Smoking in Tokyo
According to this article in Japan Today.
“The proportion of smokers among Japan’s adult population declined for the seventh straight year to an all-time low of 30.9% in May, down 1.8 percentage points from the previous year, according to a Japan Tobacco Inc survey released Thursday.”
Is that a good percentage? I live in Tokyo and I can’t seem to get away from smokers.
It is better now I admit. When I first arrived in Japan people were allowed to smoke in banks, mall, hospitals, anywhere. Now certain ku’s (subsection of a Japanese city) are even passing laws to prohibit smoking in public streets, not for health reason mind you but because of burnt clothes. Yes, it is getting better but I still can´t enjoy a meal without the next table blowing smoke at me. Restaurants with non-smoking sections a table away from the smoking section, what´s the point? I’m on this anti-smoking kick today because a year ago I quit smoking. I had been smoking for 20 years (with one 2 year break) and quit because I wasn’t feeling good. I had quit before after I got news of my MS and it scared the smoke out of me, I got over the fear and went back to smoking. I stated to feel physically ill so I quit again and I hope to never go back. With all the second-hand smoke here in Tokyo I wonder if I ever did quit or just quit buying cigarettes. To any visitor or resident of Tokyo I found a web resource that points out the non-smoking restaurants in Tokyo, a good link with some really tasty food on the list.
Sorry for this tirade but I just back from a Pakistani restaurant and had to sit in the corner to get as far away from smokers as I could. I guess the next step is to get farther away by getting out of this city.
