Smoking Izakaya & Bars in Ueno and Asakusa (2026): How to Find Them
Table of contents
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 Taito City website. 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.
Taito City street rules: no walking and smoking, plus a morning ban
Taito City introduced its anti-littering ordinance in April 1998 and renamed it on 1 April 2021 as the "Tokyo Taito City Ordinance on the Prevention of Littering and Related Acts". According to the ward, smoking while walking or riding a bicycle is prohibited, as is discarding cigarette butts and cans, in public places such as roads, parks and plazas. In addition, 07:00 to 09:00 is designated a "no-smoking time", during which smoking is prohibited in outdoor public places; designated public smoking spots are excluded from that window (source: official Taito City website).
- Smoking while walking or cycling is prohibited in public places — roads, parks, plazas
- Discarding butts and cans is prohibited
- 07:00–09:00 is a designated "no-smoking time" outdoors; public smoking spots are excluded
- The ward states that no penalty applies, but patrolling guidance officers issue cautions and guidance
- Heated tobacco is "manufactured tobacco" under the Tobacco Business Act and is covered by the ordinance
- 31 public smoking spots were listed on the ward's official page as of its 23 July 2026 update
On crowded shopping streets such as Ameyoko and around Nakamise, walking and smoking is squarely prohibited. Use a ward smoking spot or an indoor smoking room instead. In Ueno, the ward lists spots such as the one behind the police box in front of Ueno Park (Ueno Park 1-65, open all day) and beside the Masaoka Shiki Memorial Baseball Field (Ueno Park 5-20, 07:00–18:00); in Asakusa, the ward lists spots including the Sensoji temple grounds, Sumida Park and Kinryu Park. Locations and hours change, so check the official Taito City site before you go.
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. Narrow frontages under the railway arches in Ameyoko and in the Asakusa side alleys can make signs easy to miss, so check the notices around the entrance as well.
Since you cannot smoke while walking and outdoor public places are off limits from 07:00 to 09:00, locate the public smoking spots in advance: see smoking areas in Ueno and smoking areas in Asakusa. Ward-by-ward rules and 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 sightseeing 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. Ueno and Asakusa have plenty of small family-run places, but the sign at the door remains 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, and these are areas with many tourists and families. Venue registrations, smoking spot locations and hours can change — the ward notes that spots may close temporarily due to weather or operator circumstances, and that some have capacity limits — so always confirm with the sign at the door, the venue's official information, and the official Taito City website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.Are there izakaya in Ueno or Asakusa where you can smoke?
A.Such venue types exist. Small venues operating since before April 2020 may hold a registered smoking-permitted room, and bars serving no staple food may operate as smoking-purpose venues. Tokyo's stricter ordinance narrows this for venues with employees, so check the official sign at the entrance and the venue's own information.
Q.Can I smoke while walking through Ameyoko or Nakamise?
A.No. Taito City prohibits smoking while walking or riding a bicycle in public places such as roads, parks and plazas, and littering butts is prohibited too. Use a public smoking spot or an indoor smoking room.
Q.What is the "no-smoking time" in Taito City?
A.It is the window from 07:00 to 09:00, during which smoking is prohibited in outdoor public places such as roads, parks and plazas. Designated public smoking spots are excluded from this window.
Q.Is there a fine for street smoking in Taito City?
A.The ward states that no penalty applies, but that guidance officers patrolling the ward issue cautions and guidance. The conduct is still prohibited by the ordinance, so use the public smoking spots.