Tokyo used to be a smoker’s paradise, but there now are restrictions on smoking, particularly in public. Many wards of Tokyo have rules prohibiting smoking in public; these neighborhoods restrict public smoking to designated smoking areas called 喫煙所 (kitsuen-jo) or 喫煙エリア (kitsuen area).
A smoker area in Shimbashi:
A smoking area near Shibuya crossing, visible on Google Maps:
A lovely smoking area along the Kanda River (near exit 5 of the Hibiya Line Akihabara Station).
See also:
- Smoker’s map points way to safe havens (The Japan Times)
the tokyo files: urban design 東京の都市デザイン 