One of the biggest things to know when going to Japan is that some of the medications that you may be used to taking when in the United States or Western Europe might get you arrested for many years in Japan even if you have a prescription for the medication and a doctors note. The big thing to know is that the Japanese are really really serious about their drug laws. Stimulants seem to be especially frowned upon in the Japanese legal system particularly because anything containing methamphetamine or amphetamine such as Adderall, or things containing pseudo-ephedrine in concentrations above 10% is extremely illegal and if caught with it you can expect long prison sentences. Also it is important to note that in Japan blood and urine tests alone can be used to convict someone of using a prohibited substance, thus making any possible medication mistake costly for you when it comes time for sentencing. Also narcotics like Codine phosphate (in concentrations above 1%), hydrocodone, etc, require a special permit issued by the Japanese authorities prior to your trip. This State Department Article has information on how to get the proper authorization to bring in narcotics to the country.
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