Smoking in Tokyo: Street Bans, Fines and Smoke-Free Restaurants

A public smoking area in Shimbashi, TokyoPhoto: Nesnad / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Plan & Essentials
Photo: Nesnad / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Oct 21, 2026

My List

Researched guide · Checked on Oct 21, 2026

If you smoke, Tokyo’s rules can surprise you: in many places you cannot smoke on the street, and most restaurants and bars are smoke-free inside. Chiyoda Ward, home to the Imperial Palace, Akihabara and Marunouchi, even fines people who smoke on the street. Here is what to know so you do not get caught out.

Quick answer

Indoors: facilities used by two or more people, including restaurants, are generally smoke-free inside. Smoking is allowed only in designated areas.

On the street: Chiyoda Ward bans street smoking across the ward (except the Imperial Palace) and fines violators ¥2,000.

Heated tobacco counts too, both indoors and on Chiyoda’s streets.

Indoors: restaurants, bars and other buildings

Under Japan’s Health Promotion Act and the Tokyo Metropolitan Ordinance to Prevent Exposure to Second-Hand Smoke, facilities used by two or more people are generally required to be smoke-free inside. Smoking is not allowed anywhere other than designated areas, and this covers heated tobacco products as well as cigarettes.

  • Restaurants must show at the entrance whether they are smoke-free or have a designated smoking room. Check the sign before you go in.
  • Even in designated areas, smokers are asked to be mindful of the people around them.
  • Breaking the law or the ordinance can lead to guidance from health centers and may be subject to fines.
Tokyo’s smoking rules (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, English)

On the street: Chiyoda Ward’s ¥2,000 fine

A blue and white Smoking Area sign above two ashtray bins in Tokyo
A designated outdoor smoking area in Nippori, Tokyo (photo from 2009). Photo: Deposto / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

In October 2002, Chiyoda Ward became the first place in Japan to ban smoking on the street with a penalty. The ban covers the whole ward except the Imperial Palace, so it includes popular areas such as Akihabara, Marunouchi and Kanda. People who smoke on the street are charged ¥2,000.

  • Since November 1, 2024, heated tobacco users are fined too, not only cigarette smokers.
  • Use the ward’s public smoking areas. Chiyoda had 82 of them in 2024 and planned to add more. The ward publishes a smoking area map.
  • Other parts of Tokyo also have their own rules. Look for no-smoking signs on the street, and smoke only in marked smoking areas.
Chiyoda Ward smoking area map (official)

Tips for smokers

A designated street smoking area with ashtrays and a bilingual Smoking Area sign
A designated outdoor smoking area in Shibuya. Photo: Ikusuki / CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
  • Never drop cigarette butts on the street. Chiyoda’s ordinance also aims to stop littering.
  • If you are not sure whether you can smoke somewhere, assume you cannot and look for a sign.

FAQ

Can I smoke on the street in Tokyo?

Not everywhere. Chiyoda Ward, for example, bans street smoking across the ward (except the Imperial Palace) and fines violators ¥2,000. Smoke only in marked smoking areas.

Can I smoke in restaurants in Tokyo?

Generally no. Facilities used by two or more people, including restaurants, are generally smoke-free inside, except for designated smoking rooms. Check the sign at the entrance.

Do the rules apply to heated tobacco?

Yes. Heated tobacco products are covered indoors, and Chiyoda Ward fines heated tobacco users on the street since November 2024.

Where can I smoke in Tokyo?

In designated smoking areas. Chiyoda Ward publishes a map of its public smoking areas.

Related Articles

Sources

Rules come from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s English page on second-hand smoke and Chiyoda Ward’s official announcements (checked October 21, 2026). Rules and fines can change.