Smoking Izakaya & Bars in Kyoto (Kawaramachi / Pontocho / Kiyamachi): 2026 Guide
Table of contents
Kyoto's two-layer street-smoking rule
Under the Kyoto City ordinance prohibiting street smoking (in force since 1 June 2007), residents and visitors are asked not to smoke in outdoor public places anywhere in the city. On top of that, the busiest areas are designated as smoking-control enhancement zones — renamed from "fine-collection zones" on 1 March 2023 — where street smoking is fined 1,000 yen. The city centre zone covers the roads enclosed by Kawaramachi-dori, Karasuma-dori, Shijo-dori and Oike-dori, which corresponds to Shijo-Kawaramachi, Kiyamachi, Shinkyogoku, Teramachi-Kyogoku and the Nishiki Market area. The ordinance also covers merely holding a lit cigarette, and an arcade roof does not make a public passage "indoors". Patrol officers walk the enhancement zones (source: City of Kyoto https://www.city.kyoto.lg.jp/bunshi/page/0000027498.html). Separately, littering cigarette butts carries a fine of up to 30,000 yen under the city's cleanliness ordinance, so carry a portable ashtray.
Why some izakaya allow smoking and others don't
The revised Health Promotion Act made restaurant interiors non-smoking by default from April 2020. A transitional exception lets pre-existing small establishments (operating as of 1 April 2020, individually owned or capitalized at 50 million yen or less, seating area 100 m2 or less) register with their municipality to keep a smoking-permitted room where both cigarettes and dining are allowed. The narrow-fronted, small-capacity bars typical of Pontocho and Kiyamachi are the kind of venue that can meet those criteria — but whether any given venue has registered differs by venue, so always check the sign at the door (source: https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/business/restaurant/type_1.php).
The four venue types for smokers
- Smoking-permitted room (kitsuen kanō ten): cigarettes + food/drink OK. Grandfathered small venues only — the classic "smoking izakaya"
- Smoking-purpose venue (kitsuen mokuteki ten): cigar bars and snack bars that sell tobacco and serve no staple food (no rice/noodle dishes)
- Sealed smoking room (kitsuen senyō shitsu): cigarettes OK, but no food or drink inside the room
- Heated-tobacco-only room: IQOS / glo / Ploom only, food and drink OK — the common chain-store option
In every case, people under 20 (customers and staff alike) may not enter smoking areas, and venues must display the officially designated sign at the entrance (source: https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/smoking_room/).
How to find one: check the door sign
The most reliable method is the official sticker at the entrance. A "smoking-permitted" or "smoking-purpose" sign means you can smoke cigarettes while drinking. A "smoking room" sign means smoking is separated from dining; a "heated tobacco room" sign means IQOS-style devices only. No sign means the interior is non-smoking. On the narrow lanes of Pontocho and Kiyamachi the sign may be small, so look carefully around the entrance. This guide does not name individual venues, because a venue's registration and policy can change at any time.
Plan where you will smoke after you leave
Public smoking spots set up by the city and the rules at tourist sites are covered in our Kyoto smoking areas guide, and fines by municipality in the street-smoking fines guide. Smoking areas are listed for the Kawaramachi area and the Gion area.
Find smoking-friendly restaurants on MottoSuitai
You can browse smoking-friendly izakaya, bars and cafes by prefecture on MottoSuitai's smoking-friendly restaurant search. For the nationwide rules, see our izakaya smoking guide, and for cafes the smoking-friendly cafe guide.
This is a third-party guide based on official MHLW and City of Kyoto information as of July 2026. Individual venues' smoking status, the boundaries of the enhancement zones and the enforcement of fines can all change — always confirm with the sign at the door, the venue's official information and the city website. This article provides information about smoking environments and does not encourage smoking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Can you smoke in izakaya around Kawaramachi or Pontocho?
A.Some venues can legally allow it. Small venues operating since before April 2020 may keep a registered smoking-permitted room where cigarettes and dining are both allowed. Look for the official "smoking permitted" sign at the entrance; this guide does not name individual venues.
Q.Can I smoke in the alley outside the bar?
A.Not in the enhancement zones. Shijo-Kawaramachi, Kiyamachi and Pontocho fall under the city centre zone, where street smoking is fined 1,000 yen. The ordinance also covers merely holding a lit cigarette. Use a public smoking spot instead.
Q.Does an arcade roof count as indoors?
A.No. Covered shopping streets such as Shinkyogoku, Teramachi-Kyogoku and Nishiki Market are still outdoor public places under the ordinance.
Q.Can I bring someone under 20 into a smoking izakaya?
A.No one under 20 may enter smoking areas, even without smoking. In a fully smoking-permitted venue this means under-20s cannot enter at all — choose a non-smoking venue instead.