The days of omnipresent tobacco advertisements here may be coming to an end.

The Finance Ministry said Friday that it hopes to take necessary action by early March to ban tobacco advertisements from public transport, as well as other public spaces.

The decision, which would involve revising ministry guidelines regarding tobacco ads, is aimed at preventing minors from picking up the habit and at protecting nonsmokers from the negative health effects of secondhand smoke, according to ministry officials.

Under new guidelines proposed Friday by a subcommittee of the ministry's Financial System Council, cigarette manufacturers would be banned from placing their ads on public transport, such as trains and buses, as well as at stations and on the street.

The guidelines would also limit the frequency and page allocation of newspaper ads, the ministry said.

The revisions to the ministry's guidelines will be followed by voluntary regulations on the part of the tobacco industry. They will likely take effect April 1.

Under their current self-imposed rules, tobacco companies do not advertise their products on television, radio or on the Internet "unless it is technically possible to limit those who see the ads to adults," wording that observers say constitutes a virtual ban.

Member states of the World Health Organization adopted the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in May.

Friday's decision brings Japan in line with other countries in which smokers are warned about the health risks associated with smoking.