Now I'm no drug mule but to err on the side of caution I thought I better check into taking my prescription and over-the-counter medications into Japan. Good thing I did as it turns outs Japanese customs is very strict on what you can and cannot bring into the country.
From the research I did I found that you can basically take up to a two month supply of non-prescription medication and up to one month's supply of prescription medication without approval. Sounds simple enough however, the information then goes on to say 'this does depend on the type of medication' and this is where it gets vague and difficult and you're so unsure of just what you can and cannot take without getting into trouble at customs.
Asthma puffers are ok to take in and don't need approval but one puffer is usually more than one month's supply so therefore you do need approval.
Cold and flu tablets are ok to take in so long as they have no more than 1% codiene. Only problem is most Australian cold and flu tablets have more than 1% in a single table, ergo approval is required.
Also, it appears just about all drugs ending in 'azepam' are on the hitlist and are restricted without approval which means my sleep assistance med 'Temazepam' is probably restricted too.
On the quirky side, Vicks inhalers cannot be brought into Japan either. It's also a good thing I don't want to import Rhinoceros horn, Musk or Tiger bones as they are a big no-no too.
At finding all this out I began to panic. I don't want to be held up in customs in Japan with the possibility of one little bottle of sleeping tablets or an eczema ointment potentially causing my downfall and seeing me in the inside of a Japanese jail cell. I know I'm probably being over-dramatic and over-analysing this but as a result will I have to go to the GP and add an anti-anxiety script to my list of meds to? Lol.
Anyway, I thought it best in the end to declare every prescription ointment, pill and eyedrop to the Japanese pharmaceutical inspector at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in order to receive a 'Yakkan Shoumei' which will give me approval to import my medications and hopefully navigate through customs with no problems.
The Yakkan Shoumei application form was as equally confusing to fill out and hopefully I have done it correctly so there are no hold ups. I hope to have my approval in my hot little hand as soon as possible as I'm pushing it for time with only three weeks out from my departure date.
Here's hoping my non-presecription medications won't cause me any grief either!!!
