Smokers in Japan, who have long been welcome inside hotels, restaurants and other establishments, could soon find themselves out of favor with the general public and even with potential employers.
As the nation makes a push to clean up its act ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, social trends to strengthen policies against secondhand smoke are catching on, as an increasing number of people seem to prefer completely smoke-free environments rather than those that contain designated smoking sections.
In late November in Tokyo, about 70 participants in a meeting of students and lawmakers decided to propose the establishment of a punitive passive smoking prevention law to Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki for a "tobacco-free Olympics and Paralympics."