Japan

COMMENTS: Health Service Bureau (HSB) Notification 0225 Number 2 implements Article 25 of the Health Promotion Act Law No. 103 of 2002 and notifies prefectural governors that “other facilities” includes public transport, lodging, and other enumerated places not included in Article 25. This notification clarifies that “all public spaces used by a large number of people should be entirely non-smoking.” However, it does not requires such public places to be smoke free and permits “appropriate passive smoking prevention measures” in places “where it is difficult to ban smoking entirely”; thereby allowing designated smoking areas or no action at all.