Japan’s tourist cities are prevalent with cigarette lovers these days. Kanazawa is no exception. Most tourist sites downtown (including their immediate vicinity) are designated as nonsmoking sections. This smoking regulation has been enacted mainly to keep streets clean and to prevent burns caused by cigarette. If you are a smoker, please be aware that fines of 1,000 yen for smoking in those designated nonsmoking districts or for throwing cigarette butts on the street will be imposed. For smokers, there are several public and private designated locations with provided ashtrays for smoking, at times even within those restricted areas, at the entrance of convenience stores, or next to cigarette stands.

 
Restaurants or cafes in Japan individually set their own smoking rules. Some shops allow smoking freely while others completely ban it. Furthermore, many establishments provide seats equally for both non-smoking and smoking clientele. So as to avoid any embarrassing situations, we recommend you to inquire to restaurant staff about smoking preferences before being seated.