
Smoking in Japan is practiced by around 20,000,000 people, and the nation is one of the world's largest
tobacco
Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
markets, though tobacco use has been declining in recent years.
As of 2022, the Japanese adult smoking rate was 14.8%. By gender, 24.8% of men and 6.2% of women consumed a tobacco product at least once a month. This is the lowest recorded figure since the
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
The is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare.
It was formed with the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare or and th ...
or
Japan Tobacco
The (JT) is a Japanese diversified tobacco company and parent company to Japan Tobacco International, one of the three largest international Big Tobacco product manufacturers in the world. It was established in 1985 as a that inherited the ri ...
began surveying in 1965.
Per capita consumption in 2016 was 1,583 cigarettes, roughly 45% of the peak consumption of 3,497 in 1977.
History

Until 1985, the
tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
was a government-run
monopoly
A monopoly (from Greek language, Greek and ) is a market in which one person or company is the only supplier of a particular good or service. A monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic Competition (economics), competition to produce ...
; the
government of Japan
The Government of Japan is the central government of Japan. It consists of legislative, executive (government), executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary st ...
is still involved in the industry through the
Ministry of Finance, which after a sell-off in March 2013, owns one-third of
Japan Tobacco
The (JT) is a Japanese diversified tobacco company and parent company to Japan Tobacco International, one of the three largest international Big Tobacco product manufacturers in the world. It was established in 1985 as a that inherited the ri ...
's outstanding stock, and the
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare
The is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare.
It was formed with the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare or and th ...
, which is active in public health and other tobacco control policymaking.
The Ministry of Finance as well as many MPs of the
Diet of Japan
, transcription_name = ''Kokkai''
, legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet
, coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg
, house_type = Bicameral
, houses =
, foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
have interests in the
tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
and thus
tobacco control legislation is lenient, according to the anti-smoking lobby.
Smoking age
The
smoking age
The smoking age is the minimum legal age required to purchase or use tobacco or cannabis (drug), cannabis products. Most countries have laws that forbid sale of tobacco products to persons younger than certain ages, usually the age of majority.
...
in Japan has been 20 since 1876.
Pricing
The price of a particular brand of cigarettes in Japan is set by manufacturers and approved by the
Ministry of Finance. A particular brand of cigarettes costs the same across all vendors. As of August 2020, the price of a typical pack of cigarettes ranges from
¥400 to ¥530. A proposed
tobacco tax hike in October 2020 will increase the price range to ¥450 to ¥570 for typical brands.
Smoking bans

Unlike many other countries, Japan traditionally had outdoor smoking regulations and more lenient policies for indoor smoking. Outdoor smoking is frowned upon on public streets, and local governments typically have bylaws banning it on busy public streets.
Except for fire codes, indoor smoking for private businesses was unregulated until 2019. The general consensus was that local governments had jurisdiction over smoking in public outdoor spaces but not within private properties, including commercial spaces.
In June 2018, the
Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly approved indoor-smoking regulations targeting commercial spaces in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
in order to reduce
passive smoking
Passive smoking is the inhalation of tobacco smoke, called passive smoke, secondhand smoke (SHS) or environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), by individuals other than the active Tobacco smoking, smoker. It occurs when tobacco smoke diffuses into the ...
prior to hosting the
2019 Rugby World Cup, the
2020 Summer Olympics
The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
, and the
2020 Summer Paralympics
The , branded as the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport event, multi-sport parasports event held from 24 August to 5 September 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. They were the 16th Summer Paralympic Games as organized by the Inte ...
.
In July 2018, the
National Diet
, transcription_name = ''Kokkai''
, legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet
, coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg
, house_type = Bicameral
, houses =
, foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...
passed an amendment that banned smoking in public facilities for the first time in the nation's history.
The ban was rolled out in stages and has been fully enforced since April 2020.
It makes smoking illegal in public institutions (schools, hospitals, municipal offices, etc.), except in special smoking spaces.
Restaurants and bars have a ban on indoor smoking except in well-ventilated rooms, where drinking or eating is not allowed.
However, small pubs like ''
izakaya'' are exempted.
Establishments with a ¥50 million capitalization or lower and up to 100 m
2 floor space can allow smoking if they put up a warning sign.
Indoor smoking ban
Mandatory indoor
smoking bans apply to schools, childcare, hospitals, clinics and government administrative buildings throughout Japan.
More lenient smoking restrictions apply to other buildings such as workplaces, food establishments and judicial buildings, where indoor smoking is not allowed but a designated
smoking room may be constructed, provided access by minors is restricted and no food or drink is served inside.
The indoor smoking ban does not apply to smoking clubs or
grandfathered food establishments smaller than 100m
2, provided no minors are allowed to enter the premises.
Local governments in Japan have the power to enact stricter smoking bylaws. Some prefectures such as
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
,
Kanagawa
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
and
Hyogo have stricter indoor smoking bylaws, although designated indoor smoking areas are typically allowed.
Outdoor smoking ban
Many of the wealthier
wards of Tokyo, such as
Shinjuku
, officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...
and
Shibuya
is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in Tokyo, Japan. A major commercial center, Shibuya houses one of the busiest railway stations in the world, Shibuya Station.
As of January 1, 2024, Shibuya Ward has an estimated population of 230,60 ...
, are applying various kinds of outdoor anti-smoking bylaws. They have designated special outdoor smoking sections in areas and it is punishable by fine if caught smoking outside these areas.
Chiyoda-ku
, known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...
banned smoking while walking on busy streets from November 2002, the first local government in Japan to do so.
Starting in 2007,
Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
began designating certain city streets as non-smoking areas, and have since then been increasing the number of streets designated as such. In a 2010 report,
Kyoto Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Kyoto Prefecture has a population of 2,561,358 () and has a geographic area of . Kyoto Prefecture borders Fukui Prefecture to the northeast, Shiga Prefecture ...
stated that the major goal of their anti-smoking policies is "to ensure that there is zero chance for people to suffer from second-hand smoke in Kyoto prefecture."
Women and smoking
While a high percentage of men in Japan have smoked throughout the postwar years, the rate for women for many years hovered between 10 and 15%, followed by a decline in recent years to currently just below 10%.
[http://www.health-net.or.jp/tobacco/product/pd090000.html and http://www.health-net.or.jp/tobacco/product/pd090000.html]
The government's advertising ban based on the "motherhood" argument was watertight until the
tobacco industry
The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...
was
privatized in 1985. Advertising that
encourages women to smoke is forbidden in Japan under a
voluntary industry agreement. The industry group pledged to voluntarily honor the advertising ban and is charged with enforcing it.
In the mid-1990s, the number of younger female smokers in particular had risen substantially. Smoking has since declined among this group as well, but that cohort of women still smokes at a higher rate than their elders.
"The manufacturers were very successful in providing cool images to the consumers," said
Ministry of Health and Welfare technical officer Yumiko Mochizuki in 1998, when asked to explain the steady rise in female smokers. "Until recently, the Ministry of Health and Welfare had an understanding that smoking was entirely up to the individual."
Shoko Miyata was chosen for the 2024 Olympics, but was forced to leave the Japanese women's artistic gymnastics Olympic team she was captain of due to being caught smoking, which was against the team's conduct code.
United States maker
Brown & Williamson sells
Capri cigarettes in Japan in slim white boxes with a flower-like design on the cover.
R.J. Reynolds'
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s for
Salem's
Pianissimo cigarettes are green-and-pink.
Philip Morris advertised its
Virginia Slims
Virginia Slims is an American brand of cigarettes owned by Altria. It is manufactured by Philip Morris USA (in the United States) and Philip Morris International (outside the United States).
Virginia Slims are narrower ( circumference) than stan ...
brand with the slogan "Be You" in an ad campaign.
Other factors contribute to the rise in female smokers. Some observers cite
stress, saying that more Japanese women are smoking to relax as more enter the
workforce
In macroeconomics, the workforce or labour force is the sum of people either working (i.e., the employed) or looking for work (i.e., the unemployed):
\text = \text + \text
Those neither working in the marketplace nor looking for work are out ...
. Media influence is also cited, as many women on popular
Japanese television drama
, also called or J-drama, are television programs that are a staple of Television in Japan, Japanese television and are broadcast daily.
Format
All major Television networks, TV networks in Japan produce a variety of Drama (genre), drama serie ...
s smoke.
Cigarette vending machines

Cigarettes can be bought in tobacco stores and at
vending machine
A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise m ...
s, and public ashtrays dot sidewalks and train platforms. The number of cigarette vending machines in Japan was estimated at 500,000 in 2002.
The law prohibits the smoking of cigarettes by persons
under the age of twenty.
Taspo is a
smart card
A smart card (SC), chip card, or integrated circuit card (ICC or IC card), is a card used to control access to a resource. It is typically a plastic credit card-sized card with an Embedded system, embedded integrated circuit (IC) chip. Many smart ...
developed by the Tobacco Institute of Japan, the nationwide association of tobacco retailers, and the Japan Vending Machine Manufacturers Association. Introduced in 2008, the card is necessary to purchase cigarettes from vending machines.
In 2008
Japan Tobacco
The (JT) is a Japanese diversified tobacco company and parent company to Japan Tobacco International, one of the three largest international Big Tobacco product manufacturers in the world. It was established in 1985 as a that inherited the ri ...
commissioned a series of over 70
public service announcement
A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. Oftentimes these messages feature unsettling imagery, ideas or behaviors that are des ...
style "smoking manner" posters about smoking
etiquette
Etiquette ( /ˈɛtikɛt, -kɪt/) can be defined as a set of norms of personal behavior in polite society, usually occurring in the form of an ethical code of the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with the conventions and ...
.
Japan Tobacco's Clever and Strange Smoking Manners Signs
''Common Craft'', February 23, 2008 The ads were displayed in a wide variety of formats ranging from placards in the subway to postcards to beverage coasters.
See also
* Onshino Tabako
References
Further reading
* Reid, Roddey. ''Globalizing tobacco control: Anti-smoking campaigns in California, France, and Japan'' (Indiana University Press, 2005
online
h1>
External links
Japan Tobacco
The (JT) is a Japanese diversified tobacco company and parent company to Japan Tobacco International, one of the three largest international Big Tobacco product manufacturers in the world. It was established in 1985 as a that inherited the ri ...
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smoking In Japan
Health law in Japan
Politics of Japan
Culture of Japan