Travel to Japan with Misdemeanor

OK, so I've read ALL of the posts on this forum dealing with entry into Japan with a criminal conviction. It appears there is a diversity of opinion AND that many of the responses/threads are very old. So, I'm going to pose the question again.

SWIM has a misdemeanor conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia. SWIM is a U.S. citizen with a valid U.S. passport, issued after the conviction. SWIM is not under any sort of travel restriction. In short, SWIM has rebuilt his life following the conviction.

SWIM would like to go to Japan on his honeymoon, but is concerned that he might be denied entry. SWIM has been advised that because of the visa waiver program, he cannot apply for a visa (is this true?) and get any type of "preclearance," and that basically he has to take his chances with the immigration officer when he gets there. SWIM will not lie to the immigration authorities and check "no" on the embarkation card.


Your thoughts on this would be appreciated, including, without limitation: Is drug paraphernalia necessarily a "drug crime" for purposes of strict Japanese legal interpretation -- for example, the law under which SWIM was convicted could also be for unauthorized use of almost any medical equipment.

Thank you very much.