Jintan is the patented name of a popular Japanese
medicine/candy developed by Morishita Hiroshi (1869-1943) and sold from
the early twentieth century to today.
Originally marketed as a cure-all
for a number of ailments, Jintan is today thought of as a breath
freshener only.
Morishita Hiroshi was the eldest son of a priest at the Nunakuma-Shrine (沼名前神社, Numakuma jinja) in Fukuyama (Hiroshima prefecture). After his father died, Morishita went to Osaka and started to develop pharmaceutical products. He was also a pioneer of Japanese advertising.[1]
Jintan has about 16 ingredients including cinnamon, mint, cumin, clove, and Fructus Amomi. The silver coated pellet-like pills were advertised from 1904 through the end of World War II. They were sold throughout Asia.[2]
The name Jintan combines the Confucian term jin (humaneness, benevolence) with the Daoist term tan (cinnabar, pills containing cinnabar, pills) evoking the notion of longevity and health.
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