IQOS in Japan 2026: Where to Buy, Prices & Rules (also glo, Ploom)

Quick answer: are IQOS, glo, and Ploom legal in Japan?

Yes — heated tobacco products are fully legal, widely sold, and account for a large share of all tobacco sales in Japan in 2026. You can buy IQOS, glo, and Ploom devices and refills at convenience stores, tobacco shops, and the official IQOS / glo / Ploom flagship stores in major cities. The legal rules for where you can use them are the same as cigarettes, even though the smoke is much less visible.

Where can I use IQOS, glo, or Ploom?

Heated tobacco is treated identically to cigarettes under the revised Health Promotion Act. You can use it inside any designated smoking room, including the new heated-tobacco-only rooms. You cannot use it on the street in central districts that ban street smoking, and you cannot use it in non-smoking restaurants, hotels, or transport.

• Inside a regular smoking room (喫煙室) — yes, but you cannot eat or drink there.
• Inside a heated-tobacco-only smoking room (加熱式タバコ専用喫煙室) — yes, and you may eat and drink. These are common in chain restaurants, izakayas, and cafés.
• On the street — no, in any city or ward with a street smoking ordinance. The "lower smoke" argument is not a legal exception.
• Hotel rooms — only in rooms explicitly marked as smoking. Most hotels in 2026 are fully non-smoking and impose a cleaning fee that varies by hotel (potentially several tens of thousands of JPY) for violations.
• Inside the Shinkansen or trains — no. All Shinkansen smoking rooms were removed in March 2024.
• Inside an airport — yes, at any airport smoking room. Both Haneda and Narita allow heated tobacco in every smoking room.

Where can I buy IQOS TERIA, SENTIA, glo, or Ploom refills?

Every major convenience store chain (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson, MiniStop) sells heated tobacco refills. You will be asked to confirm you are 20 or older at checkout — touch the on-screen confirm button or show your passport if asked. Prices range about 500–620 JPY per pack depending on brand (after the 2026/4/1 price revision).

• IQOS ILUMA i TERIA / SENTIA sticks — about 620 JPY per pack of 20 (after the 2026/4/1 price increase).
• IQOS HEETS (older model) — withdrawn from the Japanese market by January 2024. Fully replaced by TERIA / SENTIA exclusively for IQOS ILUMA.
• glo Hyper neoSticks — around 580 JPY per pack.
• Ploom Mevius sticks — about 550 JPY per pack.
• Ploom Camel sticks — about 500 JPY per pack.
• Devices (IQOS ILUMA i ONE / glo HYPER (standard) / Ploom AURA): starter kits in the low-thousand JPY range (varies by product and campaign). Promotional prices at flagship stores can be lower.

IQOS ILUMA i flagship stores in Ginza, Omotesando, Shibuya, Umeda, and Namba can register your device, replace broken units, and offer language support in English. Visit https://www.iqos.com/jp for store hours.

Can I bring my IQOS or glo device into Japan from abroad?

Yes. Tourists may bring personal heated tobacco devices and refills into Japan as part of their luggage. Japanese customs duty-free allowance for non-residents staying more than 24 hours (Customs Notice 7105, revised 2021/10/1) is up to 200 cigarettes OR up to 10 packages of heated tobacco (stick count varies by product — IQOS / glo is roughly equivalent to 200 sticks; Ploom Tech and similar products are calculated differently) OR 50 cigars OR 250g of tobacco, or any combination not exceeding the duty-free limit.

There is no problem at the airport with bringing your own IQOS / glo / Ploom device. Lithium batteries inside heated tobacco devices follow normal aviation rules: keep them in your carry-on, not checked luggage. If you are carrying more than the duty-free allowance (10 packages of heated tobacco), you should declare the excess at customs and pay duty.

How heated tobacco is treated in restaurants and bars

Many restaurants in 2026 fall into one of three categories: fully non-smoking (no heated tobacco anywhere), smoking-room-equipped (separate sealed room for cigarettes/heated tobacco, no eating in the room), and heated-tobacco-only-room-equipped (you can eat and drink inside the room while using IQOS, glo, or Ploom). The third type is becoming more common because it is cheaper to certify than a regular smoking room.

Look for stickers on the entrance door. A sticker showing only an IQOS-style icon means heated tobacco is allowed somewhere in the restaurant. A green ban icon means fully non-smoking. If you cannot find a sticker, ask the staff "kanetsu-shiki tabako wa daijōbu desu ka?" (Is heated tobacco okay?). Many small izakayas and yakitori shops welcome heated tobacco at the table because of the lower smoke output.

How is heated tobacco taxed in 2026?

Heated tobacco is taxed slightly less per unit than cigarettes but the gap is narrowing. Tax increases planned for 2024–2026 have raised heated tobacco prices to roughly the same level as cigarettes. As of May 2026, prices vary by brand: IQOS TERIA / SENTIA is about 620 JPY (after the 2026/4/1 price increase), glo Hyper neoSticks is about 580 JPY, Ploom Mevius sticks are about 550 JPY, and Ploom Camel is about 500 JPY — overall ranging about 500–620 JPY per pack.

Charging your device in Japan

Japan uses the Type A plug (two flat parallel pins, same as North America) at 100 V, 50 Hz (east) or 60 Hz (west). All IQOS, glo, and Ploom chargers ship with USB-C and accept 100–240 V, so charging in Japan works without a voltage converter. You only need a plug adapter if your charger has a non-North-American plug. Hotels, lounges, and most cafés have public USB or AC outlets.

Find a heated-tobacco-friendly smoking spot near you

MottoSuitai’s map lets you filter for smoking spots that allow heated tobacco. For a deeper guide on finding heated-tobacco rooms by area, see how to find smoking areas for heated tobacco and e-cigarettes, or open the MottoSuitai map and tap the heated-tobacco filter.