Smoking Rules at Mount Takao: 2026 Guide (around Takao and Takaosanguchi Stations, and wildfire prevention)
Table of contents
- 1.About this guide and disclaimer
- 2.Hachioji City's street smoking rules (city-wide walking ban and four prohibited districts)
- 3.The Takao Station area is a prohibited district; Takaosanguchi is not on the list
- 4.We do not assert individual smoking spot locations (no official primary information)
- 5.Tokyo's Rules for Using Mount Takao, and the 2021 wildfire
- 6.Important: the Wildfire Warning (operating since 1 January 2026) and restrictions on the use of fire
- 7.Parks inside prohibited districts have been non-smoking since 1 March 2023
- 8.The revised Health Promotion Act, heated tobacco and e-cigarettes
- 9.Find nearby smoking areas with MottoSuitai
- 10.In closing: to protect the mountain, use designated places
About this guide and disclaimer
This is a third-party guide compiled from Hachioji City's official site (https://www.city.hachioji.tokyo.jp/) street-smoking guidance, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment's "Natural Parks of Tokyo" (https://www.kankyo1.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/naturepark/) Rules for Using Mount Takao, and the Tokyo Fire Department's official site (https://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/) guidance on wildfire warnings, reflecting the situation as of July 2026. The locations and hours of smoking spots and the operation of these ordinances may change without notice. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on each official source. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.
Hachioji City's street smoking rules (city-wide walking ban and four prohibited districts)
Mount Takao is in Hachioji City, Tokyo. Hachioji City has enacted the "Ordinance on the Prevention of Street Smoking" (18 December 2006, Ordinance No. 54; in force from 1 January 2007, with Articles 8 to 11 in force from 1 April 2007). Article 7 provides that "no person shall smoke on the street while walking (including while riding a bicycle)," phrased as an obligation to endeavour and applying across the entire city. The city's official guidance explains that smoking while walking is prohibited city-wide in order to eliminate burns and other hazards. Article 2 defines "street smoking" as "smoking tobacco on roads, station plazas or other places used for general traffic."
Further, under Article 8, the mayor may designate areas deemed particularly to require it as street-smoking-prohibited districts. According to Hachioji City official guidance, the four districts currently designated are as follows. Inside these districts, street smoking anywhere other than a designated smoking spot is prohibited.
- Around Hachioji Station (the area bounded by Myojin-cho, the Koyasu-cho five-way junction, Yorozu-cho and the Yokka-machi intersection)
- Around Nishi-Hachioji Station (the area bounded by Sennin-cho, the Daimachi five-way junction, Sanda-cho 3-chome East and the Central Library intersection)
- Around Takao Station (the area bounded by the Machida-kaido entrance, Higashi-Asakawa, Hatsuzawa Bridge and the Takao Station-mae Second intersection)
- Around Minami-Osawa Station (the area bounded by Tokyo Metropolitan University East, Minami-Osawa Station Entrance East and West, and the Tokyo Metropolitan University West-West intersection)
On penalties, Article 11 of the ordinance provides that a person who violates an order under Article 10, paragraph 2 shall be subject to "an administrative fine of not more than ¥20,000." The city explains that smoking-manners promotion officers first patrol and carry out awareness work, and that enforcement officers issue guidance and orders for violations. In other words, this is not a system like Chiyoda City where a fine is imposed immediately for the act itself, but a staged mechanism in which the fine attaches to violating an order. Even so, street smoking inside a prohibited district remains prohibited by the ordinance.
The Takao Station area is a prohibited district; Takaosanguchi is not on the list
There are two gateway stations to Mount Takao: Takao Station on the JR Chuo Line and Keio Takao Line, and Takaosanguchi Station, the terminus of the Keio Takao Line. The list of street-smoking-prohibited districts published by Hachioji City includes "around Takao Station," but the area around Takaosanguchi Station is not on that list. That said, the Takaosanguchi area is also within Hachioji City, so the Article 7 obligation to endeavour not to smoke while walking, which applies city-wide, still applies. Whether or not an area is a designated prohibited district, smoke outdoors only at designated smoking places, and always take butts home or put them in an ashtray.
- Around Takao Station = a Hachioji City street-smoking-prohibited district (on the city's official list)
- Around Takaosanguchi Station = not on the city's official list of prohibited districts
- However, everyone must endeavour not to smoke on the street while walking (including while riding a bicycle) anywhere in the city (Article 7)
- The city states that it installs designated smoking spots inside the prohibited districts
We do not assert individual smoking spot locations (no official primary information)
Hachioji City's official "Street-smoking-prohibited districts and list of smoking spots" page states that designated smoking spots are installed inside the prohibited districts, including around Takao Station, but at the time of writing we could not confirm the names, addresses or operating hours of individual smoking spots around Takao Station. Nor could we confirm any description of smoking spots on the mountain — Takaosanguchi Station, the cable car and chairlift stations, Yakuo-in Temple, the summit area — on the official sites of Takao Tozan Railway (https://www.takaotozan.co.jp/) or Takaosan Yakuo-in (https://www.takaosan.or.jp/). This article does not assert the location of smoking spots for which we cannot confirm official primary information.
If you are looking for somewhere to smoke, check Hachioji City's official smoking spot list page, the official sites of each railway operator and facility, or on-site signage for the latest information, or check the MottoSuitai map described below for registered entries near your current location. Avoid smoking anywhere without an ashtray or smoking-spot sign, and always use designated places.
Tokyo's Rules for Using Mount Takao, and the 2021 wildfire
Mount Takao is a natural park within Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park and Tokyo Metropolitan Takao-Jinba Natural Park. On smoking, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment's "Rules for Using Mount Takao" state: "When you smoke, be considerate of other users. Also, to prevent wildfires, make sure you properly extinguish your fire." The rules also clearly state, "Always take your rubbish home." Cigarette butts are rubbish, so always carry them home in a portable ashtray.
Wildfires have in fact occurred on Mount Takao. According to a Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment notice dated 18 June 2021, a wildfire broke out at around 1:30 p.m. on 12 June that year on the ridge near the chairlift's upper station; it was extinguished at around 3:15 p.m., but 100 square metres of undergrowth burned. In that notice the metropolitan government urged people to "never throw away campfire embers or cigarette butts," explaining that "once a wildfire starts, firefighting is difficult and a great deal of forest is lost." Trails and mountainsides are full of dry fallen leaves and undergrowth, and a small ember can lead to a large fire.
Important: the Wildfire Warning (operating since 1 January 2026) and restrictions on the use of fire
There is a new rule you should know about before visiting the Mount Takao area. The Tokyo Fire Department began operating its "Wildfire Warning" on 1 January 2026, and its "Wildfire Advisory" on 1 April 2026. The covered period for both is 1 January to 31 May, and the covered areas include Hachioji City (along with Higashiyamato, Musashimurayama, Ome, Machida, Hino, Hamura, Mizuho, Tama, Akiruno, Hinode, Hinohara and Okutama).
- Wildfire Advisory: conditions such as dryness make wildfires likely to start and spread. People must endeavour to refrain from using fire outdoors (an obligation to endeavour)
- Wildfire Warning: in addition to advisory conditions, a strong-wind advisory has been issued and any wildfire is likely to grow large. "Restrictions on the use of fire" apply
- Start of operation: the Wildfire Warning on 1 January 2026, the Wildfire Advisory on 1 April 2026 (Tokyo Fire Department official)
- Covered period: 1 January to 31 May
- Covered areas: 13 municipalities in the Tama region including Hachioji City (Tokyo Fire Department official)
According to the Tokyo Fire Department, activities restricted while a Wildfire Warning is in force include setting controlled burns in forests and fields, outdoor fireworks (including toy fireworks), outdoor bonfires and playing with fire, smoking outdoors near explosive or combustible material such as fallen leaves, and using an open flame outdoors in a way that scatters sparks. It is also required that "when disposing of cigarette butts or ash outdoors, confirm that the fire is completely out before handling it." A person who violates these "restrictions on the use of fire" is liable to a fine of up to ¥300,000 or detention under Article 22 of the Fire Service Act and Articles 29 and 29-3 of the Fire Prevention Ordinance.
In other words, if you visit the Mount Takao area during the dry season from winter into spring and a warning is in force, outdoor smoking can fall under a legal restriction. Before you go, always check the latest status on the Tokyo Fire Department's "Wildfire warning status" page. Warning or not, the safest approach is not to smoke on the mountain and to use a designated smoking place at the foot of the mountain instead.
Parks inside prohibited districts have been non-smoking since 1 March 2023
Hachioji City has prohibited smoking in some parks located inside its street-smoking-prohibited districts since 1 March 2023. According to city official guidance, the seven covered facilities are Funamori Park, Koyasu Park, Myojin-cho 3-chome South Park, Nishi-Hoshasen Yokoyama-cho Park, Nishi-Hoshasen Misaki-cho Park, Nishi-Hoshasen Naka-cho Park and Koyasu Hamamura Kokage Park. The city lists cigarettes, cigars, pipes, shisha and heated tobacco (IQOS, glo, Ploom TECH and the like) as covered tobacco products, and states that e-cigarettes, snuff and chewing tobacco are not covered. None of these seven parks are in the Takao area, but it is useful to know as a rule for parks within Hachioji City.
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, teahouse or hot-spring facility in the Mount Takao area, use a place with signage indicating a smoking-only room or a heated-tobacco-only smoking room that meets the statutory standards. Outdoors, Hachioji City's ordinance applies. As for heated tobacco, it is expressly listed as covered in the city's guidance on non-smoking parks, but we could not confirm an explicit statement on how heated tobacco is treated under the street-smoking prevention ordinance in the city's guidance or the ordinance text, so this article does not assert it. In any case, from a wildfire-prevention perspective, cigarettes that use an actual flame are especially hazardous; outdoors, do not use them anywhere other than a designated smoking place. 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 Takao or Takaosanguchi Stations or in Hachioji City, you can list nearby smoking areas from MottoSuitai's map. For a major station in the same Tama region, see the Tachikawa Station smoking guide. For tips on finding smoking areas around stations efficiently, see the guide to finding station smoking areas as well.
In closing: to protect the mountain, use designated places
This third-party guide was compiled from official information published by Hachioji City, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment and the Tokyo Fire Department as of July 2026. Mount Takao is a natural park visited by many people year-round, and a wildfire actually occurred there in 2021. Always smoke at designated smoking places, and carry butts home in a portable ashtray. During the dry season (January to May), check the wildfire warning status on the Tokyo Fire Department official site. The locations of smoking spots and the operation of ordinances may change. When you actually go, always confirm the latest information on the Hachioji City official site (https://www.city.hachioji.tokyo.jp/), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Environment, and the Tokyo Fire Department official site (https://www.tfd.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/).
How to prevent wildfires and follow the rules in the Mount Takao area: 5 steps
How to avoid wildfire risk and follow the rules in the Mount Takao area, where Hachioji City ordinances and the Wildfire Warning apply.
- 1
Step 1
Check the wildfire warning status before you set out
From January to May, check the Tokyo Fire Department's official "Wildfire warning status" page. While a warning is in force, smoking outdoors near combustible material is restricted, and violations carry a fine of up to ¥300,000 or detention.
- 2
Step 2
Understand Hachioji City's street smoking rules
Everyone must endeavour not to smoke on the street while walking anywhere in the city, and the Takao Station area is a street-smoking-prohibited district. Street smoking outside designated spots there is prohibited, and violating an order is subject to a fine of up to ¥20,000.
- 3
Step 3
Finish before you climb, at the foot of the mountain
We cannot confirm official primary information on smoking places on the mountain. The safest approach is to smoke before your hike, at a designated smoking place. Check locations on the city official site or the MottoSuitai map.
- 4
Step 4
Always bring a portable ashtray
Tokyo states, "Always take your rubbish home." Butts are rubbish. Bring a portable ashtray, confirm the fire is completely out before putting a butt away, and always take it home.
- 5
Step 5
Do not produce any flame on the mountain
A wildfire broke out on the ridge near the chairlift's upper station in June 2021. Do not smoke on trails, at the summit, on temple grounds or anywhere other than a designated smoking place. Smoking by people under 20 is prohibited by law in Japan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Can I smoke on Mount Takao itself?
A.We could not confirm any description of smoking spots on the mountain on the official sites of Takao Tozan Railway or Takaosan Yakuo-in, so this article does not assert where smoking places on the mountain are. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Rules for Using Mount Takao ask you to be considerate of other users when smoking and to make sure you properly extinguish your fire to prevent wildfires. A wildfire did break out on the ridge near the chairlift's upper station in June 2021, burning 100 square metres of undergrowth. Always smoke at designated smoking places and take your butts home.
Q.Can I smoke on the street around Takao Station?
A.The Takao Station area is designated a street-smoking-prohibited district by Hachioji City, and street smoking anywhere other than a designated smoking spot is prohibited. The city states that the district covers the area bounded by the Machida-kaido entrance, Higashi-Asakawa, Hatsuzawa Bridge and the Takao Station-mae Second intersection. Failing to comply with guidance and orders is subject to an administrative fine of up to ¥20,000 under Article 11. Check the latest on Hachioji City official guidance.
Q.Is the Takaosanguchi Station area a prohibited district?
A.The list of street-smoking-prohibited districts published by Hachioji City covers four areas — Hachioji, Nishi-Hachioji, Takao and Minami-Osawa Stations — and the Takaosanguchi area is not on that list. However, Takaosanguchi is also within Hachioji City, and Article 7 requires everyone to endeavour not to smoke on the street while walking (including while riding a bicycle) anywhere in the city. Please smoke outdoors only at designated smoking places.
Q.What is the Wildfire Warning, and does it cover Mount Takao?
A.It is a warning the Tokyo Fire Department began operating on 1 January 2026, issued when, in addition to dry conditions, a strong-wind advisory has been issued and any wildfire is likely to grow large. The covered period is 1 January to 31 May, and the covered areas include Hachioji City, where Mount Takao is located. While it is in force, activities such as smoking outdoors near combustible material like fallen leaves fall under "restrictions on the use of fire," and violations carry a fine of up to ¥300,000 or detention under the Fire Service Act. Check the current status on the Tokyo Fire Department official site.
Q.How should I dispose of cigarette butts?
A.The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Rules for Using Mount Takao clearly state, "Always take your rubbish home." Butts are rubbish, so always carry them home in a portable ashtray. The Tokyo Fire Department also requires that when disposing of butts or ash outdoors you confirm the fire is completely out before handling it. Never throw them away.
Q.Is heated tobacco covered by Hachioji City rules?
A.In Hachioji City's guidance on smoking in parks inside street-smoking-prohibited districts, heated tobacco (IQOS, glo, Ploom TECH and the like) is expressly listed as covered (e-cigarettes, snuff and chewing tobacco are not). On the other hand, we could not confirm an explicit statement on how heated tobacco is treated under the street-smoking prevention ordinance in the city's guidance or the ordinance text, so this article does not assert it. For details, please contact Hachioji City.