Eleven triterpenoids (1-11) form the roots of Taraxacum japonicum (Compositae) were examined for their inhibitory effects on Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) induced by the tumor promoter, 12-O-tetrade canoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), in Raji cells as a primary screening test for anti-tumor-promoters (cancer chemopreventive agents). Of these triterpenoids, traxasterol (1) and taraxerol (7) exhibited significant inhibitory effects on EBV-EA induction, but the inhibitory effects of their acetates 2 and 8 were weaker than those of and 7. Furthermore, 1 and 7 exhibited potent anti-tumor-promoting activity in the two-stage carcinogenesis tests of mouse using 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) as an initiator and TPA as a promoter, and 1 showed a remarkable inhibitory effect on mouse spontaneous mammary tumors using C3H/OuJ mouse. These results strongly suggested that traxasterol (1) could be a valuable chemopreventive agent.