Ukon no Chikara
ウコンの力House Foods' turmeric drink — aluminum bottle, 30 mg curcumin, the best-selling "ukon" beverage in Japan since 2004.
- Ships
- Cold-chain from Osaka · arrives in 2–4 days
- Returns
- 30 days, free return postage, unopened packs
- Card
- Authorized now · only charged if shipment clears
What Ukon no Chikara is
Ukon no Chikara (literally "the power of turmeric") is a 100 ml aluminum-bottle beverage manufactured by House Foods Group Inc. Each bottle contains 30 mg of turmeric-derived curcumin, 400 μg of bisacuron (a proprietary compound House Foods developed from turmeric and trademarked), and a B-vitamin complex (B₁ 1.5 mg, B₂ 1.5 mg, B₆ 1.5 mg, niacin 12 mg). It has been in continuous production since 2004 and is the best-selling turmeric beverage in Japan by volume. We ship the standard 6-bottle Japanese retail pack, direct from Osaka.
Where it sits in Japan
Ukon no Chikara is a konbini staple — every Lawson, Family Mart, and 7-Eleven cooler in Japan stocks it in the wellness-beverage section next to Hepalyse and Lipovitan. The demographic skews younger than Hepalyse (the Yamashita Tomohisa TV commercials from the mid-2000s are iconic): late-20s to mid-40s office workers, reached for on the commute home or before a drinking party (飲み会, nomikai). The aluminum bottle is deliberate — it's recyclable, it chills faster than glass, and the form factor signals "sporty functional beverage" rather than "pharmacy tonic," which is part of why House positioned it away from the Zeria/Taisho medical-adjacent aesthetic.
Inside the bottle
Per 100 ml bottle: turmeric extract standardized to 30 mg curcumin, 400 μg bisacuron, niacin 12 mg, thiamine nitrate (B₁) 1.5 mg, riboflavin phosphate (B₂) 1.5 mg, pyridoxine HCl (B₆) 1.5 mg. The differentiator versus generic turmeric supplements is bisacuron — a turmeric-derived compound that House Foods isolated and patented. House has published research in Japanese nutrition journals examining bisacuron's role in their formulation; the ingredient is listed on the label in micrograms because it's potent at small doses. Curcumin bioavailability in liquid form is higher than dry capsule form, though neither matches the bioavailability of formulations that include piperine or lipid carriers.
About House Foods
House Foods Group was founded in 1913 in Higashi-Osaka as a spice and curry-powder manufacturer and is now a Tokyo-Stock-Exchange-listed food conglomerate with operations in Japan, the US, and China. In Japan, House is best known for Vermont Curry and Java Curry instant roux blocks (found in every Japanese grocery store); in the US, their brand is better known through House Foods tofu, which leads the US tofu market. Ukon no Chikara launched in 2004 as House's entry into the functional-beverage category and remains the single largest individual product in their beverage line.
How we source and ship it
We buy Ukon no Chikara in full case quantities from House Foods' domestic wholesale channels in Japan, consolidated at our Osaka forwarder, then flown cold-chain to the US. Aluminum bottles are more freight-efficient than glass by weight, which keeps the landed cost manageable. A small English supplement-facts overlabel is applied at our US 3PL before shipping — the original Japanese label, lot code, and best-before date remain fully visible underneath.
What this product is not
Ukon no Chikara is classified as a dietary supplement and functional beverage in the US. It is not a drug and has not been approved or evaluated by the FDA. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Contains citrus-derived flavoring. Consult a healthcare professional before use if you are pregnant, nursing, under 20, or taking medication that interacts with curcumin (blood thinners, some diabetes medications — ask your doctor).
What’s actually in each bottle.
Fructose · Pineapple juice concentrate · Acidulant (citric acid) · Natural flavor · Water
- · No major allergens · contains citrus-derived flavoring
Values per 100 ml bottle, from the Japanese product label. Complete Japanese supplement-facts panel ships with every pack; US English overlabel added at our 3PL before dispatch.
Questions about Ukon no Chikara
- Is Ukon no Chikara the same as turmeric pills from the supplement aisle?
- They share turmeric/curcumin as the lead ingredient, but the products are different. Ukon no Chikara is a 100 ml liquid beverage with 30 mg curcumin and 400 μg of bisacuron (House Foods' proprietary turmeric-derived compound), plus a B-vitamin complex. Most Western turmeric capsules contain dry powdered turmeric root at 500–1,000 mg per capsule. The Japanese formulation is smaller-dose, liquid, and specifically positioned for daily functional-beverage use rather than high-dose supplementation.
- What is bisacuron?
- Bisacuron is a compound House Foods identified and isolated from turmeric, trademarked as an ingredient for their nutritional products. It's used at 400 μg per bottle in Ukon no Chikara. House has published research on it in Japanese nutritional journals; outside Japan it's less widely known, which is partly why competitors haven't replicated the formula.
- Why only 6 bottles per pack instead of 10?
- That's the standard Japanese retail pack. In konbini coolers the bottles are usually sold singly, but the pharmacy/drugstore 6-pack is how House ships it to distributors, and that's what we receive. We don't re-pack.
- Does it contain alcohol, caffeine, or stimulants?
- No alcohol. No caffeine. No traditional stimulants. The formula is turmeric curcumin + bisacuron + B vitamins in a sweetened pineapple-juice base.
- Is House Foods a legitimate manufacturer?
- Yes — House Foods Group is a Tokyo-Stock-Exchange-listed food conglomerate founded in 1913. In the US they're best known for leading the tofu market; in Japan they are one of the top-three food-and-beverage companies.
- Can I take this with other turmeric supplements?
- Talk to your doctor. Curcumin at high cumulative doses can interact with blood-thinning medication and some diabetes drugs. The 30 mg per bottle is moderate, but stacking it with a 500 mg capsule may not be advisable depending on your situation.
- How does it taste?
- Pineapple-forward, lightly sweet, with a mild bitter turmeric finish. The aluminum bottle is best served cold.
Three more packs from the same pharmacy shelf.
Hepalyse Wヘパリーゼ W · Zeria Pharmaceutical$69.00 →
Alpitanアルピタン · Kobayashi Pharmaceutical$28.00 →
Lipovitan DリポビタンD · Taisho Pharmaceutical$39.00 →
The Full Shelf — one pack of each, $151.00.
Save $17.00 vs buying individually. One bigger parcel, one cold-chain run.