OSAKA -- As this city prepares to host Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, smoking regulations are becoming increasingly strict. A citywide ban on street smoking will take effect on Jan. 27, while some 4,000 additional eateries across Osaka Prefecture are expected to go smoke-free starting this April.

Local authorities are promoting the measures as a step toward improving public health and enhancing urban aesthetics. However, smokers and some business owners are voicing concerns, citing dwindling spaces for smoking and the challenges of adapting to the new rules. Critics also argue that the regulations are being implemented ahead of adequate preparations.

Clearing the air for international visitors

As he announced the implementation date of the new street-smoking ban, Osaka Mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama emphasized its importance during a municipal assembly meeting in November 2024, stating the city would "promote a cleaner environment suitable for the international tourism destination that is Osaka."

Osaka has been gradually expanding its anti-smoking measures since 2007, when it introduced public smoking bans in certain districts to address issues such as littering from cigarette butts. The current ban covers six areas including JR Osaka Station and the bustling Ebisubashi-Shinsaibashi-suji entertainment zone, known for its shopping, dining and nightlife. Violators face fines of 1,000 yen (about $6.50).

Ahead of the Expo, then Mayor Ichiro Matsui announced in March 2022 his intent to extend the ban to all city streets, and in March 2024, the municipal assembly approved a revised ordinance to expand the ban citywide. The updated rules also include heated tobacco products in addition to traditional cigarettes.

Eateries face new restrictions

Starting in April, an Osaka Prefectural Government ordinance will prohibit smoking in all eateries with seating areas larger than 30 square meters. Smoking will only be allowed in designated smoking rooms, if provided.

This policy goes beyond Japan's national Health Promotion Act, which bans smoking in establishments with dining areas larger than 100 square meters. Under Osaka Prefecture's rules, fines of up to 30,000 yen (around $193) can be imposed on customers, while businesses could face penalties of up to 50,000 yen.

As a transitional measure, establishments with seating areas of 100 square meters or smaller could register as "smoking-allowed" spaces. According to Osaka Prefecture, there are currently about 19,000 such "smoking-allowed" establishments. Of these, at least 4,000 with seating areas over 30 square meters are expected to fall under the new non-smoking guidelines starting in April.

However, certain venues such as cigar bars and snack bars -- where smoking is integral to the business model -- will remain exempt from the ban. Snack bars in Japan are small establishments where customers can drink and socialize, often with smoking permitted.

The new rules have sparked concerns among restaurant and bar owners. A local food and beverage industry association, representing around 2,500 businesses, stated, "If smoking is banned inside an establishment, smokers may stop coming. This would be a significant blow, especially for bars and pubs." While installing smoking rooms is an option, the costs are prohibitive for many small businesses.

Adding to the challenge, the association noted that Osaka's street-smoking ban will leave customers with limited alternatives. "There are far too few smoking areas," the group said.

A shortage of smoking areas?

Based on surveys the city of Osaka conducted and public input, it estimated that approximately 120 additional smoking areas will be needed. The city plans to upgrade 20 privately managed smoking spots to meet municipal standards and aims to establish a total of 140 designated areas across its 24 wards, based on daytime population data.

By having businesses such as pachinko parlors and shopping centers open their smoking areas to the public, the city expects to provide around 200 locations by late January. Officials project this number could increase to 330 by the time the Expo begins in April.

However, some question whether these facilities will be sufficient or appropriately located. An industry insider noted, "Some of the smoking areas designated by the city are in parks or other less-trafficked areas, far from downtown hubs." A local smoker in his 40s expressed frustration, saying, "I want there to be separate smoking and non-smoking areas so that I can smoke when I want to."

The city's environment department stated it has no plans to expand beyond the current target. Officials plan to monitor the situation after the ban is implemented to assess its effectiveness.

Comparisons to other cities

Osaka's efforts mirror similar smoking restrictions in other parts of Japan. In Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, for example, street smoking is banned, and violators face a fine of 2,000 yen (roughly $12.85). The ward recorded a peak of 10,799 fines in fiscal 2006, though the number has since dropped to 2,344 in fiscal 2022. However, fiscal 2023 saw a rise to 5,687 cases, attributed to the return of foreign tourists following the pandemic.

Chiyoda Ward currently manages five public smoking areas and supports 78 private facilities with public subsidies. By comparison, Osaka, which is almost 20 times larger in area, plans to provide only two to three times as many smoking areas, even if it manages to secure 220 to 330 locations.

Elsewhere, Yamato, Kanagawa Prefecture, has implemented a citywide street-smoking ban, while Yokohama will prohibit smoking in public parks starting this April. Additionally, metropolitan Tokyo enforces a total smoking ban in restaurants where employees are present.

Balancing public health and personal freedom

The tightening restrictions have reignited debates about smokers' rights. Hiromitsu Tamamaki, an emeritus professor of administrative law at Tokai University and an expert on anti-smoking policies, notes that in many European countries, smoking is banned indoors to prevent secondhand smoke exposure but remains permitted outdoors.

Tamamaki also points out that the legal issue of respecting smokers' "right to self-determination," where they reject government interference to enjoy recreational substances, assuming responsibility for the risk of harming their own health, remains unresolved. Under such circumstances, he questions the effectiveness of smoking regulations.

"For example, if street smoking is to be banned in the entire city, there must be sufficient designated smoking locations to cover that area," he said. He warned that without adequate enforcement, including measures to educate foreign tourists unfamiliar with Osaka's rules, the ban risks becoming "a mere facade."

(Japanese original by Takuya Suzuki, Osaka City News Department)