Smoking Areas at Omiya Station: 2026 Guide (Saitama City no-street-smoking zones and station smoking rooms)
Table of contents
- 1.About this guide and disclaimer
- 2.Saitama City's street smoking rules (ordinance, 12 station areas, fines)
- 3.The 12 station areas designated as no-street-smoking zones
- 4.Saitama City designated smoking spots (check locations on the city's official map)
- 5.Smoking on Omiya Station premises and Shinkansen platforms (JR East official)
- 6.Trains are in principle entirely non-smoking (Shinkansen and conventional lines)
- 7.The revised Health Promotion Act, heated tobacco and e-cigarettes
- 8.Find nearby smoking areas with MottoSuitai
- 9.Before you go: always check official information
About this guide and disclaimer
This is a third-party guide compiled from Saitama City's official site (https://www.city.saitama.lg.jp/) guidance on no-street-smoking zones and designated smoking spots, the text of the city's ordinance and enforcement regulations, and JR East's official FAQ, reflecting the situation as of July 2026. The locations and hours of designated smoking spots, and the availability of station smoking rooms, may change without notice. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on the Saitama City and JR East official sources. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.
Saitama City's street smoking rules (ordinance, 12 station areas, fines)
Saitama City has enacted the "Ordinance on the Prevention of Street Smoking and the Littering of Cans and the Like" (promulgated 15 March 2007, Ordinance No. 14; in force from 1 June 2007). Article 10 provides that the mayor may designate as a no-street-smoking zone any area "recognised as particularly dangerous to other pedestrians and the like because of street smoking," and Article 12 provides that "residents and others shall not smoke on the street in a no-street-smoking zone." According to the city, no-street-smoking zones are designated as the same areas as the environmental beautification priority zones, and littering and street smoking inside those zones are subject to penalties.
On penalties, Article 17 of the ordinance provides for "an administrative fine of not more than ¥30,000." Article 7, paragraph 2 of the "Enforcement Regulations for the Ordinance on the Prevention of Street Smoking and the Littering of Cans and the Like" then provides that "the amount of the administrative fine imposed under Article 17 of the Ordinance shall be ¥2,000," so the amount actually imposed is ¥2,000. Note that there are two figures: the ordinance ceiling (up to ¥30,000) and the amount applied in practice (¥2,000).
The enforcement regulations also set out procedures such as requiring officers who give guidance or recommendations to carry identification (Article 4), issuing written recommendations and orders (Article 5), and issuing a written notice and providing an opportunity to explain before a disposition (Article 6).
The 12 station areas designated as no-street-smoking zones
According to Saitama City official guidance, the following 12 station areas are designated as no-street-smoking zones and environmental beautification priority zones. Omiya Station is among them.
- Omiya Station
- Urawa Station
- Minami-Urawa Station
- Kita-Urawa Station
- Musashi-Urawa Station
- Higashi-Omiya Station
- Miyahara Station
- Saitama-Shintoshin Station
- Kita-Yono Station
- Yono Station
- Urawa-Misono Station
- Iwatsuki Station
Omiya Station is served by JR East's Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen lines, along with conventional lines, the Tobu Urban Park Line and the Saitama New Urban Transit New Shuttle, making it one of the busiest terminals in Saitama Prefecture. Precisely because foot traffic around the station is heavy, it is designated a no-street-smoking zone. When you smoke, always use a designated smoking spot or an indoor smoking room that meets the statutory standards.
Saitama City designated smoking spots (check locations on the city's official map)
Saitama City provides "designated smoking spots" inside its no-street-smoking zones. The city describes them as "places exempt from the smoking ban within no-street-smoking zones," explaining that they "aim to prevent littering of cigarette butts and smoking while walking, which causes burns from contact with passers-by and scorched clothing." On use, the city asks that "smokers use the area in front of the ashtray without spreading out over a wide area, so as not to inconvenience passers-by."
At the time of writing, we could not confirm a text list of the names, addresses or operating hours of individual designated smoking spots around Omiya Station on either the designated smoking spot page or the no-street-smoking zone page of the Saitama City official site. The city guides users to a map, stating "please refer here for the designated smoking spot map." This article therefore does not assert the location of individual designated smoking spots such as those at the Omiya Station East or West Exits. Please check locations on Saitama City's official designated smoking spot map, or on the MottoSuitai map described below for registered entries near your current location.
Smoking on Omiya Station premises and Shinkansen platforms (JR East official)
JR East's official FAQ "Please tell me about smoking and non-smoking at stations" states that "station premises are non-smoking, except for smoking rooms and smoking-permitted spaces at some stations." Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes must likewise be used only in designated areas. The same FAQ lists more than 30 Shinkansen stations with smoking rooms equipped with smoke extraction — including Tokyo, Ueno, Omiya, Utsunomiya, Sendai, Morioka, Shin-Aomori, Niigata and Nagano — and Omiya is among them.
- Station premises are non-smoking except for smoking rooms and smoking-permitted spaces at some stations (JR East official)
- Heated tobacco and e-cigarettes must also be used only in designated areas (JR East official)
- Omiya is officially listed as a Shinkansen station with a smoking room equipped with smoke extraction
- The specific location and hours of smoking rooms may change, so check the signage at the station
As for the precise position of a smoking room on the platform (which car number it is near, for example), we could not find primary information confirmable on JR East official sources, so this article does not assert it. When you actually use it, check the signage inside the station or ask station staff.
Trains are in principle entirely non-smoking (Shinkansen and conventional lines)
According to JR East's official FAQ "Please tell me about smoking and non-smoking on trains," the vast majority of Shinkansen and conventional-line trains are entirely non-smoking. As exceptions, the Sunrise Seto / Izumo sleeper limited express has a smoking car, and some special trains may also have one. If you are taking a Shinkansen or conventional-line train from Omiya Station, you need to finish smoking before boarding. Before a long journey, it is reassuring to check in advance where the station smoking room and nearby designated smoking spots are.
The revised Health Promotion Act, heated tobacco and e-cigarettes
Since the revised Health Promotion Act came fully into force in April 2020, indoor spaces are in principle non-smoking, and restaurants and similar venues are in principle indoor non-smoking. If you smoke indoors at a restaurant or karaoke venue around Omiya Station, use a place with signage indicating a smoking-only room or a heated-tobacco-only smoking room that meets the statutory standards. Outdoors, Saitama City's ordinance applies. We could not confirm an explicit statement on how heated tobacco is treated under the Saitama City ordinance in the city's guidance or the ordinance text, so this article does not assert it. JR East, on the other hand, requires that heated tobacco and e-cigarettes also be used only in designated areas on station premises. The basic pattern is a smoking room indoors and a designated smoking spot outdoors. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.
Find nearby smoking areas with MottoSuitai
If you want to find smoking areas around Omiya Station or in Saitama City, you can list nearby smoking areas from MottoSuitai's map. For a sightseeing destination in the same prefecture, see the Kawagoe smoking guide. For rules while travelling by bullet train, see the Shinkansen smoking rules guide as well.
Before you go: always check official information
This third-party guide was compiled from Saitama City official guidance, the text of the ordinance and enforcement regulations, and JR East's official FAQ as of July 2026. The locations and hours of designated smoking spots and the availability of station smoking rooms may change. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on the Saitama City official site (https://www.city.saitama.lg.jp/) designated smoking spot map and on JR East official sources. Smoke only at designated places, and always put butts in an ashtray. Please also be considerate about second-hand smoke.
How to follow the ordinance and find somewhere to smoke at Omiya Station: 4 steps
How to find a place to smoke while avoiding street smoking around Omiya Station, which Saitama City designates as a no-street-smoking zone.
- 1
Step 1
Understand that the Omiya Station area is a prohibited zone
Saitama City designates the areas around 12 stations, including Omiya, as no-street-smoking zones. Street smoking inside a zone is prohibited by ordinance, and the amount actually imposed as a fine is ¥2,000.
- 2
Step 2
Check the smoking room inside the station
According to JR East official sources, Omiya is listed among Shinkansen stations with a smoking room equipped with smoke extraction. Check its location and hours on the signage at the station.
- 3
Step 3
Outdoors, move to a city designated smoking spot
Check the nearest designated smoking spot on Saitama City's official designated smoking spot map or on the MottoSuitai map, and move there before smoking.
- 4
Step 4
Finish before boarding, and mind your manners
The vast majority of Shinkansen and conventional-line trains are entirely non-smoking, so finish before boarding. At designated smoking spots, use the area in front of the ashtray without spreading out, and always put butts in the ashtray. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Can I smoke on the street around Omiya Station?
A.No. Under its "Ordinance on the Prevention of Street Smoking and the Littering of Cans and the Like," Saitama City designates the areas around 12 stations, including Omiya, as no-street-smoking zones. Article 12 prohibits street smoking within a no-street-smoking zone. Use a city designated smoking spot, or an indoor smoking room that meets the statutory standards.
Q.How much is the fine for street smoking in Saitama City?
A.Article 17 of the ordinance provides for "an administrative fine of not more than ¥30,000," and Article 7, paragraph 2 of the enforcement regulations provides that "the amount of the administrative fine imposed under Article 17 of the Ordinance shall be ¥2,000." So the ordinance ceiling is ¥30,000 and the amount actually imposed is ¥2,000. Check details on Saitama City official guidance.
Q.Where are the designated smoking spots at Omiya Station?
A.We could not confirm a text list of the names or addresses of individual designated smoking spots around Omiya Station on the designated smoking spot page or the no-street-smoking zone page of the Saitama City official site. The city guides users to a map, so this article does not assert individual locations. Please check Saitama City's official designated smoking spot map, or the MottoSuitai map.
Q.Is there a smoking room inside Omiya Station?
A.JR East's official FAQ states that "station premises are non-smoking, except for smoking rooms and smoking-permitted spaces at some stations," and lists Tokyo, Ueno, Omiya and others among Shinkansen stations with a smoking room equipped with smoke extraction. Omiya is one of them. The specific location and hours may change, so check the signage at the station or ask station staff.
Q.Can I smoke onboard the Shinkansen?
A.According to JR East's official FAQ, the vast majority of Shinkansen and conventional-line trains are entirely non-smoking. As exceptions, the Sunrise Seto / Izumo sleeper limited express has a smoking car, and some special trains may have one. If you take a Shinkansen from Omiya Station, you need to finish smoking before boarding.
Q.Is heated tobacco covered by the Saitama City ordinance?
A.We could not confirm an explicit statement on how heated tobacco is treated in the Saitama City ordinance or on the city's official site, so this article does not assert it. For details, please contact the Saitama City Environment Bureau. Note that JR East requires heated tobacco and e-cigarettes to be used only in designated areas on station premises.