Bringing Medication into Japan: The Yakkan Shoumei Explained
CEO / Japan Life Expert
Updated on: September 4, 2026
Essentials
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Updated against official, partner, and reviewed site evidence where available.
Last updated: September 4, 2026
Official or partner facts are separated from practical notes.
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Needs review: Approval, visa/tax/legal, availability, and campaign terms are not guaranteed. Confirm on the official or partner page.
Disclaimer (YMYL): This article is general import and travel information, not legal, medical, or customs advice. Medication decisions belong with your doctor. Japanese import rules change and individual cases vary — confirm with MHLW or the relevant Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare before you travel. This page does not cover commercial or wholesale imports. Do not stop, start, or change prescribed medication based on this article.
Quick answer (30 seconds): If you bring medication into Japan for your own use, you can usually carry up to one month's supply of prescription drugs (or two months for most other drugs and quasi-drugs) without paperwork, per MHLW guidance. Need more? Apply for Import Confirmation — historically called Yakkan Shoumei (薬監証明), now issued online as Yunyu Kakunin-sho (輸入確認書) via MHLW's Application for Import Confirmation before you leave home, receive the certificate, and show it to customs if asked. Narcotics, stimulant raw materials, and prohibited drugs follow separate — often stricter — rules. Never sell or give imported medicine to anyone else.
What is Yakkan Shoumei — and what is Import Confirmation?
Yakkan Shoumei (薬監証明) is the familiar Japanese name for a personal-import certificate issued by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW). The current official English term on MHLW systems is Import Confirmation, also written as Yunyu Kakunin-sho (輸入確認書).
The certificate confirms that the medicines (or cosmetics / medical devices) you plan to bring match what MHLW has reviewed for personal use. It is not a prescription and not a substitute for medical advice — it is an import compliance document for customs and pharmaceutical inspectors.
MHLW states that when you bring medicines for personal use into Japan above the duty-free quantity limits, you must apply for Import Confirmation, receive it before you leave home, and show it to the customs officer on request when you arrive.
Source: MHLW — Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
Who this guide is for (and what it does not cover)
| Audience | This guide helps with |
|---|---|
| Tourists and short-stay visitors | Packing a personal supply within MHLW limits |
| New residents and long-stay visa holders | Bringing a multi-month stockpile from home |
| Patients on continuous medication | Import Confirmation before exceeding one-month prescription limits |
| Topic | Read instead (internal link suggestion) |
|---|---|
| Buying OTC medicine locally in Japan | japan-pharmacy-otc-medicine-guide |
| Finding English-speaking clinics after arrival | find-english-speaking-doctor-japan |
| National Health Insurance for residents | national-health-insurance-guide-foreigners |
| Medical emergencies (119, #7119) | japan-medical-emergency-guide |
| Travel insurance for short-term visitors | japan-travel-insurance-guide |
Out of scope: commercial imports, veterinary drugs, business inventory, and ongoing prescription management in Japan once you are enrolled in domestic healthcare — that shifts to local clinics and pharmacies.
When you do NOT need Import Confirmation (quantity limits)
If every item in your luggage stays at or below the limits below, MHLW says you do not need to apply for Import Confirmation. These limits apply to personal use only — you may not sell or give the products to others.
| Category | Maximum without Import Confirmation |
|---|---|
| Poison, deadly poison, prescription drugs | Up to 1 month's supply |
| Injectable drugs and syringes for the drug | Up to 1 month's supply — only pre-filled syringes or self-injection kits |
| Drugs for external use (excluding poison, deadly poison, prescription drugs) | Up to 24 units per item |
| Other drugs and quasi-drugs | Up to 2 months' supply |
| Cosmetics | Up to 24 units per item (any brand/color counts as one item type, e.g. lipsticks) |
| Household medical devices (e.g. electric massager) | 1 set |
| Disposable contact lenses | Up to 2 months' supply |
Source: MHLW — personal import quantity table （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
Practical reading for residents and long-stay visitors: a one-month prescription buffer is fine for a short trip, but if you are moving to Japan or returning from home leave with a multi-month stockpile, you will likely exceed the prescription limit and need Import Confirmation — even if the medicine is legally prescribed abroad.
Designated-ingredient products: MHLW additionally restricts imports of foreign products containing certain designated pharmaceutical ingredients (see MHLW's linked table on the page above: table URL and ingredient list may be updated) that are marketed abroad for cognitive or mental-performance effects. An exception applies when use follows a doctor's prescription or instruction. Self-medication quantities brought by hand may be permissible during your stay — check the current MHLW table before packing.
When you MUST apply before traveling
Apply for Import Confirmation before departure if any of the following apply:
- Any category above its limit — e.g. more than one month's supply of a prescription drug.
- You need injectable medication beyond the allowed pre-filled / self-injection forms.
- You are shipping medication to Japan by post or courier instead of carrying it (separate documentation rules apply; see below).
- You carry medical devices or cosmetics above the per-item limits.
MHLW's Q&A stresses that the certificate is valid only when your actual luggage matches what the certificate lists. Do not alter the certificate — corrections invalidate it.
Source: MHLW Q&A PDF — for those who are importing medicines into Japan （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
How to apply online (Application for Import Confirmation)
Since 1 February 2023, MHLW has offered online processing for personal-use imports through the Application for Import Confirmation portal.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Create an account | Register at impconf.mhlw.go.jp. gBizID holders can link an existing ID. |
| 2. Submit the application | Choose "Import for personal use", complete the form, and upload required files per the portal manuals. |
| 3. Wait for review | The relevant Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare reviews your application. Allow adequate lead time before your departure date — MHLW does not guarantee same-day turnaround. |
| 4. Download the certificate | If approved, download the Yunyu Kakunin-sho / Import Confirmation from the status page. A PDF is also emailed to your registered address. |
| 5. Travel with matching medicines | Carry the certificate (digital or printed per customs guidance) together with the medicines listed on it. |
Online application is available for these purposes: personal use, import for treatment by doctors, and import for treatment/research. Other commercial purposes still require mail application.
Source: Application for Import Confirmation — about (English) （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
Documents typically required
Per MHLW's Q&A (online and mail procedures may request equivalent evidence):
- Prescription or doctor's note for every medicine or medical device in the application, showing patient name, medicine name, and doctor's name. The importer name and patient name must match on the prescription.
- Proof of travel showing arrival date, arrival place (airport/port), flight or cruise number, and passenger/applicant name — e.g. airline itinerary or ticket copy.
- Product information as required by the application form (ingredient names, quantities, dosage forms).
For mail/courier imports, MHLW's Q&A additionally lists an invoice, air waybill, and customs postcard where applicable. Narcotics, psychotropics, and stimulant raw materials cannot be sent from overseas to Japan.
Source: MHLW Q&A PDF （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
At customs: what to expect
- Keep medicines in original packaging with labels intact when possible.
- Carry your prescription or doctor's note even when within quantity limits — it helps if an officer questions a product.
- If you hold an Import Confirmation, show it when customs requests it. You are not always inspected, but carrying mismatched quantities or unlabeled pills is a common delay trigger.
- Medication imported for personal use must not be sold or transferred to other people.
Customs enforcement details and inspection frequency are not published as fixed rules — treat over-limit quantities without a certificate as high risk of confiscation.
Narcotics and Stimulants' Raw Materials — separate permission
Standard Import Confirmation is not enough for narcotics (e.g. morphine, fentanyl) or Stimulants' Raw Materials (e.g. lisdexamfetamine).
MHLW rules:
- Importing narcotics and stimulant raw materials is strictly controlled.
- For prescribed narcotics or stimulant raw materials for a specific patient, you must obtain permission from the Japanese Government (directors of the Regional Bureaus of Health and Welfare) before entering Japan.
- Prohibited or controlled narcotics and stimulant raw materials cannot be brought in.
For narcotics-specific procedures, MHLW directs applicants to the Narcotics Control Department (English).
Contact for narcotics questions: Compliance and Narcotics Division, Pharmaceutical Safety and Environmental Health Bureau, MHLW — FAX +81-3-3501-0034 (all arrival points).
Source: MHLW — personal import page §4 （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
What you cannot bring — regardless of paperwork
Even with Import Confirmation, MHLW and Japanese law prohibit or heavily restrict certain products:
| Type | Rule |
|---|---|
| Prohibited drugs and controlled drugs | Cannot be imported |
| Stimulants (e.g. amphetamine, methamphetamine) | Import prohibited |
| CITES-listed substances (e.g. rhinoceros horn, musk, tiger bones) | Import prohibited under wildlife-trade rules |
| Narcotics / psychotropics / stimulant raw materials by mail | Cannot be shipped from overseas |
If a medicine is legal in your home country but controlled in Japan, assume you need explicit MHLW guidance — do not rely on foreign packaging alone. ADHD and pain medications are frequent edge cases — check ingredient schedules on MHLW/NCD pages before packing.
Source: MHLW — personal import page; MHLW — older English summary on prohibited stimulants and CITES （both accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
Shipping medication to yourself in Japan
Carrying medicine on your person and importing by international courier follow the same underlying MHLW framework, but courier shipments require the air waybill / bill of lading number in the application and may involve customs notification postcards. Apply through the same online portal unless MHLW directs you to mail procedures.
Do not ask family to mail controlled substances, injectables, or large prescription volumes without completing Import Confirmation first — customs may destroy the shipment and you may face legal consequences.
Source: MHLW Q&A PDF — mail import section （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
Which MHLW office to contact (by arrival airport)
For drugs, quasi-drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices, contact the bureau that covers your port of entry:
| Regional Bureau | Typical arrival points | |
|---|---|---|
| Kanto-Shin'etsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare | Narita, Tokyo International (Haneda), etc. | [email protected] |
| Kinki Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare | Kansai (KIX), Chubu Centrair, Fukuoka, Naha, etc. | [email protected] |
MHLW's older English page lists inquiry hours as Monday–Friday, 09
–17 JST for phone contact via inspection divisions. Email via the addresses above is the channel named on the current personal-import page.Source: MHLW — personal import contact section （accessed 2026-09-04 — 要確認 before publish）.
After you land: getting prescriptions in Japan
Import rules cover bringing stock from abroad. Once you live in Japan, ongoing treatment usually shifts to a Japanese clinic or hospital, where prescriptions follow domestic pharmacy rules and National Health Insurance pricing if you are enrolled.
Plan the handoff before your imported supply runs out — especially for chronic conditions, psychiatric medication, and controlled ingredients where a Japanese prescriber may need time to review your history.
Foreigner-specific friction points
- "Legal at home" ≠ legal to import: US/EU/UK prescriptions do not override MHLW quantity limits or Japan's controlled-drug schedules.
- Moving vs visiting: New residents often pack 3–6 months of prescription stock and unknowingly exceed the one-month limit — apply for Import Confirmation before the move, not at Narita.
- Brand-name vs generic abroad: If your home-country product name differs from what MHLW expects, include active ingredient names on the doctor's note and application.
- CBD / hemp-derived products: Often controlled or restricted in Japan regardless of legality elsewhere — treat as high-risk and contact MHLW before packing.
- Language at customs: Officers may ask about ingredients in Japanese; carry an English prescription and ingredient list.
- Re-entry trips: If you leave Japan and return with more medication, the same personal-import rules apply each time — there is no "resident exemption" from quantity limits.
FAQ
1. Is Yakkan Shoumei the same as Import Confirmation? Yes. Yakkan Shoumei is the traditional name; MHLW's current online system issues Yunyu Kakunin-sho / Import Confirmation with the same compliance purpose.
2. Can I bring two months of prescription pills if I have a doctor's note? Not without Import Confirmation. MHLW sets one month's supply as the limit for prescription drugs without a certificate — a foreign prescription alone does not raise the allowance.
3. Can I bring ADHD medication into Japan? Some ADHD medicines contain stimulant-class ingredients controlled as Stimulants' Raw Materials in Japan. Standard personal-import limits may not apply; you may need special government permission or the medicine may be prohibited. Contact MHLW's Narcotics Control Department before traveling — do not assume a US/EU prescription is sufficient.
4. Do tourists and residents follow the same rules? Yes. MHLW's personal-import framework applies to anyone entering Japan with medication for personal use, regardless of visa type.
5. What happens if I arrive without a certificate but over the limit? MHLW requires prior approval for above-limit quantities. Over-limit medicines may be confiscated at customs, and you may face enforcement action. Apply early via the online portal.
6. Can I give unused medicine to a friend in Japan? No. Personal-import medication must not be sold or given to others, even if it was legally imported for your own use.
7. Does travel insurance replace Import Confirmation?
No. Travel insurance covers medical costs; it does not exempt you from MHLW import rules. See japan-travel-insurance-guide for coverage — a separate topic from customs compliance.
Related guides (internal link suggestions)
| Slug | Suggested anchor context |
|---|---|
national-health-insurance-guide-foreigners | After arrival — ongoing prescriptions and clinic copays |
find-english-speaking-doctor-japan | Switching from imported stock to a local prescriber |
japan-pharmacy-otc-medicine-guide | OTC you can buy locally instead of importing |
expat-health-insurance-comparison-japan | Private insurance for treatment not covered by imported meds |
japan-medical-emergency-guide | Urgent care if you run out of critical medication |
japan-travel-insurance-guide | Short-stay visitors — medical coverage vs. import compliance |
translation-apps-devices-japan | Reading labels and explaining symptoms at customs or clinics |
first-7-days-in-japan / japan-life-startup-complete-checklist | Hub links for new arrivals packing medication |
bringing-pet-into-japan-quarantine | Cross-link only — pet import is MAFF/AQS, not MHLW medication rules |
Outbound authority links to keep in-body: MHLW personal-import page, MHLW Q&A PDF, impconf.mhlw.go.jp portal, NCD narcotics English site.
Fact-check TODOs (human review required)
| # | Claim / section | Primary source to verify | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Quantity limits table (1 month Rx / 2 months other / 24 units external / etc.) | MHLW personal import page | 要確認 |
| 2 | Designated-ingredient table URL and ingredient list | MHLW linked PDF/table on same page （116KB file linked from MHLW — 要確認 current URL） | 要確認 |
| 3 | Online portal launch date (1 Feb 2023) and eligible application types | impconf about_en.htm | 要確認 |
| 4 | gBizID linkage eligibility on impconf portal | impconf login / manual pages | 要確認 |
| 5 | Required documents list (prescription, itinerary, product info) | MHLW Q&A PDF | 要確認 |
| 6 | Mail/courier import extra documents (AWB, invoice, customs postcard) | MHLW Q&A PDF mail section | 要確認 |
| 7 | Narcotics / Stimulants' Raw Materials permission path (not standard Import Confirmation) | MHLW §4 + NCD English site | 要確認 |
| 8 | NCD fax contact +81-3-3501-0034 | MHLW personal import page + NCD site | 要確認 |
| 9 | Bureau emails [email protected] / [email protected] | MHLW contact section | 要確認 |
| 10 | Prohibited stimulants / CITES examples | MHLW legacy English importing page | 要確認 — page may be stale |
| 11 | ADHD / lisdexamfetamine as Stimulants' Raw Materials example | MHLW §4 + NCD schedules | 要確認 — ingredient-by-ingredient |
| 12 | CBD / hemp product import status | MHLW / NCD current guidance | 要確認 |
| 13 | Phone inquiry hours (Mon–Fri 09–17 JST) | MHLW legacy English page vs current Japanese page | 要確認 |
| 14 | Internal link slugs exist and categories match | Sanity production / sitemap | 要確認 |
Human gate (required before Sanity / publish)
- 事実裏取り (YMYL): Open live MHLW personal-import page and Q&A PDF; confirm quantity table, designated-ingredient link, and narcotics section match this draft. Replace any stale numbers or URLs.
- Narcotics edge cases: For common reader drugs (ADHD stimulants, opioid pain patches, medical cannabis derivatives), verify ingredient status on NCD — do not publish blanket "allowed" language.
- URL hygiene: Confirm impconf.mhlw.go.jp English login and about pages resolve; fix redirects before publish.
- ASP: No medication or pharmacy affiliate CTAs. Amazon travel-organizer hook =
(ASP要確認)only; keepTODO_AFFILIATE_VERIFYuntil human approves. - Sanity: Create/update EN draft only after human approval — no loader run in this batch. Check whether non-EN locales already exist under this slug before merge vs new.
- Cannibalization: Reject edits that duplicate A2 (doctor finding), A4 (OTC shopping), or A9 (119 emergency) content into this slug.
- Disclaimer: Keep YMYL blockquote at top of published article; remove editor note block.
Sources / last updated: Compiled 2026-09-04 from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) personal-import guidance, MHLW Q&A PDF on importing medicines, the Application for Import Confirmation portal (online service since 1 February 2023 per MHLW), MHLW Narcotics Control Department English site, and MHLW's legacy English importing summary. Always re-check MHLW pages before travel — designated-ingredient tables and controlled-drug schedules can be updated.
Last updated: 2026-09-04
Related guides
- How to find an English-speaking doctor in Japan
- Pharmacy & OTC medicine guide
- National Health Insurance for foreigners
- Japan travel insurance guide
- First week in Japan checklist
Last updated: 2026-09-04
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