Smoking Areas in Kawagoe (Koedo): Complete 2026 Guide (Ichibangai is a street no-smoking district, fine up to ¥10,000)
Table of contents
- 1.About this guide and disclaimer
- 2.Kawagoe City's street no-smoking ordinance (fine up to ¥10,000 within the district)
- 3.Designated smoking areas at Kawagoe / Honkawagoe stations (3 locations)
- 4.There is no official smoking area in the Koedo (Ichibangai / Kashiya Yokocho / Toki no Kane) area
- 5.Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes (subject to penalty within the district)
- 6.Find nearby smoking areas with MottoSuitai
- 7.Before you go: always check official information
About this guide and disclaimer
This is a third-party guide compiled from Kawagoe City's official site (https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/) — its street-smoking-prevention ordinance and designated smoking area guidance — reflecting the situation as of July 2026. The district boundaries and the locations, counts and operation of designated smoking areas may change without notice. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on Kawagoe City official information.
Kawagoe City's street no-smoking ordinance (fine up to ¥10,000 within the district)
By its "Ordinance on the Prevention of Street Smoking," Kawagoe City sets a duty of effort for everyone across the whole city not to smoke on the street, and additionally designates the central Kurazukuri old townscape — around Kawagoe Station and Honkawagoe Station, along Crea Mall, Chuo-dori, Ichibangai, and Kashiya Yokocho — as a "street no-smoking district" (designated from June 1, 2007). Street smoking within the district carries a fine of up to ¥10,000. Ichibangai (the Kurazukuri old townscape) and Kashiya Yokocho, the heart of Koedo sightseeing, are included in this district. The district boundaries may change, so check the latest on Kawagoe City official information (https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/kurashi/kankyo/1002758/1002763/1002767.html).
- A duty of effort not to smoke on the street applies across the whole city
- The central area around Kawagoe/Honkawagoe stations, Crea Mall, Ichibangai and Kashiya Yokocho is a "street no-smoking district"
- Street smoking within the district carries a fine of up to ¥10,000
- Ichibangai (the Kurazukuri old townscape) and Kashiya Yokocho are inside the district
- Heated tobacco is also subject to penalty within the district (check amount/enforcement officially)
Designated smoking areas at Kawagoe / Honkawagoe stations (3 locations)
The designated smoking areas the city lists are the following three (Kawagoe City official: https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/kurashi/kankyo/1002758/1002763/1002776.html). All are by the stations, around the gateways — Kawagoe Station (JR and Tobu) and Honkawagoe Station (Seibu). Smoke in these designated areas or in an in-facility smoking room. The locations and operation of the designated areas may change, so check Kawagoe City official information before use.
- Kawagoe Station East Exit green space
- Kawagoe Station West Exit station-front plaza
- Honkawagoe Station station-front plaza
There is no official smoking area in the Koedo (Ichibangai / Kashiya Yokocho / Toki no Kane) area
Around Ichibangai (the Kurazukuri old townscape), Kashiya Yokocho, and Toki no Kane — the heart of Koedo sightseeing — there is no smoking area listed by Kawagoe City. In addition, this Ichibangai area is inside the street no-smoking district, so you cannot smoke on the street. The safest route is to finish smoking at a designated area by Kawagoe Station (JR/Tobu) or Honkawagoe Station (Seibu) before your walk. Ichibangai is within walking distance of Honkawagoe Station, so using a designated area by the station as your starting point makes it easy to get around. Within the district, not only cigarettes but also heated tobacco is subject to penalty.
Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes (subject to penalty within the district)
Kawagoe City states that, just like cigarettes, street smoking with heated tobacco within the district is also subject to penalty. Also, since April 2020, the revised Health Promotion Act has made indoor spaces in principle non-smoking, and restaurants etc. are in principle indoor non-smoking. For heated tobacco and e-cigarettes too, the basic rule is to use a smoking room indoors and a designated smoking area outdoors, avoiding the street no-smoking district. For second-hand smoke prevention, use any tobacco in a designated smoking area or smoking room.
Find nearby smoking areas with MottoSuitai
If you want to find smoking areas around Kawagoe/Honkawagoe stations or the Koedo area, you can list nearby smoking areas from MottoSuitai's map. For a list of smoking areas in the Kawagoe area, see smoking areas in the Kawagoe area; for how fines differ by municipality, see the guide to street-smoking fines by municipality; and for a day trip from central Tokyo, see the Tokyo walking-tour smoking-spot guide.
Before you go: always check official information
This third-party guide was compiled from Kawagoe City's official street-smoking-prevention ordinance and designated smoking area guidance as of July 2026. The district boundaries and the locations, counts and operation of designated smoking areas may change. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on the Kawagoe City official site (https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/kurashi/kankyo/1002758/1002763/1002767.html and 1002776.html).
How to avoid the street no-smoking district and find a smoking area in Kawagoe (Koedo): 4 steps
In Kawagoe City, where the central Kurazukuri old townscape such as Ichibangai is a street no-smoking district, how to find a smoking area while avoiding a fine.
- 1
Step 1
Understand it is a street no-smoking district
The central area around Kawagoe/Honkawagoe stations, Ichibangai and Kashiya Yokocho is a street no-smoking district. Street smoking there is banned and subject to a fine up to ¥10,000 (heated tobacco is also subject to penalty).
- 2
Step 2
Check the designated smoking areas by the station (3 locations)
Check the three areas — Kawagoe Station East Exit green space, Kawagoe Station West Exit plaza, Honkawagoe Station plaza — or the nearest area on Kawagoe City official information / the MottoSuitai map.
- 3
Step 3
Finish smoking by the station before sightseeing in Koedo
Since there is no official smoking area in the Ichibangai / Kashiya Yokocho / Toki no Kane area, finish smoking at a designated area by Kawagoe or Honkawagoe Station before your walk.
- 4
Step 4
Use cigarettes and heated tobacco only in designated areas
Use any tobacco in a smoking room indoors or a designated smoking area outdoors, and be considerate of second-hand smoke.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Can I smoke on the street at Ichibangai (the Kurazukuri old townscape) in Kawagoe?
A.Ichibangai (the Kurazukuri old townscape) and Kashiya Yokocho are inside Kawagoe City's "street no-smoking district." You cannot smoke on the street within the district, and violations carry a fine of up to ¥10,000. Smoke in a designated area by the station or in an in-facility smoking room. Check the district boundaries on Kawagoe City official information.
Q.Is there a penalty for street smoking in Kawagoe?
A.Under Kawagoe City's street-smoking-prevention ordinance, violations within the street no-smoking district carry a fine of up to ¥10,000. Check the latest enforcement and amount on Kawagoe City official information (https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/kurashi/kankyo/1002758/1002763/1002767.html).
Q.Where are the smoking areas at Kawagoe / Honkawagoe stations?
A.The designated smoking areas the city lists are three: the Kawagoe Station East Exit green space, the Kawagoe Station West Exit station-front plaza, and the Honkawagoe Station station-front plaza (Kawagoe City official: https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/kurashi/kankyo/1002758/1002763/1002776.html). Locations and operation may change, so check Kawagoe City official information before use.
Q.Is there a smoking area in Koedo (Kashiya Yokocho / Toki no Kane)?
A.There is no smoking area listed by Kawagoe City around Ichibangai, Kashiya Yokocho, or Toki no Kane. In addition, this area is inside the street no-smoking district. It is safest to finish smoking at a designated area by Kawagoe Station or Honkawagoe Station before your walk.
Q.Can I use heated tobacco in the no-smoking district?
A.Kawagoe City states that, just like cigarettes, street smoking with heated tobacco within the district is also subject to penalty. The basic rule is a smoking room indoors and a designated smoking area outdoors. Check details on Kawagoe City official information.
Q.Where can I check the latest smoking-area locations?
A.On the Kawagoe City official site (https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/) street-smoking-prevention ordinance and designated smoking area guidance. You can also find nearby smoking areas on the MottoSuitai map.