How much alcohol can I bring into Japan duty free?

What the rule says

Decided at the border, not at the airport you fly from.

The rule: Three bottles per adult, duty free. A bottle counts as about 760cc.

What that means in practice

Over three bottles you pay duty at the airport: 200 yen per litre for wine and beer, 300 yen for distilled drinks, 400 yen for liqueur, 500 yen for rum, gin and vodka, and 800 yen for whisky and brandy. You have to be 20 or over — there is no allowance for anyone younger.

Where to declare it

Quarantine counters are in the arrivals hall, before customs. Animal products go to animal quarantine, plants to plant quarantine.
There is no penalty for declaring something that turns out to be banned — it is taken and destroyed, and that is the end of it.
Japan Customs recommends filing your declaration in advance through Visit Japan Web.

Why Japan checks this

Customs is doing two things at once: collecting duty on what you bring over the allowance, and stopping goods that are prohibited whatever the quantity. The allowances are set per adult and are not negotiable at the counter.

Where it happens: The customs counter in the arrivals hall, after quarantine. Green channel if you have nothing to declare, red channel otherwise.
If you declare: The item is taken and disposed of, and you walk on. Declaring is never penalised.
If you do not: Duty plus a penalty, and in serious cases prosecution. Officers can inspect bags and devices.

What customs is actually checking

Customs is the last counter, after quarantine. It looks for prohibited goods and for anything over your allowance.

Choose the green channel only if you have nothing to declare and nothing over the allowance. Red for everything else.
Japan Customs recommends filing the declaration in advance through Visit Japan Web, which gives you a QR code at the e-gates.
The duty-free allowance is per adult: 3 bottles of alcohol, 200 cigarettes, 2 ounces of perfume, and 200,000 yen of everything else.
Carrying over 1 million yen in cash and other means of payment must be declared. There is no limit — only a duty to declare.

Frequently asked questions

Can I bring duty-free allowance: alcohol into Japan?

Three bottles per adult, duty free. A bottle counts as about 760cc.

What happens if I bring it anyway?

Over three bottles you pay duty at the airport: 200 yen per litre for wine and beer, 300 yen for distilled drinks, 400 yen for liqueur, 500 yen for rum, gin and vodka, and 800 yen for whisky and brandy. You have to be 20 or over — there is no allowance for anyone younger.

What if I declare it?

Nothing happens to you. The item is taken and destroyed, and you carry on through customs. The penalties apply to people who bring banned items through without declaring them.

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Sources for this page

Procedures of passenger clearancechecked September 29, 2026