11).

This Japan list price incl. tax is ¥13,200, about NT$2,740 converted, only about NT$110 below Taiwan's NT$2,850. Using "before any tax refund, plus a 1.5% card fee" as an example, the fee alone comes to about NT$41, leaving a remaining gap of about NT$69; the actual rate and tax-free outcome depend on your payment and purchase conditions.

If you already use this product regularly, go ahead and check the product page's tax-free estimate; if you just want to stock up because you saw a large bottle, think through the one-time cost and how fast you'll actually use it first. This comparison doesn't use a 150mL promo price to compare against a 450mL bottle, and it doesn't mix different sizes together to compute a discount ratio.

At minimum, write down the product name, capacity, version, and reference prices for both markets on the list. If a Japan store happens to be running a promotion, just recalculate using the same spec on the spot; if you can't find the exact same spec, pause the comparison instead of substituting a similarly named product.

The prices are a snapshot from September 11–12, not the latest promotion as of this piece's publish date. This piece also doesn't evaluate skin suitability or product efficacy; the buying rationale is limited to restocking needs, budget, and the price of the same product.