Japanese Kadsura (Kadsura japonica) has a history of use in East Asian traditional medicine, including Chinese and Japanese herbal systems. Traditionally, various species of Kadsura—including Kadsura japonica and Kadsura heteroclita—have been used to address respiratory ailments, including coughs, especially those characterized as "dry." The fruit and stems are sometimes included in herbal formulas intended to "moisten the lungs" and relieve coughs thought to be due to dryness or irritation. These uses are rooted in traditional energetic concepts rather than modern pathophysiological understanding.

However, direct scientific evidence supporting the use of Japanese Kadsura specifically for dry cough is limited. A few laboratory studies suggest anti-inflammatory or antioxidant activity for Kadsura species, but there are no robust clinical trials or pharmacological studies directly validating its efficacy for cough relief in humans. Therefore, the justification for its use in this context relies primarily on tradition, with a moderate level of historical documentation but little modern scientific corroboration.