Kampo medicines originally developed in ancient China are crude drugs containing extracts from 5 to 10 or more different species of herbs or plants in a specific combination and proportion. These were the mainstream of medicine in Japan for over 1,000 years until replaced by western synthetic medicines in the late 19th Century. However, in the last few decades, Kampo medicines have again become increasingly used for the treatment of a variety of disorders or diseases affecting the liver, kidney, and circulatory and/or respiratory systems, such as hepatitis, nephrosis, heart insufficiency and chronic bronchitis. Out of 120 Kampo prescriptions currently available in Japan, some are more specifically indicated for the management of those several chronic diseases, including autoimmune, allergic or chronic inflammatory disorders, which may not be adequately treated with existing western drugs(1).