Tokyo Taxis to be Smoke Free!

This has to be the best news I've heard all year regarding smoking in Japan. Starting in January next year, most of Tokyo's taxis will be smoke free!

From JapanToday "An association of taxi operators in Tokyo has effectively decided to make its members' taxi cabs nonsmoking, association officials said Thursday. The measure will possibly come into effect in January after official approval is gained at the group's extraordinary board meeting on Friday, they said.


Among 436 Tokyo taxi operators, 389 are affiliated with the association, which covers some 36,000 taxi cabs, or more than 90% of them. The association will seek cooperation from its counterpart for owner-driven taxis, they added. A complete nonsmoking policy has already been introduced in Nagoya and its vicinity as well as in Kanagawa Prefecture."

While I always take taxis with people who won't smoke in them, we're still exposed to the smoke from the passenger before us or even the driver.

I'm not sure about the specifics but it's definitely a good sign and I look forward to seeing how this develops and if other taxi companies follow suit.

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