Is Hydrocodone legal in Japan?
- Legal status
- Hydrocodone is a narcotic under the Narcotics and Psychotropics Control Act; it is not marketed in Japan but sits in the same narcotic strong-opioid tier as morphine and oxycodone — left to confirmation.
- Consequences if caught
- Unlawful possession up to 7 years; import without a licence up to 10 years or more.
- If prescribed or medical
- No marketed Japanese hydrocodone product; a narcotic opioid is dispensed only on a narcotic prescription.
- Documentation
- Traveller trap: narcotic opioids require an advance narcotic import/export certificate from the Regional Narcotics Control Department (apply at least 14 days ahead) even with a foreign prescription.
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 →