As a kid I remember a time when smoking and non-smoking sections were prominent where I lived, but as I grew up, smoking became a verboten subject and those things died out. I never thought about it much until I first traveled to Japan and found that smoking is still very much alive and a part of the culture there.
You can go to restaurants, parks, inside train stations, near shrines and even out on a trail in the middle of a forest there will be a special place at a rest stop just for smokers. I once recall standing in Tokyo station looking into a small glass compartment crammed with about 50 people smoking. It didn't exactly look comfortable, but it had fans to ventilate and no one seemed to mind. I suppose like having to endure the crowds Japanese people are still used to public smoking.
Sometimes inside modern hotels there's a special, small room just for them, and its common to find smoking and non-smoking rooms available. Its a little strange since we don't find that here in the United States anymore. Of course, with smoking comes some awareness. The Japanese are always factitious and concerned about the comfort of others, so they do try to let people know where they can and cannot smoke. Some of this is also born from a long history and fear of fire. A stray bit of ash can set buildings or forests ablaze and cause massive damage.
Sometimes smoking also lends itself to a bit of humor and levity when it comes to carrying across a message about the health and safety of the habit. The internet is chock full of pinned pictures like the one above where a sign will try to carry across a poignant message. Unfortunately, Japanese doesn't always translate so eloquently to English to the result is usually hilarious to behold.
Still, for smokers and non-smokers, Japan is a welcoming country. For those who do not smoke, I suggest a little amount of awareness, and for those who do courtesy in obeying Japanese smoking laws.
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