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Kampo, Hanbang and Chinese Medicine Compared

How Japanese Kampo, Korean Hanbang and Chinese medicine share roots but differ in formulas, training, health-system role, research volume and documented safety problems.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Quick answer
Kampo (Japan), Hanbang or traditional Korean medicine (Korea) and Traditional Chinese Medicine (China) share historical links and a common vocabulary, yet each has developed in its own country with its own formulas, training and rules. Medicines were brought from ancient China to Japan via the Korean peninsula. [1] The World Health Organization has published standard terminology covering Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese traditional medicines. [2] Shared links do not make them interchangeable, and this page does not rank them. Library guides: Kampo Medicine, Traditional Korean Medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Side by side

Kampo (Japan)Korean medicine (Hanbang)TCM (China)
Diagnosis styleFavors methods that relate symptoms directly to the therapy, bypassing speculative concepts [3]; experts chose not to use organ-system patterns [1]Organ-system patterns are very important [1]; Sasang constitutional medicine sorts people into four types [4]Organ-system patterns are very important [1]
FormulasFewer crude drugs, much lower amount of each, traditional prescriptions kept [3]Not compared in the sources we readTends to create new drug combinations [3]
Place in health careInsurance-listed since 1971, 148 prescriptions funded [3]; most Japanese physicians use it [5]Doctors of Korean medicine are medical professionals under Korean medical law [6]; some doctors hold both licenses [7]See TCM qualifications and licensing
Typical formGranular extracts have increasingly replaced traditional decoctions [3]Varies; see Korean herbal medicineVaries; see Chinese herbal medicine

More on Japanese practice: Kampo and Chinese herbal medicine in practice.

Research volume is very uneven

A bibliometric study of MEDLINE records from 2014 to 2023 found 10,151 documents: 9,630 on TCM, 256 on traditional Korean medicine and 295 on Kampo. [8] More indexed publications on one tradition do not mean it works better. They mean more has been published and indexed in that database. Research on each tradition should be read practice by practice: Kampo evidence overview.

Constitution types in Korean medicine

Sasang constitutional medicine is a component of traditional Korean medicine. [4] A systematic review of 15 studies found that 6 of 13 disorders differed in how common they were between types, and concluded that susceptibility was affected "to some extent". [4] A separate study found a Sasang questionnaire gave consistent answers when 176 students took it twice, 4 weeks apart. [9] Consistent answers are not the same as better treatment. We found no outcome evidence in the sources we read that treating by type improves results, so the label is insufficient evidence. This site offers no constitution quiz.

Same name, different plant

Traditions can share a plant name and mean different plants. In Korea, Baek Su O refers to one plant; in China it refers to another. [10] Reviewers describe the two as often confused and misused in Korea. [10] Always check the exact plant name on a product, and ask a pharmacist or clinician if you are unsure.

Practitioners and care

In Korea, a doctor of Korean medicine gets a license from the Ministry of Health and Welfare only after university study in Korean medicine. [6] In Japan, most physicians use Kampo, and in one national insurance analysis 92.2% of patients given Kampo also received biomedical drugs. [5] In the United States, credentials vary widely by state and discipline. [15] This site does not list practitioners. Tell your care team about any herbal products you take.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kampo just Japanese traditional Chinese medicine?

Kampo has Chinese roots, but it developed in Japan. Compared with TCM, it uses fewer crude drugs, a much lower amount of each, and keeps traditional prescriptions. [1][3]

Is Hanbang the same as TCM?

They share roots and vocabulary. Korea has its own licensing law for doctors of Korean medicine and its own constitutional system, Sasang medicine. [2][6][4]

Which tradition has more research?

In one MEDLINE analysis, far more documents covered TCM (9,630) than Korean medicine (256) or Kampo (295). That reflects publication volume, not effectiveness. [8]

Are Kampo formulas safe because the amounts are lower?

No. Lower amounts per ingredient are a description of Kampo, not a safety guarantee. Pneumonitis and other serious reactions are reported. [3][11]

Can I take these with my medicines?

Many people do: 92.2% of Japanese insurance patients given Kampo also received biomedical drugs. Even so, ask a clinician or pharmacist first. [5][16]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

Safety: each tradition has documented harms
  • Japan: a review of 73 patients with pneumonitis linked to Japanese herbal medicines found sho-saiko-to the most frequent cause (26%), and three patients (4%) did not survive. [11] Details: Kampo safety, liver and lung reports.
  • Korea: a systematic review identified 97 cases of herb-induced liver injury, most often from Polygoni Multiflori and Dictamnus dasycarpus. [12]
  • China: aristolochic acid nephropathy was first reported in a Belgian cohort of more than 100 patients after slimming pills containing a Chinese herb. [13] Chinese herbal products have also been contaminated with heavy metals and undeclared drugs. [14]

Case reports show a risk exists, not how common it is. These notes describe specific products, not a verdict on a whole tradition.

References
  1. Yakubo S and others. Pattern classification in Kampo medicine. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2014. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. Choi SH, Chang IM. A Milestone in Codifying the Wisdom of Traditional Oriental Medicine: WHO International Standard Terminologies on Traditional Medicine in the Western Pacific Region. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2010. PubMed 19124553 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  3. Watanabe K and others. Traditional Japanese Kampo Medicine: Clinical Research between Modernity and Traditional Medicine. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2011. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. Lee HY and others. A Systematic Review on Sasang Constitutional Type-Associated Susceptibility to Disorders in Korea. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2016. PubMed 27754711 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Katayama K and others. Prescription of Kampo drugs in the Japanese health care insurance program. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013. Read 2026-10-22.
  6. Association of Korean Medicine (AKOM). Introduction: contemporary Korean medicine (a professional body's own page). Read 2026-10-22.
  7. Medical practices and attitudes of dual-licensed medical doctors in Korea. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2013. Read 2026-10-22.
  8. Kwon CY. Similar but Different Three Major Traditional Medicines in East Asia: A Bibliometric Analysis. Chinese Journal of Integrative Medicine 2025. PubMed 39792346 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  9. Lee J, Yim MH, Kim JY. Test-retest reliability of the questionnaire in the Sasang constitutional analysis tool (SCAT). Integrative Medicine Research 2018. PubMed 29984175 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  10. Lee BJ, Lee K. Discrimination and Proper Use of Polygoni Multiflori Radix, Cynanchi Wilfordii Radix, and Cynanchi Auriculati Radix in Korea: A Descriptive Review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2015. PubMed 26539235 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  11. Enomoto Y and others. Japanese herbal medicine-induced pneumonitis: A review of 73 patients. Respiratory Investigation 2017. PubMed 28274529 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  12. Lee WJ and others. Systematic review on herb-induced liver injury in Korea. Food and Chemical Toxicology 2015. PubMed 26165727 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  13. Debelle FD, Vanherweghem JL, Nortier JL. Aristolochic acid nephropathy: a worldwide problem. Kidney International 2008. PubMed 18418355 (abstract). Read 2026-10-22.
  14. NCCIH (US). Traditional Chinese Medicine: What You Need To Know. Read 2026-10-22.
  15. NCCIH (US). Credentialing, Licensing, and Education. Read 2026-10-22.
  16. NHS (UK). Herbal medicines and complementary therapies. Read 2026-10-22.
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.