Is Mitragynine legal in Japan?
- Legal status
- Mitragynine, the principal alkaloid of kratom, is a Designated Substance (shitei yakubutsu) under the PMD Act since March 2016: mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine are named directly in the designation alongside Mitragyna speciosa, so the alkaloids are controlled together with the plant (no differential threshold vs leaf).
- Consequences if caught
- Manufacture, import, possession or use of a Designated Substance is prohibited and prosecutable under the PMD Act.
- If prescribed or medical
- No lawful medical route — a Designated Substance has no approved Japanese medical use.
- Documentation
- No lawful personal-import route for a Designated Substance.
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 →