Can I bring Ambien to Japan?
By Natsuko Shibata, pharmacist licensed in Japan · Updated 2026-09-25
The short answer
Yes. Zolpidem, the active ingredient in Ambien and Stilnox, is a Class 3 psychotropic in Japan. It can be brought in for your own use, with no permit.
The same two lines apply as for other psychotropics:
- 300 mg of zolpidem in total. Up to this, no documents. Above it, carry a certificate from your doctor.
- One month's supply. Up to this, no application. Above it, you need an Import Confirmation before you travel.
The general rules are in Bringing your medication to Japan; the certificate and Import Confirmation are explained in more detail in Can I bring Xanax to Japan?, and they work the same way here.
What 300 mg looks like
- 10 mg tablets: 30 tablets
- 5 mg tablets: 60 tablets
- 12.5 mg extended-release (Ambien CR): 24 tablets
- 6.25 mg extended-release: 48 tablets
One 10 mg tablet a night for 30 nights is exactly 300 mg, so a standard month's supply at the full dose sits on the line, not over it. At 5 mg a night, the same 30 tablets are 150 mg.
For most people, then, a month of Ambien needs nothing at all. Two months at 10 mg needs both the certificate (600 mg) and the Import Confirmation (over one month).
Carrying it
- Original packaging with the pharmacy label, so the dose and quantity can be read.
- Hand luggage, carried by you.
- Certificate and any Import Confirmation with the medicine, if you need them.
Zolpidem in Japan
Zolpidem is prescribed in Japan under the brand name Myslee (マイスリー) and as a generic, in 5 mg and 10 mg tablets. Any licensed doctor can prescribe it. A few differences from what you may be used to:
- No extended-release form. Ambien CR has no equivalent here.
- The label excludes some patients. In Japan zolpidem is approved for insomnia, but not for insomnia in schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, where the label says it's ineffective.
- Prescriptions are limited to 30 days at a time and expire four days after issue.
- Long-term use is discouraged by the insurance system, and a doctor here may raise reducing or switching. That is their call.
Other sleep medicines used in Japan include eszopiclone (Lunesta), suvorexant (Belsomra) and lemborexant (Dayvigo), and some benzodiazepines. Which, if any, a doctor here uses is their decision.
Bring an English letter from your prescriber with the dose and how long you have taken it. If you've used zolpidem nightly for a long time, say so; stopping suddenly is a medical question.
The Japan Medication Entry Check
If Ambien is one of several medicines you're bringing, the Japan Medication Entry Check is a written review of your whole list by a licensed pharmacist in Japan. We go through each item, tell you which category it falls into and what paperwork it needs, with links to the official pages, and explain how that category of medicine is generally handled here. You file the Import Confirmation yourself; we don't file it for you. It isn't an official ruling, and it isn't a decision about your treatment. The price is US$200, with additional items at US$20 each.
Official sources
- Narcotics Control Department: Application Guidance (English) — psychotropics section
- Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau of Health and Welfare: Psychotropics — total amounts you can carry
- Kanto-Shinetsu Regional Bureau: Import procedures and the online Import Confirmation system
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare: Rules for insured medical care — prescription validity and prescribing limits
I am a pharmacist. I cannot diagnose you or tell you to stop a medicine your doctor has prescribed.