Smoking Izakaya & Bars in Shinbashi and Ginza (2026): How to Find Them

Scope and disclaimer

This is a third-party guide summarizing the rules as of July 2026, based on the MHLW campaign site (https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/), the Tokyo Metropolitan passive smoking ordinance, and the official Chuo, Chiyoda and Minato City websites. Individual venues' smoking status depends on their registration and their own policy, so we do not name specific venues as smoking-friendly. Always confirm with the sign at the door and the venue's own information. This article provides information about smoking environments and does not encourage smoking; smoking under the age of 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.

Three wards, three sets of street-smoking rules

• Chuo City (Ginza): smoking banned in public places outside designated spots under the ward's passive smoking ordinance, in force 1 July 2020. No monetary fine; where guidance and recommendations are ignored, the ward may publish names. A separate ordinance dating from 2004 bans walking while smoking and littering butts. Heated tobacco is covered by both
• Chiyoda City (Yurakucho, Marunouchi): the entire ward — excluding the Imperial Palace grounds and similar — is a no-street-smoking zone with a 2,000 yen fine. The ordinance took effect on 1 October 2002 and fines have been issued since November 2002; heated tobacco has been explicitly subject to the fine since 1 November 2024
• Minato City (towards Shinbashi): the "Minato Tobacco Rule" under a 2014 ordinance bans street and walking smoking in outdoor public places. No fine is set; the ward relies on guidance
• The west side of the Sukiyabashi intersection is Chiyoda City, so the rule differs from the Chuo City side just across the road
• Chuo City listed 77 designated smoking spots as of its 3 July 2026 update — 21 run by the ward and 56 private. In Ginza, Sukiyabashi Park (Ginza 5-1-1, 07:00–22:30) is one of the ward-run spots

The absence of a fine does not make smoking outside designated spots acceptable: it is prohibited or discouraged by ordinance in all three wards, and you can be instructed to stop. Chuo City can also publish the names of people who ignore guidance.

The four venue types where smoking is allowed

• Smoking-permitted room (kitsuen kanō ten): cigarettes plus food and drink. Grandfathered venues only — operating as of 1 April 2020, individually owned or capitalized at 50 million yen or less, seating area 100 m2 or less, and registered with the municipality
• Smoking-purpose venue (kitsuen mokuteki ten): cigar bars and snack bars that sell tobacco over the counter and serve no staple food such as rice or noodle dishes
• Sealed smoking room (kitsuen senyō shitsu): smoking allowed, but no food or drink inside the room
• Heated-tobacco-only room: IQOS / glo / Ploom only, food and drink allowed — the common option at chains

In every case, people under 20 — customers and staff alike — may not enter a smoking area, and the venue must display the officially designated sign at the entrance (source: https://jyudokitsuen.mhlw.go.jp/smoking_room/). Venues that opened after April 2020, and large chains capitalized above 50 million yen, cannot use the grandfather clause.

How to find one: read the sign, then plan your route

The sticker at the entrance is the reliable signal. "Smoking permitted" or "smoking purpose" means you can smoke while eating and drinking; "smoking room" means smoking is separated from dining; "heated tobacco room" means IQOS-style devices only. No sign means the interior is non-smoking. Under the railway arches in Shinbashi and on the upper floors of Ginza buildings the sign is often not visible from the street, so check the building directory too.

Because the rule changes as you cross ward boundaries, decide in advance where you would go for a cigarette. See smoking areas in Ginza and smoking areas in Marunouchi. Ward-by-ward fines are collected in our street-smoking fines guide.

Find smoking-friendly venues on MottoSuitai

Browse smoking-friendly restaurants and bars on MottoSuitai's smoking-friendly restaurant search. For the nationwide rules see our guide to smoking izakaya and bars in Japan, for daytime breaks see the smoking-friendly cafe guide, and find outdoor spots on the MottoSuitai map.

Tokyo's stricter rule

Under the Tokyo Metropolitan passive smoking ordinance, restaurants and bars in Tokyo that employ staff are non-smoking indoors regardless of size; only venues with no employees (typically family-run) can register a smoking-permitted room. Sealed smoking rooms and heated-tobacco-only rooms are still allowed. Cigar bars that sell tobacco and serve no staple food fall under the separate smoking-purpose category, which remains an option in Ginza and Shinbashi. Either way, the sign at the door is the deciding factor.

Etiquette and final note

Even where smoking is allowed, the law asks everyone to avoid causing unwanted second-hand smoke: check with the people at your table, pick a well-ventilated seat, and mind where the ashtray sits. Anyone under 20 cannot enter a smoking area at all. Venue registrations, designated smoking spots, their opening hours and enforcement practice can change — always confirm with the sign at the door, the venue's official information, and the official Chuo, Chiyoda and Minato City websites.