Japan imposes 40% cigarette tax increase

[RobBright 35]

Depends - would have thought Niseko does depend on tourists more so than other areas to "survive". If tourists stop going to smoking establishments, you can bet that restaurants offering non-smoking only, or restricted smoking areas, will start to become common place as quickly as it is in kanagawa.

 

It has only been in the last 1yr or so that this has happened, but it is happening, regardless of foreigners.

[Go Native 70]

There's plenty of places here that don't allow smoking but it's not due to any local government influence. Purely better for business for those wanting the foreign business in winter. Numerous places that have no smoking in the winter allow it throughout the rest of the year.

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Originally Posted By: Go Native

There's plenty of places here that don't allow smoking but it's not due to any local government influence. Purely better for business for those wanting the foreign business in winter. Numerous places that have no smoking in the winter allow it throughout the rest of the year.

And numerous places with big No Smoking signs on the walls and the staff smoking behind the bar! (well we came across a couple anyway...)

[Jynxx 4]

You never know how things can change so quickly.

I was surprised to see so many smokers in Munich.

Was surprised to hear that the beer tents in octoberfest became by law, non smoking, after a regional vote.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Originally Posted By: Go Native

Sounds like Kanagawa is being proactive in this. Haven't heard anything like that up this way. I have no problem with banning smoking from public places but still I think if you looked at the percentage of restaurants and bars in this country that are smoke-free it wouldn't even come to a 10th of 1 percent. A long way to go yet I'd say. As I said earlier the main impetus elsewhere to ban smoking in public places has been the risk of litigation. I don't see that happening here anytime soon.

TBF GN, the "risk of litigation" wasn't really a big factor in the UK changing to non-smoking in public places. It was more a tidal wave of general opinion that it was unhealthy and in a country that has many unhealthy strings to its bow, it was an easy one to cut.....although there was still a public outcry. However most of my friends who are smokers think that actually its a good idea.

[Ctrl-Z 0]

There's a few places in my area that are totally non smoking.

They have only cropped up in the last year or so.

I think that non-smokers here have simply been used to putting up with smokers without complaining. But are now getting a voice and it will only speed up.

[Go Native 70]

Out of the 10's of thousands of restaurants in Osaka how many would you say are completely non smoking? I can't imagine there's even half a percent. Sure in larger population areas there's going to be a market for non smoking venues but I just don't see any sort of groundswell of popular support for banning smoking wholsale in restaurants and bars yet in this country.

As has been pointed out the government here hasn't exactly gone out of its way to demonise smoking and there's little to no motivation at the top to impose smoking bans (they've got too many fingers in the pie!). I still think there's a long, long way to go before we see bans on the same scale as in most western countries now.

[RobBright 35]

Well seeing as Starbucks and McDonalds have banned smoking in their restaurants (well McDonalds did in Kanagawa, don't know about other areas) - there are changes coming. Kanagawa is also thinking about enacting a ban in ALL public spaces - private or public, unless there are distinct, enclosed and separated areas for smokers.

 

Also, many pedestrianised areas are also becoming non-smoking areas too, it's going to be more of a case of local governments enacting laws and rules, or restaurants/bars.

 

The only reason due to the massive scale in western countries was because of laws by the governments. Seeing as we have all agreed that the J-government has too much of say in JT, this is unlikely to occur.

[rach 1]

Quite a few places in Kobe recently I see non smoking.

Seems to be speeding up thats for sure.

Can't come fast enough for me.