Positive therapeutic attitudes from healthcare professionals are important when providing medical services. The Drug and Drug Problems Perception Questionnaire (DDPPQ) measures healthcare professionals' attitudes towards working with drug abusers. We developed a Japanese version (J-DDPPQ) and examined its reliability and validity among Japanese nurses. The J-DDPPQ showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.92). Using exploratory factor analysis, the five-factor structure was found to be identical to the original structure. Construct validity was supported by significant positive correlations with experience working with drug abusers, a high level of knowledge and skills, receiving education and training, and optimistic perception about people with drug dependence. The results show that the J-DDPPQ has acceptable reliability and validity and will contribute to investigating the effect of education and training on drug abuse.