HealthSearch: Japan's AI Self-Care Tool for OTC Drugs

Japanese startup MITSUHIRO is pitching HealthSearch, a personalized self-care AI commerce service that guides users from a health question to choosing a product, deciding whether to see a doctor, and buying it.

Users enter symptoms, existing conditions and allergies. The AI then analyzes the input based on medical evidence and recommends the over-the-counter (OTC) drugs or supplements best suited to that person. If there is a risk of the condition worsening, the service advises seeing a doctor. According to the company, it holds a patent combining AI and self-medication, and relies on its own natural language processing and a drug database.

Built for people who need to be careful

The target group is clear: people with chronic illnesses or food allergies, who must choose products carefully, and people who are not comfortable in Japanese and struggle even to research medicines. Many others simply find it hard to judge when to go to hospital and when an OTC product is enough.

The idea came from founder Piao's own experience. A health check found a 1.4 cm mass, which turned out not to be malignant. When he asked his doctor what he could do to prevent it from getting worse, he was told the doctor could explain treatment but that he should research self-care himself. His own search showed there was no platform supporting evidence-based self-care.

Vending machines as a sales channel

The timing is tied to demographics and policy. Japan's aging, shrinking population and rising medical costs are drawing attention to self-care before treatment, and a revised Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act that took effect in May 2026 allows OTC drug vending and dispensing machines.

MITSUHIRO plans to offer HealthSearch together with OTC vending machines as a package to dispensing pharmacies. Pharmacies could place the machines in accommodation facilities, convenience stores and stations, which the company expects to raise their sales. The pitch was presented at Monthly Pitch, a closed event for early-stage startups and investors.