Smoking Izakaya & Bars in Hiroshima (Nagarekawa and Yagenbori) — 2026 Guide

Scope and disclaimer

This is a third-party guide compiled from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's official explainer (https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/) and Hiroshima City's official notices on its smoking-restricted zones, current as of July 2026. Individual venues' smoking status changes with their registration and their own policy, so no specific venue names or counts appear here. Always confirm with the sign at the door and the venue's official information. This article provides information about smoking environments and does not encourage smoking.

How the Hiroshima outdoor rule is built

Hiroshima City designates smoking-restricted zones under its ordinance on the prevention of littering, in force since 1 October 2003. The published zones are the area around Hiroshima Station, the Kamiyacho and Hatchobori area, the area around Hiroshima Castle, Central Park and the Peace Memorial Park. Inside a zone, smoking in outdoor public places is prohibited except where the site manager has provided an ashtray, and violations carry a 1,000 yen fine. The city states that heated tobacco is included because it falls within manufactured tobacco under the Tobacco Business Act, and is therefore also subject to the fine (source: Hiroshima City).

• Ordinance: Hiroshima City ordinance on the prevention of littering, in force from 1 October 2003 (source: Hiroshima City)
• Zones: around Hiroshima Station, Kamiyacho and Hatchobori, around Hiroshima Castle, Central Park, Peace Memorial Park
• Inside a zone, outdoor smoking is allowed only where an ashtray has been provided
• Fine: 1,000 yen — heated tobacco is explicitly covered
• The Peace Memorial Park has been entirely non-smoking outdoors since 1 April 2018
• The city's public smoking booths are located in central Naka Ward

The distinguishing feature is that this is not a blanket ban but an "only where there is an ashtray" rule. A booth with an ashtray is usable even inside a zone, while lighting up on an ashtray-free sidewalk or plaza is what triggers the fine. Zone boundaries and enforcement can change, so check the city's official pages for the current position.

Nagarekawa and Yagenbori: check the official zone map

Nagarekawa and Yagenbori are nightlife streets in Naka Ward. However, the zone names Hiroshima City publishes are the ones listed above; "Nagarekawa" and "Yagenbori" do not appear among them. This guide therefore does not state whether those streets fall inside a restricted zone. Given that the Hatchobori area is a designated zone and these streets sit nearby, the boundary may run between individual streets. Rather than assuming you are outside a zone, check Hiroshima City's published zone map and the signage on the ground.

The four venue types where smoking is still possible

• Smoking-permitted room (kitsuen kanō ten): cigarettes and dining both allowed. A transitional measure for venues already operating on 1 April 2020 that are individually owned or capitalized at 50 million yen or less with a seating area of 100 m2 or less — common among family-run izakaya
• Smoking-purpose venue (kitsuen mokuteki ten): cigar bars and snack bars that sell tobacco face to face and serve no staple food such as rice or noodle dishes, which is why a food-led izakaya cannot qualify
• Sealed smoking room (kitsuen senyō shitsu): cigarettes and heated tobacco allowed, but no eating or drinking inside the room
• Heated-tobacco-only room: IQOS, glo, Ploom and similar devices only, dining allowed — the option chain venues adopt most often

In every case, people under 20 — customers and staff alike — may not enter smoking areas, and venues must display the officially designated sign (source: https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/smoking_room/). Venues that opened after April 2020, and chains capitalized above 50 million yen, cannot use the grandfather clause, so at a chain izakaya you are looking for a sealed smoking room or a heated-tobacco-only room.

How to find one: read the door sign

The sign at the entrance is the reliable signal. "Smoking permitted" or "smoking purpose" means you can smoke cigarettes while eating and drinking. "Smoking room available" means smoking is separated from dining; "heated tobacco room available" means IQOS-style devices only. No sign means the interior is non-smoking. Nagarekawa and Yagenbori are dense with small venues stacked in narrow multi-tenant buildings, where signs are often grouped beside the entrance or on the building directory — check before you take the lift.

Pair it with the local street rules

Because the rule turns on whether an ashtray has been provided, plan a short walk to a proper smoking spot whenever the venue itself is non-smoking. Fines by municipality are summarized in our street-smoking fines guide, and the nationwide picture in our guide to smoking izakaya and bars.

Find smoking-friendly venues on MottoSuitai

You can browse smoking-friendly restaurants by prefecture on MottoSuitai's smoking-friendly restaurant search. For designated outdoor spots near the station, see the Hiroshima Station listing, or find the nearest one on the MottoSuitai map. For cafes, see our smoking-friendly cafe guide.

Around the Peace Memorial Park, take extra care

The Peace Memorial Park has been entirely non-smoking outdoors since 1 April 2018, with no smoking spot anywhere inside it (source: Hiroshima City). If your evening route crosses the park, settle any smoking beforehand at an indoor smoking room or a booth with an ashtray.

Courtesy inside the venue

Even where smoking is permitted, the revised Health Promotion Act asks for consideration toward others: check with non-smoking companions, choose a well-ventilated seat, and mind where the ashtray sits. Anyone under 20 cannot enter a smoking area at all, so groups with minors need a non-smoking venue. The Hiroshima ordinance also targets littering — carry a portable ashtray and never drop butts on the street.

Confirm the current position at the door

This third-party guide reflects official Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and Hiroshima City information as of July 2026. Individual venues' smoking status, and the boundaries and enforcement of the smoking-restricted zones, can change. Always confirm with the sign at the door, the venue's own information, and Hiroshima City's official zone map.