Choose by caffeine and when you want to take it first. Nightwell is the caffeine-free option; Royal 2 and Hyper contain caffeine. All three are 50 mL nutritional tonic drinks for ages 15 and over, taken one bottle once daily. Hyper’s longer ingredient list is not proof that it works faster or is the best choice for everyone.
I’m Irene, a Taiwan-born, Japan-licensed pharmacist working in a Japanese drugstore. For these little bottles, I’d start with a simple question: are you looking for daytime nutritional support, or an option without caffeine before bed?
Checked 19 October 2026 · Japanese-market products · All three are designated quasi-drugs in Japan.
Which bottle fits your preference?
- You want a caffeine-free bottle, including before bed: compare Nightwell. Eisai describes it as grapefruit-flavoured. Its sleep-related indication is limited to problems associated with poor nutrition in everyday life.
- You want a caffeinated tonic with royal jelly and taurine: Royal 2 is worth comparing. It contains 1,000 mg taurine and 50 mg caffeine hydrate per bottle.
- You specifically want Hyper’s formula: it contains 1,200 mg taurine, royal jelly, ginseng, guarana and glossy privet fruit extract, among other ingredients. Check the whole formula rather than treating “Hyper” as a guarantee of stronger or immediate relief.
These are not ordinary thirst-quenching drinks. They have labelled uses and a daily dose. Their uses include recovery from and prevention of fatigue, but they cannot promise to erase travel fatigue immediately or replace meals and rest.
Recognise the three bottles
Hyper: the gold-and-red bottle
Look for チョコラBBハイパー. Eisai describes the taste as full-bodied with a refreshing finish. A bottle has 14.3 kcal and 13 active ingredients.
The active-ingredient table lists caffeine hydrate 45 mg, and separately lists guarana extract. Use that precise label wording; the 45 mg figure is not a reason to assume it is a low-caffeine bedtime drink.
Royal 2: the pink-red bottle
Look for チョコラBBローヤル2. Eisai also describes this flavour as full-bodied yet refreshing. It has 7.3 kcal per bottle, 11 listed active ingredients and caffeine hydrate 50 mg.
Royal 2 shares much of Hyper’s B-vitamin, amino-acid and royal-jelly formula, but has a different herbal ingredient, eucommia leaf extract. Neither the ingredient count nor the taurine amount establishes a head-to-head effectiveness ranking.
Nightwell: the blue-capped bottle
Look for チョコラBBナイトウェル. It is caffeine-free, has eight active ingredients, and contains 5.1 kcal per bottle. Eisai describes a grapefruit flavour and says it can be taken before bed.
Its label includes difficulty falling asleep, light sleep and poor waking when associated with poor nutrition in daily life. That is not a general claim to treat insomnia, jet lag or every cause of poor sleep. Caffeine-free also does not mean suitable for everyone or free of adverse effects.
What overlaps in the formulas?
Every amount here is for one 50 mL bottle, the full daily dose. All three contain vitamin B2 phosphate ester 15 mg, vitamin B6 10 mg, vitamin B1 nitrate 10 mg and glycine 50 mg.
- Hyper: taurine 1,200 mg; nicotinamide 40 mg; royal jelly tincture 300 mg (equivalent to 300 mg royal jelly); L-arginine hydrochloride 150 mg; L-lysine hydrochloride 100 mg; guarana fluid extract 0.15 mL (150 mg guarana); ginseng dry extract 41.4 mg (600 mg ginseng); glossy privet fruit extract 62.5 mg (250 mg fruit); caffeine hydrate 45 mg.
- Royal 2: taurine 1,000 mg; nicotinamide 40 mg; royal jelly tincture 300 mg (equivalent to 300 mg royal jelly); L-arginine hydrochloride 100 mg; L-lysine hydrochloride 100 mg; eucommia leaf fluid extract 0.06 mL (60 mg leaf); caffeine hydrate 50 mg.
- Nightwell: taurine 500 mg; nicotinamide 20 mg; hawthorn extract 12.5 mg (50 mg hawthorn); citrus peel extract 20 mg (100 mg peel). No caffeine is included.
Taking a daytime bottle and then Nightwell is not a sensible default routine: the B vitamins and other ingredients overlap. The labels warn about excessive intake when combining products containing vitamins. Show a pharmacist any B-complex tablets, multivitamins, tonic drinks or other medicines you already use before combining them. With Hyper or Royal 2, also consider coffee, tea and other caffeine-containing drinks.
Check additives too if you have allergies or dietary restrictions. Hyper and Nightwell list honey; Royal 2 lists fructose. The current Japanese information lists alcohol at no more than 0.4 mL per Hyper bottle, 0.49 mL per Royal 2 bottle and 0.1 mL per Nightwell bottle. Caffeine-free does not mean alcohol-free. Full ingredient lists are in the manufacturer sources below.
How to take them and when to stop
- Ages 15 and over: one bottle (50 mL), once a day. These are not products for children under 15. Do not increase the dose because you are especially tired.
- Timing: the directions do not require a particular meal time. Nightwell may be taken before bed; it is still only one bottle per day. Caffeine preference matters for the other two.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding: all three list nutritional supplementation during these periods, and Eisai’s FAQs permit that use. This is not a blanket safety guarantee. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to check the full formula alongside your medicines, supplements and caffeine intake.
- Stop immediately and seek advice from a doctor, pharmacist or registered medicine seller if a rash or stomach discomfort occurs after taking one. Bring the product.
- Stop and seek advice if diarrhoea persists or worsens, or if symptoms do not improve after taking the product for a while. The labels do not set a fixed number of days. Do not keep buying stronger bottles instead of having persistent fatigue assessed.
B2 can turn urine yellow as some is excreted; Eisai explains this as an expected effect. Herbal extracts may cause cloudiness without changing the product’s effect. These explanations do not override the expiry date or excuse an obviously damaged product.
Store in a cool place away from direct sunlight, out of children’s reach, and in the original container. Do not decant into another bottle or use after expiry.
These drinks are different from Chocola BB tablets
Royal 2 is a drink; Royal T is a tablet. If you are choosing tablets for skin or mouth symptoms, pigmentation, or nutritional support, see the separate Plus, Pure, Lucent C and Royal T guide. Do not transfer their directions or symptom indications to these bottles just because the brand is the same.
For these three drinks, the shared labelled uses include maintaining or improving physical strength, physical resistance or concentration; fatigue recovery and prevention; support for poor physical condition associated with a weak constitution; and nutritional supplementation during illness/recovery, fever-related exhaustion, poor appetite, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Their skin-related indication concerns roughness or dryness associated with poor nutrition. It is not the same as the acne or mouth-ulcer treatment indication on some tablets.
Hyper additionally lists feeling cold easily and poor circulation associated with poor nutrition. Nightwell additionally lists the sleep difficulties described above, eyestrain, and reduced appetite or malaise accompanying a hangover; all of these fall under its indication for poor physical condition associated with poor nutrition in daily life. These specific label categories are not a promise to cure the underlying illness or prevent harm from drinking alcohol.
My final shelf check: exact name, caffeine preference, age, one-bottle daily limit, and ingredients you already take. That gets you further than choosing by cap colour alone.
Manufacturer information
- Hyper: current ingredients, directions and precautions
- Royal 2: current ingredients, directions and precautions
- Nightwell: current ingredients, directions and precautions
- Nightwell timing guidance
Product photographs: Eisai, official product information. Follow the Japanese packaging supplied with your purchase. This guide does not replace individual medical advice.
