What this guide covers
- Foods and seasonings that fall under the 100ml rule on international flights departing from Japan
- Foods you can carry on board in any amount
This guide is based on MLIT's "List of liquids subject to quantity restrictions" (as of October 1, 2015). The 100ml rule does not apply to checked baggage.
1. Foods that fall under the 100ml rule (when carried on board)
The following are treated as liquids. To carry them on board, put them in containers of 100ml or less each, all in a 1-liter clear bag.
| Type | Examples (as listed) |
|---|---|
| Drinks | Fruit drinks and vegetable juice; tea, coffee, water, carbonated drinks and sports drinks; milk, soy milk and lactic acid drinks; alcohol (for alcohol, see also Bringing alcohol home as a souvenir) |
| Seasonings | Soy sauce, miso, vinegar, mirin-style seasoning, liquid dashi, sauces, ketchup, tare sauces, mayonnaise, dressing, mustard and wasabi paste, tsuyu, doubanjiang and oyster sauce, yuzu kosho, etc. (excluding dried spices, and small amounts of concentrated sauce such as the sachets that come with dried noodles or eel sauce) |
| Cooking oils | Sesame oil, salad oil, olive oil, chili oil, etc. |
| Spreads | Jam, marmalade, peanut butter, chocolate spread, etc. |
| Dairy products | Margarine, condensed milk, fresh cream, etc. |
| Prepared foods | Curry, stew, zosui, rice porridge, etc. (excluding cooked rice in containers) |
| Soups | Corn cream soup, potage, etc. (excluding solid and granulated soup bases) |
| Baking ingredients | Honey, starch syrup, syrups, sweet bean paste, etc. |
| Pickles, tsukudani, shiokara | Shiokara, nukazuke, tsukudani, kanroni, kimchi, rakkyo, pickled umeboshi, etc. (excluding items with very little liquid, such as dried plums) |
| High-moisture foods | Tofu, konjac, tokoroten, etc. |
| Canned foods | Canned vegetables, canned fruit and desserts, canned oden, etc. (excluding items with very little liquid, such as canned tuna and corned beef) |
| Desserts | Pudding, jelly, yogurt, drinkable yogurt, oshiruko, etc. |
| Ice cream | Ice cream, shaved ice |
| Health foods | Royal jelly, ginseng extract, energy drinks, etc. |
Source: MLIT: "List and Description of LAGs Restriction" (English version of the list of liquids, 2015) (retrieved 2026-09-27)
2. Foods you can carry on board in any amount
The list treats the following as not subject to the liquid restrictions (no special declaration needed).
| Type | Examples (as listed) |
|---|---|
| Dried goods | Sesame, dried shiitake, beans, kiriboshi daikon, koya tofu, harusame, yuba, etc. |
| Dried seafood | Seasoned nori, roasted nori, dried wakame, kombu, hijiki, niboshi, katsuobushi, etc. |
| Salted seafood | Sea urchin, herring roe, salmon roe, mentaiko, salmon flakes, chirimen, etc. (items with a lot of liquid, such as shiokara, fall under the 100ml rule) |
| Sweets | Candy, chocolate, cookies, rice crackers, snacks, fresh confectionery such as dango, daifuku, mizu-yokan and fresh cakes, semi-fresh confectionery such as dorayaki and castella, etc. |
| Others | Cheese (excluding cheese in tubes, etc.), natto, raw eggs, fruit |
Source: MLIT: "List and Description of LAGs Restriction" (English version of the list of liquids, 2015) (retrieved 2026-09-27)
3. Points to note
- The list gives representative examples. Some items with little liquid may be allowed on board, but the security inspector makes the final decision. The list asks passengers to put such items in a suitcase and check them in as far as possible
- Items bought at shops after security can be carried on board. However, if you transfer abroad, they may be confiscated under that country's rules
- The list notes that even items with no security issue may be prohibited from being taken abroad for reasons such as quarantine. Quarantine and customs rules are not covered in this guide
Source: MLIT: "List and Description of LAGs Restriction" (English version of the list of liquids, 2015) (retrieved 2026-09-27)
Some airlines have stricter rules. Return flights follow the rules of the departure country's airport.