The Japanese Society for the History of Pharmacy (JSHP) was founded in 1954 by Dr. Yasuhiko Asahina (朝比奈 泰彦）, Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, who also became the first president.
 
The JSHP aims to promote the history of pharmacy and to contribute to the development of Japanese pharmaceutical science.
 
To commemorate the 40-year anniversary of the founding of JSHP, a special lecture was held in October 1994 and a history of the Japanese pharmaceutical industry from its origins in the Edo period (1603-1867) to the early 1990s was published.
 
A 50-year anniversary publication commemorating the activities of the JSHP was issued in October 2004.
 
On 30 June 2014, JSHP published a special 60-year anniversary issue in the Japanese Journal for the History of Pharmacy (Yakushigaku Zasshi 薬史学雑誌). 2014; 49(1): 1-152.