Possessing prohibited substances or methods without being able to prove a legitimate reason, such as for medical treatment, constitutes a violation of anti-doping rules.

[What constitutes a legitimate reason?]
The athlete or support staff must prove one of the following "legitimate reasons":
• The athlete has obtained a Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) and possesses the prohibited substance/method based on that TUE.
• The athlete possessed the substance/method for medical reasons shortly before deciding on or receiving the TUE application.
• The athlete can prove that it was based on a doctor's prescription.
• The support staff possesses the prohibited substance as part of an emergency medical treatment for the athlete.

[Criteria for Suspension Period]
In case of violation involving non-specified substances/non-specified methods: 4 years
If JADA proves the violation was intentional: 4 years
In case of violation involving specified substances/specified methods: 2
years If the offender proves the violation was unintentional: 2 years
In case of violation involving abusive substances (proven that it occurred outside of a competition and was unrelated to competitive performance): 3 months

*The suspension period will vary depending on the nature of the incident.
*Reference: World Anti-Doping Code 2021, Japan Anti-Doping Code 2021 (Section 10.2)