Customs: what you can bring

Your personal things are fine. Meat, large amounts of cash and anything on the banned list are where people get stopped.

What to know

• Duty-free allowances per adult: 3 bottles of alcohol (about 760 ml each); 200 cigarettes, or 50 cigars, or 10 packs of heated tobacco; 2 ounces of perfume; and other goods up to ¥200,000 in total overseas market value.
• Banned outright: narcotics, including cannabis; firearms and ammunition; explosives; counterfeit money, securities and credit cards; obscene material; and goods that infringe intellectual property.
• Declare cash and similar instruments (foreign currency, cheques, securities) worth more than ¥1 million. Gold bullion and gold products must also be declared.
• Meat products such as jerky, ham, sausages, bacon and meat buns can't come in without a government inspection certificate from the exporting country. That applies to souvenirs, small amounts, duty-free and vacuum-packed items. Penalties go up to 3 years in prison or a ¥3 million fine.
• Plants and animal products go to the quarantine counter in the baggage hall before customs.
• Make your declaration in Visit Japan Web. It creates a code you scan, with your IC passport, at the e-Gates in New Chitose, Narita, Haneda, Chubu Centrair, Kansai, Fukuoka and Naha. Paper forms are available on board.
• Nothing to declare: green channel. Anything dutiable, restricted or banned: red channel.

psst, the jerky in your bag counts as meat. Finish it before you land or leave it at home.

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