The raw materials, for the most part, were not local in origin. The exotic herbs, certain animal organs and horns, various rare minerals, etc., were imported from China and Southeast Asia into Nagasaki , then distributed to wholesalers in major Japanese cities. It was a major industry — a part of the semi-secret "international economy" taking place in a country officially isolated from its neighbors at the time.

Actual preparation of the medicines was done on the spot, so quality and effectiveness differed from place to place. The best blends earned wide popularity and could be traded far beyond the local borders. In fact, this is exactly what happened with a certain hangotan concoction that originated in Toyama.

It all began in 1690 when the lord of the province, Masatoshi Maeda, shared a dose of hangotan with the Tokugawa Shogun up in Edo (Tokyo). So quickly did it cure whatever had ailed Japan's powerful leader that demand for Toyama's medicines soon rose all across the country.

Carrying boxes of medicines in backpacks made of woven willow twigs, itinerant peddlers crisscrossed the country twice a year. The number of these traveling salesmen eventually reached 2,300.

Part of their success was due to clever advertising — giving trinkets to children and handing out woodblock-printed "fliers" in the form of balloons.

But they devised a still more innovative merchandising gimmick as well. On the first trip out, they'd leave boxes of medicine with customers along the route. On the second round, they'd refill the boxes and collect payment — but only that owed for the medicines actually used. It became known as a "use now, pay later" system, and it helped to build a business that is still one of Toyama Prefecture's major money earners.

Today, about 50 companies manufacture traditional medicines in the region. Tourists can visit some major factories, or learn the industry's history at the Toyama City Folk Craft Village and the Kanaoka-tei, the former residence of a leading medicine mogul.