# Medicine in Japan: prescriptions, pharmacies and bringing your own

URL: https://japanhow.com/life/health/prescription-medicine-japan/
Author: JapanHow editors
Updated: Oct 24, 2026

## Summary

You can bring or have sent up to one month's supply of prescription medicine to Japan for your own use, and up to two months of non-prescription medicine, without paperwork. Above that, apply online for Import Confirmation (輸入確認証), which replaced the yakkan shoumei in 2020. Adderall is banned, while Vyvanse and products with more than 1% codeine or 10% pseudoephedrine need a permit. Once you live here, plan to get prescriptions from a doctor in Japan; they are valid 4 days, as of October 2026.

## Key facts

- Prescription medicine, no paperwork: Up to 1 month's supply
- Non-prescription medicine: Up to 2 months' supply
- Above that: Import Confirmation, online
- Japanese prescription valid: 4 days incl. issue day

For prescription medicine, Japan lets you bring or have sent **up to a one-month supply** for your own use with no paperwork, and **up to two months** of non-prescription medicine, as of October 2026. Above that, apply online for **Import Confirmation (輸入確認証)**, the document that replaced the old yakkan shoumei. Some common medicines are banned or need a separate permit, Adderall above all. Once you live here, plan to get prescriptions from a doctor in Japan, and fill each one at a pharmacy within **4 days**.

This page explains the rules. It is not medical advice: ask a doctor or pharmacist about your own medicine.

## How much medicine can I bring into Japan?

The health ministry (厚生労働省, MHLW) sets amounts you can bring for **personal use** without any procedure. The limits count what's inside, not the number of boxes.

| Type | Allowed without paperwork |
|---|---|
| Prescription medicine, poisons and powerful drugs (処方箋薬・毒薬・劇薬) | Up to 1 month's supply |
| Other medicine and quasi-drugs, including most over-the-counter medicine | Up to 2 months' supply |
| External-use medicine (creams, patches), non-prescription | Up to 24 per item |
| Injectable medicine with its syringes (pre-filled or self-injection kits, such as insulin) | Up to 1 month's supply |
| Disposable contact lenses | Up to 2 months' supply |
| Home medical devices (e.g. an electric massager) | 1 set |

A few rules sit on top of these numbers:

- **Personal use only.** You can't bring medicine for someone else, or give or sell it to anyone in Japan.
- **Syringes on their own** (without the medicine) count as medical devices and need Import Confirmation even for one piece.
- **Controlled medicines** follow separate rules, below, whatever the quantity.

Moving to Japan with a six-month supply? Anything over a month of prescription medicine needs Import Confirmation before you fly.

## What replaced the yakkan shoumei?

On 1 September 2020, the yakkan shoumei (薬監証明) was replaced by **Import Confirmation (輸入確認)**. Many guides still use the old name. You apply in the ministry's online system (医薬品等輸入確認情報システム), which has been the standard way to apply since 1 July 2025.

If you are short on time, or unsure whether you need it, email the pharmaceutical inspector for your arrival airport. Send the product name, active ingredient and strength (for example 20 mg per tablet), the form (tablets, vials) and how much you're bringing:

- Narita, Haneda and other eastern airports: Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, yakkan@mhlw.go.jp
- Kansai, Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, Naha and other western airports: Kinki Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare, kiyakuji@mhlw.go.jp

## Which medicines are banned or need a permit?

Japan sorts controlled medicines into categories, and some prescription medicines from your country are **illegal here even with a prescription**. The Narcotics Control Department (麻薬取締部) publishes a [list of controlled substances](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/dl_data/keitai/cotrolled_substances_list20241212%20.pdf) by ingredient, not brand name. Check the active ingredient on your package, or ask your doctor.

| Category | Examples | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Stimulants (覚醒剤): prohibited | Amphetamine (Adderall), dexamphetamine, methamphetamine | Can't be brought in at all |
| Stimulants' raw materials (覚醒剤原料) | Lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse, Elvanse); pseudoephedrine or ephedrine above 10% of the product | Permit before travel |
| Narcotics (麻薬) | Codeine (products with more than 1% codeine), morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, tapentadol | Permit before travel |
| Psychotropics (向精神薬) | Zolpidem, alprazolam, clonazepam, diazepam, methylphenidate | Nothing up to one month's supply within the [ministry's table amounts](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/dl_data/keitai/total.pdf) (e.g. zolpidem 300 mg, alprazolam 72 mg). More than a month, or injections: Import Confirmation before travel and a doctor's certificate |

Tramadol is not a narcotic in Japan. Cannabis (the plant, leaves and flowers) is prohibited, and THC counts as a narcotic.

**Adderall and cold medicine:** The ministry's own FAQ says Adderall **cannot be imported into Japan, even for treatment**. Vyvanse can, but only with a permit. Products with **more than 10% pseudoephedrine** count as stimulants' raw materials, so they need a permit too. If a cold or allergy medicine from home lists pseudoephedrine, check the ingredient amount with the Narcotics Control Department before you pack it, or leave it at home.

**Getting a permit for narcotics or stimulants' raw materials.** Apply to the Narcotics Control Department **at least 14 days before you travel** ([application guidance](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html)). You need:

- the application form for entering Japan
- a medical certificate from your doctor with your name, address and the specific medical reason (not "personal use" or "travel"), the medicines with dose and strength, and the doctor's signature, dated within the last 3 months
- photos of the medicine packages showing name and strength

You must carry these medicines yourself. Nobody else can carry them for you, and they can't be posted.

## Can my family send medicine from home?

Yes, for ordinary prescription medicine, up to a one-month supply, for your own use. The ministry's Q&A covers both bringing and sending under the same limits.

The exceptions: **narcotics, psychotropics and stimulants' raw materials can't be sent from abroad at all**, and Adderall can't come in by any route.

If customs stops a parcel because it's over the limit, apply online for Import Confirmation. Attach:

- the invoice
- the courier's air waybill, or the postcard customs sent you
- a valid prescription or doctor's note

The importer's name and the patient's name on the prescription must be the same. So a parcel of your medicine must be addressed to you.

Ordering from overseas online shops is your risk. The ministry warns that personally imported medicine isn't checked for quality or safety under Japanese law and may be fake. If it harms you, you're not covered by Japan's relief system for drug side effects (医薬品副作用被害救済制度).

## How do prescriptions work in Japan?

**Plan on a doctor in Japan.** Japanese law allows pharmacies to sell prescription-only medicine (処方箋医薬品) only to someone with a prescription from a doctor (医師), and pharmacists dispense only on such prescriptions. The law does not mention prescriptions written abroad, and we found no official page saying a pharmacy will accept one. So the practical route is: see a doctor here, and bring your old prescription, the medicine package or a doctor's letter from home so they can see what you take. To find a clinic that works in English, see [English-speaking hospitals and clinics in Japan](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/).

**Most clinics give you a prescription to take out (院外処方箋).** Under the split between prescribing and dispensing (医薬分業), the doctor examines you and a pharmacist at an insurance pharmacy (保険薬局) dispenses. You can take the prescription to **any** insurance pharmacy you choose.

**Refill prescriptions.** Since April 2022, a doctor can issue a refill prescription (リフィル処方箋) that you can use **up to 3 times** if your condition is stable. Your doctor decides; ask at your regular clinic.

For how insurance cards work at the counter, see [the My Number Card as your health insurance card](/life/health/my-number-health-insurance-card/). If you don't have Japanese public insurance yet, read [National Health Insurance for foreigners](/money/insurance/national-health-insurance-japan-foreigners/).

## What is the お薬手帳 (medicine notebook)?

The medicine notebook (お薬手帳) is a small booklet, or an app, that records every medicine a pharmacy gives you. It belongs to you. Show it at every clinic and pharmacy, and when you buy medicine over the counter. That way doctors and pharmacists can spot duplicate medicines or ones that don't mix, even when you see several clinics.

Write your allergies and past side effects in it too. The health ministry notes that after a disaster, the notebook helps medical teams check which medicines people need. Keep it in your [emergency kit](/life/safety/earthquake-disaster-preparedness-foreigners/).

## Generic drugs and the brand-name surcharge

Pharmacies will often ask whether you want a **generic (ジェネリック, 後発医薬品)**. Since June 2026, if you ask for the brand-name drug when a generic exists (長期収載品), you pay **an extra charge of half the price difference**, plus consumption tax, on top of your normal copay.

**Example from the ministry:** brand ¥100 per tablet, generic ¥60. The difference is ¥40, so you pay ¥20 extra per tablet.

You don't pay the surcharge if the doctor decides the brand is medically necessary, or if the pharmacy can't supply a generic, for example when it's out of stock.

## Over-the-counter medicine: what you can buy without a prescription

Drugstores and pharmacies sell non-prescription medicine in risk classes, printed on every box:

| Class | Who can sell it | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance-required (要指導医薬品) | Pharmacist only, with face-to-face guidance; one pack per person | Medicines recently switched from prescription |
| Class 1 (第1類医薬品) | Pharmacist only | Some stomach medicines, some hair-growth products |
| Class 2 (第2類, incl. 指定第2類) | Pharmacist or registered seller (登録販売者) | Common cold medicine, painkillers |
| Class 3 (第3類医薬品) | Pharmacist or registered seller | Vitamins, gut regulators |

Because only a pharmacist can sell Class 1 and guidance-required medicines, a drugstore can't sell them when no pharmacist is working. Some medicines that can be misused (指定濫用防止医薬品) are sold only after qualified staff check a few things with you, so expect questions at the counter.

To find a pharmacy with English or other language support, use the health ministry's [ナビイ](https://www.iryou.teikyouseido.mhlw.go.jp/znk-web/juminkanja/S2300/initialize) search: it covers pharmacies and has a foreign-language (外国語) filter.

## More guides

- [English-speaking hospitals and clinics in Japan](/life/health/english-speaking-hospital-japan/)
- [Emergency numbers in Japan](/life/safety/emergency-numbers-japan/)
- [Health checkups in Japan](/life/health/health-checkup-japan/)
- [Leaving Japan checklist](/visa/leaving/leaving-japan-checklist/)

## Questions people ask

### Is the yakkan shoumei still needed for Japan?

The name changed. Since 1 September 2020 the yakkan shoumei (薬監証明) has been replaced by Import Confirmation (輸入確認証). You apply online with the health ministry and get the certificate as a PDF by email, normally within a few business days.

### Can I bring Adderall to Japan?

No. Amphetamine, the active ingredient in Adderall, is a stimulant under Japanese law and cannot be brought in, even with a prescription. Vyvanse (lisdexamfetamine) is allowed only with a permit applied for at least 14 days before travel.

### Can my family send my medicine from home to Japan?

Yes for ordinary prescription medicine: up to a one-month supply, for your own use only. Narcotics, psychotropics and stimulants' raw materials can't be sent by post at all. If a parcel is held at customs, apply online for Import Confirmation with the invoice, waybill and your prescription.

### Can a Japanese pharmacy fill my prescription from home?

Japanese law lets pharmacies dispense prescription medicine only on a prescription from a doctor (医師). The law does not mention prescriptions written abroad, and no official page we found says a pharmacy will accept one, so plan to see a doctor in Japan. Bring your old prescription or the medicine package so they can see what you take.

### How long is a Japanese prescription valid?

Four days including the day it was issued, weekends and holidays included, unless the doctor writes a different period on it.

## Sources

- [Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/kojinyunyu/topics/tp010401-1_00001.html), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [Q&A for those who are importing medicines into Japan](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/001686827.pdf), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [医薬品等の個人輸入について](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/kojinyunyu/topics/tp010401-1.html), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [医薬品等の個人輸入について (risks and contacts)](https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/iyakuhin/kojinyunyu/index.html), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
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- [Application Guidance (controlled substances)](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/en/application2.html), Narcotics Control Department, MHLW (麻薬取締部) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [Table (List of Psychotropics)](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/dl_data/keitai/total.pdf), Narcotics Control Department, MHLW (麻薬取締部) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
- [Controlled Substances List in Japan](https://www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp/dl_data/keitai/cotrolled_substances_list20241212%20.pdf), Narcotics Control Department, MHLW (麻薬取締部) (accessed Oct 24, 2026)
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