Is Kratom legal in Japan?
- Legal status
- Kratom is controlled/banned in Japan — Mitragyna speciosa is a Designated Substance (shitei yakubutsu) under the PMD Act since March 2016, with mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine named directly in the designation alongside the plant; manufacture, import, possession and use are prohibited.
- Consequences if caught
- Designated-substance offences under the PMD Act carry imprisonment and fines for import, possession or use.
- If prescribed or medical
- No lawful medical route — a Designated Substance has no approved medical use and is not prescribable.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route; importing kratom or its named alkaloids is prohibited.
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 →