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Journal · All of Japan

Smoking in Japanese restaurants: what's changed, and how to find smoke-free seats

On our trips, cigarette smoke was the one thing that took the shine off some great meals. The rules are stricter now, but not everywhere. Here's how to avoid it.

By Travis Estes · Updated October 2026 · Gentle

For non-smokers, smoke was the most common complaint in my Japan reviews. A few examples from our winter 2019 trip:

  • At a restaurant in Okubo, near Shinjuku: "Food was good. Smoking made it less enjoyable. If smoking doesn't bother you then 5 star."
  • At a late-night foot massage shop: "Smoking on ground floor, so ask for upstairs to avoid smoking smell."
  • At an amusement arcade in Shibuya, smoke was enough to make it hard going for one of us, and I gave it three stars.

If you're sensitive to smoke, have asthma, or are traveling with someone who is, it's worth planning for.

What changed in April 2020

Our winter trip was just before Japan's revised Health Promotion Act and Tokyo's own second-hand smoke ordinance fully took effect on April 1, 2020. Since then:

  • Indoor smoking is banned in restaurants as a general rule.
  • Restaurants can still have a sealed smoking room, but you can't eat in it, or a room for heated tobacco only, where eating is allowed.
  • Some small, older bars and eateries are exempt and can still allow smoking. Tokyo's rules are stricter than the national ones.
  • Restaurants must post a sign at the entrance showing their smoking status.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's English page explains the categories.

How to find smoke-free seats

  • Check the sign at the door. Look for 禁煙 (kin-en, no smoking). 喫煙 (kitsu-en) means smoking is allowed somewhere inside.
  • Ask. "Kin-en seki, arimasu ka?" means "Do you have non-smoking seats?"
  • Be wary of small, old-style izakaya, snack bars and some arcades and pachinko parlors. These are the places where smoke is most likely.
  • Ask for another floor. As in my massage-shop review, multi-floor places sometimes allow smoking on one floor only.
  • Big chains, department-store restaurant floors and station food halls are almost always smoke-free.

Outdoors

Many cities ban smoking while walking and in many streets, and smokers use designated smoking areas instead. You'll still pass the occasional cloud near those areas and outside station exits. Move along and it's gone.

Opening hours, routes and rules change; check before you go.