Is Codeine legal in Japan?
- Legal status
- Codeine is import-controlled for travellers: bringing codeine into Japan requires an advance Yunyu Kakunin-sho (Yakkan Shoumei) import certificate, and many foreign codeine/pseudoephedrine OTC products are barred from import regardless of quantity (a limited domestic low-dose OTC exists). Codeine is a controlled narcotic-class substance.
- Consequences if caught
- Importing codeine without a narcotics licence/certificate is illegal - risk of seizure, detention and prosecution; domestic misuse is a drug-control offence.
- If prescribed or medical
- Dispensed domestically as a controlled medicine (a limited low-dose OTC exists); imports need the certificate.
- Documentation
- TRAVELLER TRAP: codeine imports can be blocked or seized without a pre-obtained Yakkan Shoumei import certificate - obtain it before arrival.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Japan’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →