The Diet on Wednesday passed legislation placing a total 100% ban on smoking in 45% of eateries, as the nation leads up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
The ban will be implemented in stages, coming into full force by April 2020.
“This year 65% of 30% of restaurants will be smoke free, and by the end of 2019, 80% of 40% of eateries will be totally smoke free,” says Health Minister Katsunobu Kato.
“By 2020, the law will work 45% of the time every time.”
Fans will be placed in half of the 45% of restaurants, creating a see-through wall of air where smoke shall not pass into smoke-free zones.
“No smoke will penetrate the ‘air wall’,” Kato told reporters as he lit up a fat cigar to celebrate the announcement.
30% of restaurant staff in Japan are expected to suffer from some form of illness from passive smoking over their lifetimes.
Image: Reuters
