Unusual: smoking in Japan

Smoking a cigarette has become so commonplace that certain details go unnoticed. Yet things are not necessarily the same everywhere else in the world. In Japan, for instance, although cigarettes are sold more or less everywhere, smoking is governed by very strict rules that are best followed to the letter.

No law as such, but rules to follow

Japanese people are highly considerate. So even though no law spells out certain points about the cigarette in Japan, common sense has done its work. Tobacco use is heavily regulated in most large Japanese cities, particularly in public spaces. Put simply, you cannot light a cigarette just anywhere in the street. Smoking on the pavement is in fact prohibited.

Japan has set up smoking areas across its cities. These spaces are marked by signs and are clearly visible. They are the only place where smoking is allowed. They are found in the streets, but also in most public spaces such as shopping centres and restaurants.

Smoking in Japan comes with real constraints

In some cities you will not find signs but giant ashtrays. No resident would smoke outside the dedicated areas, so tourists doing so are frowned upon. Cigarette ends must likewise go in the ashtrays and not on the ground. Many Japanese smokers even carry a portable ashtray, which they empty each evening on returning home. If the urge takes you and no area is in sight, restaurants and fast-food outlets remain the best option: almost all of them have a smoking space.

If you prefer vaping, it is worth stocking up on e-liquid before you leave. There are very few outlets in Japan, if any at all. Even so, it is better to avoid vaping in public, as it could land you in trouble.