01
What is allowed
- Smoking in seats: never, on any shinkansen.
- Smoking rooms onboard: only on some Tokaido and Sanyo N700 trains.
- Heated tobacco and vapes: same rule as cigarettes, smoking rooms only.
Onboard rules
Shinkansen smoking rules: smoking rooms and non smoking trains
The shinkansen is fully no smoking in seats. Older trains still have closed smoking rooms onboard, but new trains have removed them entirely. Here is the current rule per line.
02
By line
- Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen: smoking rooms phased out on most new N700S, gone entirely from 2024 onward.
- Tohoku, Hokkaido, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Kyushu shinkansen: fully no smoking, no rooms onboard.
03
Stations
- Major stations have designated smoking areas near platforms.
- Look for the kitsuen sho sign in Japanese.
- No outdoor smoking on streets in most central districts.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to common questions.
Can I smoke on the shinkansen?
Only inside the few remaining onboard smoking rooms, which are being removed.
Are vapes allowed?
Treated the same as cigarettes. Use smoking rooms only.
Where do I smoke at the station?
In the marked kitsuen sho smoking area on the platform or concourse.
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