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Tobacco — Japan
What travelers need to know about tobacco in Japan. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Short answer
Driving in the U.S. too?The free LawLert iPhone app alerts you when you cross into a U.S. state where a law you track differs. It doesn't cover other countries yet.Get the free appTobacco in Japan: allowed only under specific conditions.
CONDITIONAL
Japan HALVED its tobacco allowance on 1 October 2021. It is now 200 cigarettes OR 50 cigars OR 10 packs of heated tobacco OR 250 g of other tobacco - not all of them. Mix any two kinds and your whole allowance drops to 250 g. Under 20 gets nothing.
Exceeding the allowance is a TAX consequence: 15 yen per cigarette, 15 yen per heated-tobacco stick, 50 yen per capsule or cartridge. Japan Customs warns that a false declaration or failure to declare may be penalised but states no amount.
§ Japan Customs - "Exemptions of Tobacco to be Changed", Announcement September 2021; read with Customs Form C No.5360-B English guide and "Procedures of Passenger Clearance" (no date stamps)Verified Aug 27, 2026
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LawLert is an independent app and is not affiliated with any government. It summarizes laws from official government and U.S. State Department sources for general information only. This is not legal advice, and laws change. Always confirm with official sources and local authorities before you travel.