Pharmacy in Tokyo Allegedly Sold Diabetes Drug Mounjaro Without Prescriptions; Chinese De Facto Operator, 40, and Company Director, 54, Arrested
This article organizes publicly available information into a single account. Where it describes an arrest or an ongoing investigation, that reflects only one stage of criminal procedure and does not mean guilt has been established (the presumption of innocence applies). We will update this article as new information becomes available, including the outcome of prosecution, non-prosecution, or trial. This article is not intended to unfairly disparage any individual, group, nationality, ethnicity, or belief, and aims to provide objective, fact-based information.
On October 22, 2026, Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested two people on suspicion of violating the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act for selling the diabetes drug Mounjaro and other medicines to customers without prescriptions at a pharmacy in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo: Wang Pei, 40, a Chinese national described as the de facto operator of the company running the pharmacy, and Satoshi Hatori, 54, the company's representative director. According to the Chunichi Shimbun and TBS NEWS DIG, the two are accused of conspiring to sell Mounjaro and other drugs to four men and women without prescriptions between around January and June 2026. Reports also say they sold the drug to a woman in Kanagawa Prefecture for about 13,000 yen despite her having no prescription; she is said to have bought it for weight-loss purposes.
The pharmacy involved is First Beauty Pharmacy in Shinjuku Ward. Police believe it took in roughly 65 million yen over about two years — an estimate of the pharmacy's overall sales, not the amount sold to the four customers named in the arrest allegations. According to reports, the operation attracted customers through Chinese social media and forged prescriptions to avoid detection. Police have not disclosed whether the two admit the allegations. Mounjaro is a treatment for type 2 diabetes, and its off-label use for weight loss has become a growing concern.
Current status: The overall scale of sales, the number of purchasers, who was involved in forging prescriptions, and whether any health harm resulted remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
No decision on indictment has been made at this stage, so this article reflects information from the investigative phase. An arrest is only one step in criminal procedure and does not establish guilt (the presumption of innocence). According to National Police Agency and Ministry of Justice statistics, the number of Penal Code cases involving foreign nationals visiting Japan has risen for two consecutive years since 2023, but remains below its mid-2000s peak (related article). A single case does not necessarily reflect the broader statistical trend; further developments are worth watching.