Do they still allow smoking on trains in Japan?

We will be travelling a lot on trains during our 3 week trip, mostly using JR rail trains with our passes so do they still allow smoking on these trains?

In the interest of our health and comfort we would seek out a non-smoking carriage.

If they have non-smoking carriages how do they mark them, does it say so in English? Are these carriages mixed with the smoking ones or do they tend to be at the front, middle or back of the train?

Thanks

Pam

Do they still allow smoking on trains in Japan?

Shinkansen still allows and other LEX%26#39;s are slowly banning and no smoking in commuter line trains.

If smoking is allowed, it is separated by the car(usually alternating smoking/non-smoking), not mixed in the same car. You might still smell the drifting smoke at each end of non-smoking car as the automatic doors open/close. Choose the seat away from the ends %26amp; near the center of a non-smoking car. They are displayed at each car door and marked on the door position on the platform(the train stops on the mark) %26amp; overhead signs in Japanese and English on shinkansen/stations but may not be at many other LEX train stations. If a free seating, go to the very end closer to the driver compartment.

Do they still allow smoking on trains in Japan?

No trains on the JR East system (ie north of Tokyo) have smoking cars-not on the Shinkansen, not at all.

I can only hope the other rail systems implement that idea.

As to JR Central, there are Shinkansen smoking cars--they are interspersed between the others and you can usually find a pictorial diagram of the cars at the train stations. They are clearly marked.

Correct, JR East has eliminated smoking which is truly wonderful. None of that moist, rancid residual smell coming in the ventilators of the non-smoking cars, either. They are well marked. For all intents and purposes, only the non-JR East Shinkansen and limited express (LEX) trains have smoking cars. Commuter trains do not allow smoking.

Thanks everyone,

Is it easy to get seats in the non-smoking carriages or should I book them in advance?

Can you book JR rail seats on the internet or only at their stations and Travel Agency%26#39;s?

It%26#39;s easy during non-busy times. During holidays it%26#39;s difficult to reserve any seats and it must be done in advance.

I live in western Japan and recently caught a kodama train that was all free-seating. the train was technically non-smoking but one carriage had clearly been used on another route as a smoking carriage. it smelt absolutely vile.

interestingly, there were seats available in that carriage but many passengers had chosen to stand in the other carriages which had no free seats but didn%26#39;t reek of smoke. Clearly shows the attitudes of many Japanese towards smoking and I wish JR West would catch up with JR East and ban smoking on all shinkansen!

In Australia smoking is pretty much banned everywhere.

On all public transport, in restaurants, in shops and shopping centres, in office buildings, bars, in most enclosed buildings and in some areas outside.

It certainly makes for a more enjoyable healthy lifestyle for us non-smokers.

Public transit trains (eg local , commuter trains etc) in Japan and buses of course are all non smoking. JR east trains are all non smoking.

On the Tokaido Shinkansen there is still smoking sections available.

When you make a seat reservation there is a section you can check off if you don%26#39;t want smoking seats or not.

The reason JR Central/West has not totally banned smoking is because it is a large chunk of their business, especially when they are competing with the airlines that offer all nonsmoking. More people ride Tokaido Shinkansen then they do the JR East Shinkansen trains.

It is good to note that on the Tokaido Shinkansen, if you are riding on NOZOMI trains, the new N700 trains have ALL non smoking seats. Instead they added special smoking compartments at the end of each car sealed and equipped with ventilation, so all seats on Nozomi%26#39;s that are N700 are non smoking.

If you are not using a JR pass thats pretty good.

that%26#39;s an interesting observation, about competing against the non-smoking flights. never thought of that in my rage against gross smoky carriages :)

I know Japanese smokers who book non-smoking seats because they can%26#39;t stand the density of smoke in the smoking cars now. It is absolutely amazing that anyone could sit in one of those cars.