Smoking Areas in Shimonoseki 2026: Karato Market, the Station, and the Strait
Table of contents
The two designated districts and the 1,000 yen penalty
Shimonoseki City states on its official page that, under the Shimonoseki City Environmental Beautification Ordinance, the Takezaki-cho area and the Karato-cho area have been designated as street-smoking-prohibited districts since July 1, 2008, that street smoking is not permitted inside them, and that violators are subject to an administrative penalty of 1,000 yen (source: https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/soshiki/53/156791.html, updated May 28, 2026). The exact boundaries are published as maps on that page — worth a look before you walk, because the districts extend beyond the immediate station forecourt and market entrance.
- Takezaki-cho area: includes JR Shimonoseki Station. Locations the city has listed as abolished smoking spots here include Shimonoseki Station Bus Terminal North, Hosoe Futo Park and Kaikyo Yume Hiroba.
- Karato-cho area: includes Karato Market, the Kaikyokan aquarium and the Karato pier. Abolished spots listed by the city here include Karato Park, in front of the Karato pier, Karato Hiroba and the south side of the Karato Market parking building.
- Heated tobacco (IQOS, glo, Ploom) is prohibited on the street exactly like cigarettes, and has been subject to the penalty since February 1, 2020 (source: https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/soshiki/53/1991.html).
- The city asks users of the remaining designated spot to stay inside the marked area, queue when it is busy, and take all rubbish other than cigarette butts home with them.
Why so few designated smoking spots are left
The city has steadily reduced the number of designated smoking spots, which it calls "Hot Pit". Citing the aim of the 2018 revision of the Health Promotion Act — eliminating unwanted second-hand smoke — Shimonoseki abolished seven of the nine designated spots inside the ban districts on January 31, 2020. The spot in front of the Kaikyokan aquarium followed on June 15, 2022, when a new multi-storey car park was built there (sources: https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/soshiki/53/1991.html and https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/soshiki/53/71462.html). The current official page describes a single designated spot, located in the Takezaki-cho district.
Indoor rules, and crossing the strait
Indoor rules come from national law rather than the city ordinance. Under the revised Health Promotion Act, fully in force since April 1, 2020, facilities used by many people are non-smoking indoors in principle, with compliant smoking rooms allowed only under specific conditions; schools, hospitals, childcare facilities and government offices are non-smoking across the entire premises. Anyone under 20 may not enter a smoking area at all, and facilities that permit smoking must display the prescribed sign (source: https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/point/). Check each restaurant's own signage rather than assuming. Note also that Mojiko, a short crossing away, is in Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture — a different municipality with different ordinances, so check Kitakyushu's official information (https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/) separately.
To find designated smoking spots around Shimonoseki or anywhere else in Japan, use the MottoSuitai smoking area map. For how street-smoking penalties differ between municipalities, see street smoking penalties by municipality, and for a general introduction, Smoking in Japan as a Tourist 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.How much is the penalty for street smoking in Shimonoseki?
A.1,000 yen. The city designates the Takezaki-cho and Karato-cho areas as street-smoking-prohibited districts under its Environmental Beautification Ordinance and states that violators are subject to a 1,000 yen administrative penalty (source: https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/soshiki/53/156791.html).
Q.Is there anywhere to smoke near Karato Market?
A.The Karato-cho area is a street-smoking-ban district, and the city's page updated May 28, 2026 describes only one designated smoking spot, located in the Takezaki-cho district. The spots that previously existed around Karato were abolished on January 31, 2020, and the one in front of the Kaikyokan aquarium on June 15, 2022. Check the city's official page for the current situation.
Q.Does the ban cover heated tobacco such as IQOS?
A.Yes. The city states that heated tobacco is prohibited on the street in the same way as cigarettes, and it has been subject to the 1,000 yen penalty since February 1, 2020 (source: https://www.city.shimonoseki.lg.jp/soshiki/53/1991.html).
Q.Do Shimonoseki's rules apply in Mojiko across the strait?
A.No. Mojiko is in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture — a different municipality with its own ordinances. Check Kitakyushu's official information (https://www.city.kitakyushu.lg.jp/) and local signage separately if you cross over.