Smoking in Arima Onsen: 2026 Guide (rules to follow in the hot-spring town in Kita Ward, Kobe)

About this guide and disclaimer

This is a third-party guide compiled as of July 2026 from primary sources: Kobe City's official site (https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/) — its guidance on littering and street-smoking prevention and on passive-smoking prevention — Hyogo Prefecture's official site (https://web.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/) on its passive-smoking ordinance, and official guidance from each facility. The availability and operation of smoking areas and smoking rooms may change without notice. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on the official sites of Kobe City and Hyogo Prefecture, and each facility's official guidance. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.

This article does not encourage smoking. A hot-spring town has many wooden buildings and other visitors are close by. There is no intention to promote smoking in non-smoking places or any act that causes second-hand smoke; the purpose is to organise which rules you need to check in order to smoke only in designated places.

Where Arima Onsen is, and the overall structure of the rules

According to Kobe City's official site, Arima Onsen is located in Arima-cho, Kita Ward, Kobe. It lies on the northern side of the Rokko mountains, a separate area from central Kobe (Chuo Ward, including Sannomiya) across the mountains. It is easiest to think of the smoking rules in Arima Onsen in three layers.

• National law: the revised Health Promotion Act (in full force since 1 April 2020). Indoors is non-smoking in principle
• Hyogo Prefecture ordinance: the "Ordinance on the Prevention of Passive Smoking." Partly stricter than the revised Health Promotion Act
• Kobe City ordinance: the "Ordinance on the Prevention of Littering and Street Smoking." Outdoor littering ban, a duty to make an effort not to smoke on the street, and fines inside designated districts

Of these, the Kobe City ordinance governs outdoor smoking while walking and littering, while the revised Health Promotion Act and the Hyogo ordinance govern indoor separation of smoking. If you visit Arima Onsen, you need to be aware of both.

Kobe City's street-smoking rules (city-wide effort duty and littering ban)

Kobe City brought its "Ordinance on the Prevention of Littering and Street Smoking" into force on 1 April 2008. According to Kobe City's official site, the ordinance aims to prevent burns and damage to clothing caused by street smoking and to further promote a beautiful city. The provisions that apply across the whole city are as follows.

• Littering ban (city-wide): it is prohibited to carelessly discard cigarette butts, empty cans and similar waste on roads, plazas, parks and other public places
• Duty to make an effort regarding street smoking (city-wide): on roads, in parks, plazas and other public places (excluding indoor places or places in an equivalent environment), you should make an effort not to smoke on the street

So on the streets and in the parks of the Arima Onsen hot-spring town, littering is clearly prohibited, and refraining from street smoking is asked of you as an effort across the whole city. The hot-spring town has many narrow slopes and stone steps where you pass other visitors at close range. Even when smoking outdoors, be considerate about second-hand smoke and use a smoking area with an ashtray or an indoor smoking room at a facility.

Is Arima Onsen a "street smoking prohibited district"? (what the primary sources show)

Separately from the city-wide effort duty, Kobe City designates specific areas as "street smoking prohibited districts." According to Kobe City, a fine of 1,000 yen is collected from violators who smoke on the street inside these districts. The districts listed on Kobe City's official site are the following three.

• Sannomiya-Motomachi district (Chuo Ward): guidance began on 1 July 2008
• Area around Rokkomichi Station (Nada Ward): guidance began on 1 October 2011
• Suma beach district (Suma Ward): designated during the beach opening season since 2013

As of July 2026, the street smoking prohibited districts listed on Kobe City's official site are in Chuo, Nada and Suma Wards, and Kita Ward — where Arima Onsen is — is not included. Arima Onsen is therefore not designated as a district subject to fines. However, this does not mean "you may smoke freely anywhere on the street in Arima Onsen." The city-wide littering ban and the effort duty regarding street smoking also apply in Arima Onsen. Designated districts may be added or changed in future, so always confirm the latest designation on Kobe City's official site.

Kobe City also states that the Kobe district around JR Kobe Station "is not a street smoking prohibited district," and describes it instead as a "littering prevention priority area." Because the classification differs by area even within Kobe, check how each area is treated when you move around the city.

Hyogo Prefecture's passive-smoking ordinance (stricter than the revised Health Promotion Act)

Because Arima Onsen is in Hyogo Prefecture, the prefecture's "Ordinance on the Prevention of Passive Smoking" applies. According to Hyogo Prefecture's official site, the ordinance came into force on 1 April 2020 and contains provisions that are partly stricter than the revised Health Promotion Act. The main differences relevant to travellers are as follows.

• Treatment of heated tobacco: under the Hyogo ordinance, heated tobacco is treated the same as cigarettes (it is regulated)
• Designated tobacco smoking rooms: the "designated tobacco smoking room" (heated-tobacco-only smoking room) that the revised Health Promotion Act allows as an interim measure cannot be set up in Hyogo Prefecture
• Restaurants: the entire building is non-smoking. A dedicated smoking room may be provided, and an establishment that qualifies as a small existing eating and drinking establishment may operate as a smoking establishment where eating and drinking are also allowed
• Display obligation: the entrance of a smoking room must display that people under 20 and pregnant women are prohibited from entering

The practically important point here is that heated-tobacco-only smoking rooms cannot be set up in Hyogo Prefecture. In other prefectures, some establishments provide a "designated tobacco smoking room" where you can use heated tobacco while eating and drinking, but that arrangement is not permitted in Hyogo. So if you want to use heated tobacco at a restaurant in Arima Onsen, you are limited to a dedicated smoking room (no eating or drinking) or a small existing establishment operating as a smoking establishment. The ordinance also provides penalties, but the details vary by type of violation, so this article does not state specific amounts. Check details on the official sites of Hyogo Prefecture and Kobe City.

Public bathhouses such as Kin no Yu and Gin no Yu

Arima Onsen has day-use bathing facilities such as Kin no Yu and Gin no Yu. Public bathhouses like these are Category II facilities under the revised Health Promotion Act, so indoors is non-smoking in principle. Smoking is possible only inside a dedicated smoking room where one is provided.

As of July 2026 we could not confirm official primary information on whether Kin no Yu or Gin no Yu have indoor smoking rooms, or where any smoking area is. This article does not assert the location of smoking rooms or smoking areas we cannot confirm. If you plan to visit, check each facility's official site or the signage inside the building. Note that changing rooms, bathing areas and rest areas are all indoors, and smoking is not possible outside a smoking room.

There were reports in November 2020 that outdoor heated-tobacco-only areas were set up in part of the hot-spring town, but we could not confirm their status or location as of July 2026 from an official public primary source, so this article does not assert their location. Please check on-site signage and each facility's official guidance.

Ryokan and hotel guest rooms and smoking rooms

Under the revised Health Promotion Act, parts equivalent to places used for residential purposes — such as guest rooms in hotels and ryokan — are outside the scope of the regulation, and some facilities provide smoking guest rooms depending on their policy. On the other hand, many facilities are entirely non-smoking, and practice varies greatly by facility. Shared areas such as the lobby, large communal baths, dining areas and banquet rooms are Category II facility space where indoors is non-smoking in principle, and smoking is possible only inside a dedicated smoking room where one exists.

• Whether a guest room allows smoking depends on the facility, so always confirm when booking
• Shared areas (lobby, communal baths, dining areas, etc.) are non-smoking indoors in principle
• Check whether a smoking room exists and where it is on the facility's official site or in-building signage
• Under the Hyogo ordinance, heated tobacco is treated the same as cigarettes

How to research whether an onsen ryokan permits smoking, and the points to confirm when booking, are covered in more detail in the guide to smoking at onsen ryokan and hot-spring hotels. This article avoids asserting the smoking policy of any individual facility — always confirm directly with the facility when you book.

Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes (treated differently by each ordinance)

In Kobe City and Hyogo Prefecture, heated tobacco is treated differently by each ordinance. This is easy to confuse, so it is safer to keep the distinction in mind.

• Kobe City Ordinance on the Prevention of Littering and Street Smoking: according to Kobe City, heated tobacco does not fall under "smoking" as defined in the ordinance, "because the outside does not get hot and there is no risk of burns"
• Hyogo Prefecture Ordinance on the Prevention of Passive Smoking: heated tobacco is treated the same as cigarettes (it is regulated)
• Revised Health Promotion Act: heated tobacco is regulated, and indoors is non-smoking in principle

In other words, heated tobacco does not count as "smoking" under Kobe's street-smoking prevention ordinance, but under the passive-smoking rules (the Hyogo ordinance and the revised Health Promotion Act) it is treated the same as cigarettes. Indoors, it cannot be used outside a dedicated smoking room. Even outdoors, discarding butts or sticks is a violation of the Kobe City ordinance. Being heated tobacco does not mean there are no restrictions. Out of consideration for second-hand smoke, avoid using it where people are nearby.

Basics of the revised Health Promotion Act (indoors non-smoking in principle)

The revised Health Promotion Act has been in full force since 1 April 2020. Facilities are classified as follows, and facilities in Arima Onsen operate along these lines.

• Category I facilities (schools, hospitals, child welfare facilities, government offices, etc.): non-smoking on the entire premises in principle. Smoking is possible only at a "designated outdoor smoking place" where necessary measures to prevent second-hand smoke have been taken
• Category II facilities (offices, restaurants, hotels and ryokan, public bathhouses, factories, etc.): indoors non-smoking in principle. Where a dedicated smoking room is provided, smoking is possible only inside it
• People under 20 may not enter smoking areas (including employees)

The ryokan, restaurants, day-use bathing facilities and souvenir shops travellers use in Arima Onsen are all Category II facilities, so indoors is non-smoking in principle. Smoking is possible only inside a smoking room where one exists. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law.

Find smoking areas around Arima Onsen with MottoSuitai

If you want to find smoking areas in Arima Onsen or elsewhere in Kobe, you can list nearby smoking areas from MottoSuitai's map. Sannomiya and Motomachi are designated street smoking prohibited districts with a 1,000 yen fine, so the rules there are stricter than in Arima Onsen. If you are also visiting central Kobe, see the Sannomiya (Kobe) smoking guide. If you are still choosing where to stay, the guide to smoking at onsen ryokan and hot-spring hotels will be useful.

Before you go: always check official information

This third-party guide was compiled from primary sources published as of July 2026: Kobe City's official guidance on littering and street-smoking prevention and on passive-smoking prevention, Hyogo Prefecture's official guidance on its passive-smoking ordinance, and each facility's official guidance. The designation of street smoking prohibited districts and the availability and hours of smoking rooms at facilities may change. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on the Kobe City official site (https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/), the Hyogo Prefecture official site (https://web.pref.hyogo.lg.jp/), and each facility's official guidance. Smoke only in designated places and be considerate about second-hand smoke. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law.