The government has drafted a law to regulate passive smoking which would ban the use of cigarettes primarily in all public spaces. However, the law remains vague as to the possible exceptions of the regulation concerning small restaurants.
COMPLICATED REGULATIONS TO BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE COUNTRY
The government originally planned to submit a relevant bill to revise the Health Promotion Act at the previous session of the Diet, which ended in June. This initiative failed because of the discord between the Ministry of Health and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Indeed, no common ground was found regarding the scope of this law prohibiting smoking in public places including restaurants.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has insisted that smoking inside restaurants be essentially banned in all restaurants, excluding small bars and other establishments with an area of 30 meters squares, while the PLD is in favor of “lighter” regulation. Indeed, the government and the PDL have come under great pressure from the tobacco and restaurant industries, which have expressed reservations about tougher tobacco control measures. The PDL, led by the Prime Minister Shinzou Abe, supports a law that would allow smoking inside restaurants with an area up to 150 square meters.
Provided that the restaurant informs the customer (by means of signage) that smoking is authorized or only allowed in a separate area of the establishment.
Source : Japoninfos.com
