Bringing Medicines to Japan

　The importation of medicines from overseas is regulated under Japan’s Pharmaceutical Affairs Law and Customs Law. Accordingly, when entering Japan, you may be required to complete certain procedures depending on the medicines you are carrying, even if they are for personal use.
 
　The applicable rules and requirements vary according to the type and quantity of the medicines being imported.

1. Narcotics

　It is strictly prohibited to import narcotics and psychotropics into Japan except in the case of prescribed narcotics and psychotropics for a specific patient bringing them with permission before entrance into Japan. When you bring your prescribed narcotics and psychotropics into Japan, you have to apply for permission and receive it before you leave home. Regardless of the description above, you cannot bring prohibited or controlled narcotics, psychotropics into Japan.
 
　For details regarding application for import of narcotics and psychotropics, please refer to this website: "Import / Export Narcotics or other controlled substances”

 

2. Medicines other than Narcotics

　For medicines other than narcotics, you are required to obtain a Yunyu Kakunin-sho (import certificate) if you intend to bring more than a one-month supply.
 
　For information concerning the import of medicines into Japan for personal use, please refer to the relevant web pages of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan.
”Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan”
 
　Examples of non-narcotic/psychotropic medicines that can be taken into Japan up to a one-month supply without permission include:
　- Mild painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin
　- Inhalers containing ventolin, salbutamol, salmeterol
　- Statins such as atorvastatin, simvastatin
　- Blood pressure tablets such as beta blockers
　- Antibiotics
　- Vitamin tablets
　- Eye drops, contact lenses and solution
 

3. Contact Details

　If you are unsure about any aspect of importing medicines for personal use into Japan, please contact the office closest to your point of arrival in Japan from the list.
 
　For further information and general medicine enquiries (offices are open from Monday to Friday excluding Japanese public holidays):

Place of Arrival	Name of Department	Contact Information
Hokkaido, Tokyo(Haneda/Narita), Yokohama	Kanto-Shin’etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare	TEL:  +81-48-740-0800  10:00AM-12:00PM,  1:00-3:00PM（JST） Email: yakkan@mhlw.go.jp
Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya (Chubu), Kobe,Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Okinawa (Naha)	Kinki Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare	TEL: +81-6-6942-4096  9:30AM-12:00PM,  1:00-5:00PM（JST） Email: kiyakuji@mhlw.go.jp

 











　For narcotics and psychotropic medicines (offices are open from Monday to Friday excluding Japanese public holidays):
https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/dl_data/keitai/area_en.pdf