There was judicial support behind the move to smoking ban in taxis. The Tokyo The District Court in
December 2005 handed down a ruling that said a total ban on smoking in taxis would be preferable to
avoid passive smoking. The first prefecture that introduced a taxi smoking ban in Japan was Oita in
June 2007. Nagano Prefecture followed suit, and taxi companies in Chiba Prefecture and many others
followed smoking ban and became smoke-free in taxis.


Taxi smoking ban to take effect before the Summit 2008.

In April 2008, the Sapporo Hired-car Association announced that it would implement a total ban on
smoking in taxis that would be started from July 2008. The association, which is comprised of 74 taxi
companies in the Sapporo transportation area, had planned to begin the ban four months later, but
the schedule has been brought forward to coincide with the Hokkaido Summit, which will begin in July.
It will be the first time a hire-car association in Hokkaido has implemented such a measure.

Smoking will be completely banned in approximately 6,800 taxis in the area, including individually
owned cabs, from July. According to the Sapporo Hired-car Association, all taxis will display stickers
indicating the ban, and backseat ashtrays will be removed or sealed. Passengers wishing to smoke
will be provided with portable ashtrays for use outside the cars. In Tokyo, where the measure was
introduced in January, no problems have been reported. The Tokyo-based Japan Federation of Taxicab
Associations says that a total smoking ban in taxis was implemented in 21 prefectures as of April 2008.

Source: The Hokkaido Shimbun Press April 15, 2008


Japanese Government opposed for the world treaty for tobacco control.

The second world convention, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FTCT) was held in
Bangkok, Thailand in 2007. Ten officers from Minsitry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance and
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japanese Government attended at WHO's world convention.
Many representatives from various countries expressed their proposal to restrict the use of
tobacco in the convention. However, Mr. Ohkuma, Foreign Affairs section and Mr. Urakawa, Ministry
of Finance section of Japanese Government opposed the essentials of the treaty to inhibit the
tobacco use.

Fortunately, this kind of negative attitude of Japanese Government was not accepted by other
countries, and the international proposal to control tobacco to protect people from an adverse
effect caused by tobacco products was passed in its original form with little amendment in the
world convention in Bangkok. This draft included a total smoking ban in the public transportation.

Source: A report by an attendant at the 2007 World Convention for Tobacco Control.


Department of Health, Labor and Welfare denied a countrywide total smoking
ban in Japan.

Accordance to the agreement of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control, all signatory nations, including Japan, are required to ban smoking in all enclosed public
places by February 2010. However, Ministry of Health, Laborand Welfare of Japan still ignores the
world treaty. The man in command of tobacco control said that 'We do not follow the world treaty
by WHO, because they cannot enforce a carpet smoking ban to Japanese society.'

Junichiro Mori, Department of Health, Labor and Welfare denied a total smoking ban in restaurants,
and other indoor public places, since we made separate smoking and nonsmoking sections in half
of our work places. He said to Yomiuri Shimbun in November, 2008.

Source: Yomiuri Shimbun, November 8, 2008


日本政府はタバコ規制国際条約に反対、しかし会議はタクシー全面禁煙化を決議

2007年6月・7月にタイ国・バンコクでWHO（世界保健機関）FTCF（ Framework Convention on Tobacco Control ）
＝たばこ枠組条約の第2回国際会議が開催され、日本政府からは、外務省、厚生労働省、財務省から計10人
が出席したが、世界の多くの国の代表が「タバコ規制を本格的に進めたい」との提言に対し、外務省
（大熊雅昭外務事務官）、財務省（浦川専門官）らは条約の骨子に反対する発言を行い、改めて日本の官僚の
「健康よりも財政を」との考え方が露呈した。

しかし、日本の極めて消極的な姿勢は他の締約国から相手にされることもなく、「受動喫煙からの保護」について、
ほぼ原案通りに採択され、本格的なタバコ規制推進への道が開かれた。この中でタクシーは公共交通機関と
して全面禁煙とすることが議決された。



Department of Health､Labor and Welfare announced to recommend
a total smoking ban in public indoor space.
2010年2月、厚生労働省は恒久的室内空間の全面禁煙を通達
Smoking ban was adopted over Tokyo's Taxis
東京都内タクシー全面禁煙化


A taxi in Shinjuku district,Tokyo

タクシー全面禁煙へ：自主的な動きが全国に広がる

日本でも県単位の禁煙タクシーの動きが広まっている。本来は国か地方自治体が禁煙法（条例）を定めて
国民に強制すべきべき事柄であり、先進諸外国では罰則規定を設けてタクシーなど公共的閉鎖空間での
喫煙を厳しく取り締まっている。しかし、日本では行政のタバコ対策は遅々として進まず、今進行している
タクシー全面禁煙化は裁判所の司法判断を契機に業界が自主的に行っているものである。

自主規制の歴史 History of smokling bans in Taxi of Japan


Wakayama becomes the last prefecture to ban smoking in taxis.

A total ban on smoking in taxis took place in January 2011, making it the last prefecture in Jaoan to do so.
The ban covers 1,745 taxis run by 80 firms plus 66 owner-driven cabs, following similar moves in all other
prefectures except Hokkaido and Nagasaki, where smoking bans are being imposed zone by zone,
according to the Taxi Associations. The Wakayama taxi association was late in restriction of smoking
inside of taxi, because of fears that such a move would eliminate customers, and considered separating
cars into smoker-friendly and smoke-free ones before deciding on a total ban.
Source: Kyodo January 5, 2011


和歌山、全国最後のタクシー全面禁煙

和歌山県内のほぼすべてのタクシーが2011年1月から全面禁煙になった。タクシーの禁煙化が全国的に進む中、
和歌山県は実施していなかった。禁煙にするのは、県タクシー協会（80社、1745台）と県個人タクシー協同組合
（66台）で、窓に「禁煙車」のステッカーを張ったりして乗客に禁煙を呼び掛ける。一旦はクシー乗り場を禁煙車と
喫煙車に分ける「分煙」も検討したが、全国に広がるタクシー禁煙の流れに合わせることにした。協会理事は、
和歌山の利用者の平均乗車距離が約４キロと近距離利用が多いことをあげ、「喫煙者のタクシー離れが
懸念されたほか、飲酒した喫煙客とのトラブルも心配だった」と実行の遅れた理由を説明した。
引用：共同通信、他　2011年1月5日

タバコを吸わない多数のタクシー運転手が肺癌（がん）や喉頭癌で亡くなっている。
彼らの健康を損ない命を奪ったのは、機密性が高いタクシー車内で喫煙していた乗客たちなのだ！
「タバコ副流煙に気をつけよ」産経新聞掲載記事（宮本順伯）

Is it impossible to create a smoke-free society in Tokyo?
A smoking habit is a 'disease', or is a 'traditional culture' ??
東京都は屋内喫煙規制（受動喫煙防止）条例に否定的
Kanagawa Prefecture's Anti-smoke Law
Governor Shigefumi Matsuzawa stressed the need to provide a separate smoking room in
public places.　Kanagawa Prefecture officially approved a waiter and waitress to work
at a restaurant with full of toxic tobacco-smoke.
神奈川県で労働者の健康保護を放棄した世界最悪の受動喫煙防止条例を施行
　学会　2010年 日本禁煙学会シンポジウム（松山）
The Fifth Annual Meeting of Japan Society for Tobacco Control in Matsuyama, Japan
多くの地方自治体が先行した神奈川県条例と同様の受動喫煙防止条例を制定すれば
日本は世界で唯一、「分煙体制」を採用した、世界で「最も好ましくない喫煙規制国」と
なる恐れがあると強く警告
　論説　 「公共的施設内全面禁煙規制」 導入への道筋
The way to cope with the resistance to a total smoking ban in public places in Japan
2009年および2010年日本禁煙学会総会シンポジウム講演内容を加筆編集したものを公表



2007年5月執筆　2008年月2月加筆 　2009年月12月加筆 　2010年月7月英文加筆 2011年月1月加筆
禁煙席ネット主宰　日本禁煙学会認定専門医　医学博士　宮本順伯
★　写真及び本文の著作権は宮本順伯に帰属
★　『禁煙席ネット』　サイトへのリンクは自由
The article was written and photographs were taken by Dr. J. Miyamoto, in May 2007,
and last revised in January 2011, by Junhaku Miyamoto, M.D., PhD.