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Can you bring alcohol on a plane?

In Japan alcohol is allowed in carry-on and checked bags, with conditions. Carry-on: Depends on the strength. Up to 24% alcohol: no limit. Over 24% and up to 70%: 5 litres per person. Over 70%: not allowed at all. It must stay in the retail bottle it was sold in; decanting into a flask is not accepted. Checked baggage: Same strength limits: no limit up to 24%, 5 litres per person over 24% and up to 70%, nothing over 70%.

Updated

Yes, within limitsCarry-on in Japan
ConditionsChecked bag in Japan
9countries compared

Carry-on: conditionsChecked bag: conditions

Alcohol on flights in and from Japan

On a domestic flight only the quantity limits apply. On an international flight the liquid rule comes on top.

Alcohol (bottles of sake, whisky, wine): carry-on and checked baggage in Japan
WhereAllowed?What applies
In the cabinYes, within limitsDepends on the strength. Up to 24% alcohol: no limit. Over 24% and up to 70%: 5 litres per person. Over 70%: not allowed at all. It must stay in the retail bottle it was sold in; decanting into a flask is not accepted. On international flights the 100ml liquid limit also applies in the cabin, so bottles bought before security go in checked baggage.
In checked baggageConditionsSame strength limits: no limit up to 24%, 5 litres per person over 24% and up to 70%, nothing over 70%.
Domestic flights in Japan
The 100ml liquid limit does not apply.
International flights from Japan
Each container 100ml or less, all of them inside one transparent re-sealable bag of 1 litre or less, one bag per person.

Bringing alcohol into Japan is a customs question. Each adult may bring in 3 bottles duty free, a bottle being counted as about 760cc, and there is no allowance for anyone under 20.

Narita AirportNarita says alcohol bought before security must go in checked baggage on international flights; alcohol bought at duty-free shops after security can be carried on, but may have to be discarded if you connect at an overseas airport.Narita International Airport FAQ
Rows of Japanese whisky bottles lined up on a bar counter
Photo: Japanese whisky.jpg by Culture Japon (CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

Duty-free sake and whisky: sealed bags, cans and miniatures

The strength of the drink sets the quantity. Where the bottle was bought, and whether you change planes, decides if it can ride in the cabin.

Tax-free shops in town are not airport duty-free
Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau does not treat them alike. Its 2015 notice on duty-free liquids says tax free liquors and cosmetics purchased in local shopping areas are subject to the 100 ml airport liquids rule and must be put in checked baggage. The shops it treats differently are those after the security checkpoints and airport-style duty-free shops in downtown areas.

From 1 November 2026, sake bought tax-free also needs a customs check at the airport before you check in the bag it is packed in: how the check works.

A sealed bag for bottles that change planes abroad
The same notice lets passengers who transfer at an airport outside Japan buy liquor over 100 ml at duty-free shops in Narita, Kansai and Chubu airports, with Haneda listed as scheduled to follow. The bottle has to be placed in a Security Tamper Evident Bag (STEB) and stay unopened until the next security check. An opened STEB is seized.
Canned beer is judged like a bottle
Narita's FAQ takes canned beer as its example. On an international flight it is subject to the restrictions on carry-on liquids, so it cannot go in carry-on baggage but can go in a suitcase checked at the counter. Japan's list of restricted items marks its row for drinks of 24% or less as covered by the liquids list too.
Miniatures on flights in the United States
The TSA allows mini bottles of alcohol in carry-on if they fit comfortably into a single quart-sized bag. Carrying them is not the same as drinking them: the TSA notes that FAA regulations prohibit travelers from consuming alcohol on board an aircraft unless served by a flight attendant, and it tells passengers to check with the airline before bringing any alcohol on board.

Alcohol: the rule country by country

Alcohol is not allowed in carry-on in Mainland China.

Alcohol (bottles of sake, whisky, wine): carry-on and checked baggage rules by country
Flying fromCarry-onChecked bagWhat the authority says
JapanCivil Aviation BureauWith limitsWith limitsUp to 24% alcohol: no limit. Over 24% and up to 70%: 5 litres per person. Over 70%: not allowed at all. It must stay in the retail bottle it was sold in; decanting into a flask is not accepted. Source
United StatesTSAWith limitsWith limitsCarry-on: 3.4oz/100 ml or less. Checked: 24% alcohol or less is not limited; more than 24% up to 70% is limited to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger in unopened retail packaging. Over 70% (over 140 proof) is not allowed in any bag.TSA entry: Alcoholic beverages, Alcoholic beverages over 140 proof Source
European UnionEuropean Commission, EASAWith limits—Drinks count as liquids: containers of 100 ml or less in one transparent re-sealable bag of one litre or less. Duty-free liquids may be carried as hand luggage if the item and receipt stay sealed in the security bag given at purchase. Source
United KingdomUK GovernmentWith limitsYesDrinks count as liquids: at most airports containers larger than 100ml cannot go through security; some may allow up to 2 litres. Duty-free liquids can go through if sealed in a security bag with the receipt visible inside. Source
South KoreaMOLIT Aviation Security 365With limitsWith limitsAlcohol over 24% and up to 70%: up to 5L per person in checked baggage. Over 70%: banned in carry-on and checked baggage. In carry-on on international flights, drinks are restricted under the liquids standard. Source
TaiwanCivil Aviation AdministrationWith limitsWith limitsDrinks over 24% and up to 70% alcohol: retail packaging only, max 5 litres per person in total, in carry-on or checked baggage. 24% or less: no limit. On international flights the carry-on liquid limit also applies. Source
Hong KongCivil Aviation DepartmentWith limitsWith limitsOver 24% and up to 70% alcohol: in retail packaging, no more than 5 litres per person in total. Drinks of 24% or less are not subject to these limits. In carry-on, the cabin liquid rule also applies. Source
Mainland ChinaCAACNoWith limitsCannot be carried on. Checked only, in retail packaging with clear labels, each container up to 5L. 24% alcohol or less: no quantity limit. Over 24% and up to 70%: up to 5L per passenger. Over 70%: not allowed at all. Source
AustraliaHome Affairs, CASAWith limitsWith limitsUp to 24% alcohol: allowed. Over 24% and up to 70%: must be in retail packaging, 5L per person in total. Over 70%: not permitted. Conditions may vary for international travel, where the carry-on liquid limits apply.CASA Pack Right entry: Alcoholic beverages containing more than 24% but not more than 70% alcohol, Alcoholic beverages - not more than 24% alcohol by volume (e.g. beer, wine, champagne etc), Alcoholic beverages (strong spirits, more than 70% alcohol by volume) Source

Each row comes from that authority's own page. Airlines can be stricter, and the screening officer has the final say.

If security in Japan will not let alcohol through

What to do
Move alcohol to the bag you check in before you reach security, within the checked-baggage limits above. Narita Airport states that anything given up at the checkpoint is discarded and cannot be returned.

Buying alcohol in Japan

Where to buy
Liquor shops, supermarkets, convenience stores.

Frequently asked questions

Can you bring alcohol on a plane?

On flights in and from Japan: Depends on the strength. Up to 24% alcohol: no limit. Over 24% and up to 70%: 5 litres per person. Over 70%: not allowed at all. It must stay in the retail bottle it was sold in; decanting into a flask is not accepted. On international flights the 100ml liquid limit also applies in the cabin, so bottles bought before security go in checked baggage. In checked baggage: Same strength limits: no limit up to 24%, 5 litres per person over 24% and up to 70%, nothing over 70%.

Can I bring sake back from Japan in my suitcase?

Yes. Japan's list of restricted items accepts liquor in checked baggage with no quantity figure at 24% alcohol or less, and up to 5 litres per person when it is over 24% and up to 70%. The bottle has to be the retail container it was sold in. Sake bought tax free in a city shop goes in the suitcase too, because the 100 ml rule applies at the checkpoint.

Can you carry a duty-free bottle of alcohol through a connecting airport?

Only if it stays sealed, and the handling differs by airport. Narita accepts liquids bought at an overseas duty-free shop when they are in a STEB and pass liquid inspection equipment. Hong Kong's airport puts transfer passengers' sealed bags through enhanced screening and may repack the liquids in a new bag. GOV.UK says the security bag must not be opened until the final destination.

Does the TSA allow alcohol in carry-on bags?

Carry-on: 3.4oz/100 ml or less. Checked: 24% alcohol or less is not limited; more than 24% up to 70% is limited to 5 liters (1.3 gallons) per passenger in unopened retail packaging. Over 70% (over 140 proof) is not allowed in any bag.

Can you put alcohol in checked luggage?

Same strength limits: no limit up to 24%, 5 litres per person over 24% and up to 70%, nothing over 70%.

What is the rule for alcohol on flights from Mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan?

Mainland China: Cannot be carried on. Checked only, in retail packaging with clear labels, each container up to 5L. 24% alcohol or less: no quantity limit. Over 24% and up to 70%: up to 5L per passenger. Over 70%: not allowed at all. South Korea: Alcohol over 24% and up to 70%: up to 5L per person in checked baggage. Over 70%: banned in carry-on and checked baggage. In carry-on on international flights, drinks are restricted under the liquids standard. Taiwan: Drinks over 24% and up to 70% alcohol: retail packaging only, max 5 litres per person in total, in carry-on or checked baggage. 24% or less: no limit. On international flights the carry-on liquid limit also applies.

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Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026