Bringing medication into Japan

The quantity limits (no procedure needed)

For personal use, you may bring the following into Japan without any advance procedure:

• Prescription drugs: up to a 1-month supply.
• Non-prescription (OTC) drugs and quasi-drugs: up to a 2-month supply.
• External-use products and cosmetics: up to 24 pieces per item.
• Injectable drugs: up to a 1-month supply, and only as pre-filled syringes or self-injection kits.
• Disposable contact lenses: up to a 2-month supply.

Above the limits: Import Confirmation

If you need more than the amounts above — a long stay, or a medicine that only comes in larger packs — apply for an Import Confirmation (輸入確認, formerly called Yakkan Shoumei) before you travel.

You apply online through the MHLW's Import Confirmation system with your prescription or doctor's note and your flight details. Processing can take from a few business days to a few weeks depending on the case — apply well before your flight. You show the certificate at customs on arrival.

Prohibited or specially controlled substances

Some substances cannot enter Japan under the normal rules at all:

• Stimulants such as amphetamine and methamphetamine are prohibited. Medicines containing amphetamine — sold under brand names such as Adderall in some countries — cannot be brought into Japan, even with a foreign prescription.
• Narcotics (for example morphine or fentanyl) and stimulant raw materials (for example lisdexamfetamine) require advance permission from a Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, granted only for the prescribed patient.
• Psychotropic medications are allowed within quantity limits set per substance; above those limits the narcotics-control procedure applies.
• Cannabis-derived products containing THC are prohibited.

Before you pack

Keep medicines in their original packaging, carry your prescription or a doctor's note, and check your specific active ingredient against the official MHLW guidance — brand names differ between countries, and the rules follow the ingredient, not the brand.

If any of your medication is in the controlled categories above, start the paperwork several weeks before your flight.