Everyday rules
Smoking rules
Smoking indoors is mostly over, and many streets are no-smoking too. Look for the signs and the smoking areas.
What to know
- Since April 2020, smoking inside restaurants, bars and other large facilities has been banned in principle. Smoking is allowed only in a dedicated smoking room.
- Heated tobacco can be used only in designated rooms. Some of these allow eating and drinking.
- Some small, independently run bars and restaurants can still allow smoking. They have to post a sign out front saying so.
- Places that allow smoking must post a sign. If there's no sign and no ashtray, assume you can't smoke.
- Nobody under 20 may enter a room where smoking is allowed, even if they don't smoke.
- Hotel guest rooms are outside the indoor ban, so the hotel decides. Book a smoking room if you need one.
- Many cities ban smoking on certain streets and sidewalks. In Nagoya, for example, smoking in a designated no-smoking area costs a ¥2,000 fine.
- There's no smoking on highway buses.
psst, convenience stores and stations sometimes have a small smoking corner outside. If you can't find one, don't light up on the walk. Fines on the street are real.