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Japanese customs are efficient and polite, and they are also strict about a small number of things that visitors reliably get wrong — chiefly medicines that are ordinary at home and illegal here, and food that seems harmless.
The short answer
- Alcohol
- 3 bottles, 760 ml each.
- Tobacco
- 200 cigarettes, or 100 cigars, or 250 g of tobacco. Heated tobacco has its own limit.
- Other goods
- total value up to ¥200,000, excluding items under ¥10,000 each.
- Cash
- declare over ¥1,000,000 or equivalent.
- Banned outright
- anything containing pseudoephedrine or codeine — including common cold and sinus medicines.
- No meat products, no fresh fruit or vegetables.
- This is enforced, including on souvenirs.
The allowances
| Category | Allowance | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alcoholic drinks | 3 bottles × 760 ml | Counted as bottles, not litres. |
| Cigarettes | 200 | One carton. |
| Cigars | 100 | |
| Other tobacco | 250 g | Mixed types are pro-rated. |
| Perfume | 2 oz | Eau de toilette and cologne are generally excluded. |
| Other goods | ¥200,000 total value | Items worth under ¥10,000 each do not count toward it. |
| Cash and equivalents | Declare above ¥1,000,000 | Includes foreign currency, cheques and gold above a purity threshold. |
Allowances apply per adult. Travellers under 20 have no alcohol or tobacco allowance — the legal age in Japan is 20, not 18.
Medicines: the rule that catches people
Japan prohibits stimulants and narcotics far more broadly than most countries, and the prohibition covers substances sold over the counter elsewhere. This is not a formality — it is the customs issue most likely to affect an ordinary traveller.
Do not bring these
Medicines containing pseudoephedrine or codeine are prohibited. That covers many common decongestants, cold and flu remedies, sinus tablets and some cough syrups sold freely at home. Check the active ingredients on every box before you pack it, and leave anything that lists either.
- Prescription medicines: up to one month’s supply is generally permitted for personal use. Carry them in the original labelled packaging with a copy of the prescription.
- Larger quantities, injectables, or controlled substances require advance import certification obtained before travel. Apply well ahead — this is not something to resolve at the border.
- Over-the-counter medicines: up to two months’ supply, provided nothing on the prohibited list is in them.
- ADHD medication containing certain stimulants is prohibited outright, with no permit route.
If you take anything regularly, check the specific active ingredient against the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare guidance before you fly. A pharmacist at home can tell you the ingredient list in ten seconds.
Food, plants and animal products
Japan enforces quarantine rules strictly, and the checks are real — detector dogs work the baggage hall at the main airports.
| Item | Permitted? |
|---|---|
| Meat and meat products, including cured, dried and canned | Prohibited without certification |
| Fresh fruit and vegetables | Prohibited without inspection |
| Plants, seeds, cut flowers, soil | Inspection required |
| Dairy products | Restricted |
| Packaged snacks, biscuits, chocolate, tea, coffee | Generally fine |
| Sealed commercial products with no meat or fresh produce | Generally fine |
The meat rule is broader than people expect: dried sausage, jerky and canned pâté are all caught, and so are meat-containing instant noodles. Penalties for undeclared prohibited food are significant.
Prohibited and restricted goods
- Absolutely prohibited: narcotics and stimulants, firearms and ammunition, explosives, counterfeit currency, child pornography, and goods infringing intellectual property.
- Restricted: certain knives and blades, some plants and animals under CITES, and products made from protected species — including some traditional medicines and ivory.
- Drones are permitted to import but are heavily regulated in use; flying one in a Japanese city almost certainly requires permission.
The declaration itself
Every arriving passenger completes a customs declaration — one per family travelling together. It can be submitted electronically in advance, which produces a QR code for the electronic gates and is noticeably faster than the paper form.
- Complete it honestly. Declaring something over an allowance means paying duty. Not declaring it and being found means a much worse afternoon.
- Keep receipts for expensive items you are carrying, particularly electronics and watches.
- If you are unsure, declare it and ask. Officers answer questions without penalty; that is what the red channel is for.
- Unaccompanied baggage being shipped separately must be declared on arrival, on a specific form. Without it you cannot clear the shipment later.
Rules change, and this one matters
Customs allowances and prohibited-substance lists are amended without much publicity. Before you fly, check the current position with Japan Customs and, for anything medical, with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This is exactly the kind of figure our [editorial policy](/editorial-policy/) treats as high-risk.
For what you can buy tax-free once inside the country, see Japan tax-free shopping; for the entry portal itself, Visit Japan Web.
Medicine sits outside the ordinary customs allowances, with its own quantity thresholds and a short list of outright bans that a valid foreign prescription does not lift — see bringing medication into Japan. For where the customs desk falls in the arrival sequence, see the arrival procedure.
Sources
- Japan Customs — duty-free allowances for travellers, prohibited and restricted articles.
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan — rules on bringing medicines into Japan and the import certification procedure.
- Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries — animal and plant quarantine requirements.
Data checked: 2026-09-27
