Only 4% Utilization Rate for Kampo Pharmacies━━Current Situation Where It's Not a Choice for Poor Health, Expert Course for Oriental Medicine Professionals Opens

Chiaki Matsumoto, who provides business support specializing in the field of Oriental medicine and Kampo, will open the "Kampo Pharmacy Customer Attraction Course 5th Term" starting Monday, June 8, 2026.

This 7-month program is designed for Oriental medicine professionals, including Kampo pharmacies and acupuncture clinics, to systematically learn customer attraction, management, and customer communication.

■ Background: The Reality of Only 4% Utilization Rate for Kampo Pharmacies

It is said that only about 4% of people in Japan have experience using Kampo pharmacies.

Meanwhile, in the field of Oriental medicine, voices like "I got pregnant with Kampo," "My long-standing atopic dermatitis improved," and "My menopausal symptoms were alleviated" are heard daily.

This means that despite Oriental medicine's potential to improve and alleviate many people's health problems, it is not considered an option simply because it is "unknown."

Furthermore, common perceptions such as "expensive," "unapproachable," and "unclear what they do" are deeply rooted, hindering its widespread adoption by creating high barriers to entry and preventing Oriental medicine professionals from connecting with those who need them.

Matsumoto launched this course with the desire to "change this reality where people who could be saved are not, simply because they are 'unknown.'"

■ Course Objective: "Connecting" Oriental Medicine with Those Who Need It

Matsumoto operates under the philosophy that "Oriental medicine is knowledge to save, business is knowledge to meet."

She believes the challenge lies not in the value of Oriental medicine itself, but in "how it is delivered." By enhancing the business capabilities of professionals, the course aims to deliver its value to the people who truly need it.

■ Course Features

Unlike general business courses, this program features practical content specifically tailored to the Oriental medicine industry.

* Content directly relevant to the field, specifically for Kampo pharmacies and Oriental medicine specialists.
* Mutual learning through a community of peers.
* Customer attraction design based on female customer psychology.
* Building mechanisms for continuous repeat customers.
* Word-of-mouth and referral-based customer acquisition channels, independent of SNS.

■ Target Audience for This Course

* Owners of Kampo pharmacies and drugstores.
* Owners of acupuncture clinics.
* Oriental medicine professionals considering opening their own practice.

This course is for owners of Oriental medicine specialty stores, such as Kampo pharmacies and acupuncture clinics, who are struggling with "customer attraction," have "never learned business management," or "don't know how to convey their value," but are still determined to rebuild their businesses.

■ Main Achievements of Students

Over the past two and a half years, 33 Oriental medicine professionals have taken this course (with a retention rate of 91%), reporting the following achievements through practical application:

* Achieved 25 new customer acquisitions per month.
* Acquired 17 customers per month from Instagram.
* Customer unit price exceeded 30,000 yen within 4 months of opening.
* Sales quadrupled within 1 year of independence.
* Customer unit price increased by 1.5 to 2 times.
* Achieved a 100% repeat rate.
* Consultation fees set from 0 yen to 5,000 yen.
* Sales increased by 15 million yen over 2 years.
* Achieved stable management with a 3-day workweek.

■ Course Content (7-Month Program)

This course systematically covers the following themes:

* Differentiation and strength design for being chosen.
* Customer understanding and verbalization (deep dive from an Oriental medicine perspective).
* SNS-independent customer acquisition channels (word-of-mouth, referrals, Google Maps utilization).
* Consultation skills to increase repeat rates.
* Proposal skills for increasing unit price.
* Promotional planning and business mindset.
* LINE setup, copywriting, and web channel design.
* Self-understanding, time management, and PDCA.
* Product design and pricing.

■ Instructor Profile

Chiaki Matsumoto

Chiaki Matsumoto (Matsumoto Chiaki)

Kampo Pharmacist and Business Consultant.

Achieved a 90% repeat rate, 40,000 yen average customer spend, and 600,000-1,000,000 yen monthly sales when opening her private aesthetic salon.

As a Kampo pharmacist, she achieved a 100% repeat rate and contributed to a 10 million yen sales increase for students in the first year of consulting, and a 5 million yen increase in the second year.

She is active with the belief that "Oriental medicine is a technique that can improve many people's health problems. By learning business, it can be delivered to those who need it."

Official Website: https://www.chiakikampo.com/

■ Instructor Achievements

Instructor Chiaki Matsumoto provides business support in the Oriental medicine field based on her experience in her own salon and as a pharmacist.

* Aesthetic salon: 90% repeat rate, 40,000 yen average customer spend, 600,000-1,000,000 yen monthly sales.
* Achieved 100% repeat rate as a Kampo pharmacist.
* Contributed to a 10 million yen sales increase in the first year of consulting and a 5 million yen increase in the second year.

■ Future Outlook

Matsumoto aims to realize a society where "Kampo pharmacies are utilized like convenience stores."

She is working towards a society where Oriental medicine is a readily accessible option for consultation when one feels unwell, allowing people to naturally choose between Western and Oriental medicine based on their daily health condition.

■ Course Overview

Course Name: Kampo Pharmacy Customer Attraction Course 5th Term