Trash sorting and smoking rules

Streets without bins

One of the things that surprises first-time visitors most is that the streets are clean yet there are hardly any bins. Even in parks, busy districts and tourist sites, bins can be hard to find, and people take it for granted that rubbish goes home with them. So while travelling, the most practical habit is to carry a small plastic or zip bag and collect your rubbish in it. When you buy food from a stall, the usual practice is to eat it in front of the stall and hand the container back.

Where you can throw things away

It isn't that there are no bins at all, but it helps to know they have specific purposes. Convenience store bins are regarded as being for rubbish from items bought at that store, and many post notices banning household rubbish. Station platforms and the areas around ticket gates sometimes have sorted recycling bins. The bins next to vending machines are only for drink bottles, cans and plastic bottles; nothing else should go in them. The most reliable place is your accommodation, so sort out the day's rubbish there.

Sorting basics

Trash sorting in Japan is detailed and varies by municipality. Visitors don't need to memorise every rule, but knowing the broad categories makes you hesitate less in front of the bins.

• Burnable: food waste, paper, tissues and the like
• Non-burnable: metal, broken glass, ceramics and the like
• Plastic bottles: many places ask you to remove caps and labels separately
• Cans and glass bottles: empty them and give a quick rinse
• Plastic containers and packaging: collected separately in some areas

At hotels and private rentals

In a hotel, rubbish in the room bin is mostly dealt with by staff, but if the bins are divided for sorting, follow them. Private home rentals are different. Neighbourhoods have set collection days and places, and putting rubbish out on the wrong day brings complaints from neighbours and can even make it hard for the property to keep operating. Sort things the way your host explains, or leave them in the designated spot at check-out. Drain leftover food and tie the bag so smells don't escape.

Indoor smoking rules

Following a change in the law, Japan has in principle banned smoking in indoor spaces used by many people, such as restaurants, offices and the common areas of accommodation. There are exceptions, such as separately partitioned smoking rooms and shops meeting certain conditions, and places are required to display a sign at the entrance showing whether smoking is allowed. Heated tobacco is sometimes permitted only in areas separate from those for regular cigarettes. Non-smokers can use the signs to choose smoke-free places; smokers must find a smoking room when indoors.

Smoking on the street

It is easy to assume you can smoke outdoors, but often the opposite is true. Many municipalities have bylaws creating no-smoking zones on streets, and some impose fines for violations around stations and busy districts. Smoking while walking is strongly frowned upon in most cities. Smokers need to find designated smoking areas near stations or in parks, which can be located with a map app or the local government's information. Dropping cigarette butts on the street is prohibited, so carrying a portable ashtray is a good idea.

E-cigarettes and bringing in tobacco

E-cigarette liquid containing nicotine is not sold as an ordinary product in Japan, and bringing it in and using it is regulated. There are set limits on how much you may bring for personal use, so check the Japanese government's official guidance before departure. Regular tobacco also has a duty-free allowance, and anything over it must be declared at customs. Smoking secretly in a hotel room often leads to cleaning fees or penalties, and setting off a fire alarm causes major inconvenience for other guests.

Common mistakes and cautions

Putting general rubbish in the drink container bins by vending machines, dumping outside rubbish in convenience store bins, and leaving trash on benches at tourist sites are the behaviours most often pointed out in visitors. Smokers need the habit of checking for no-smoking zone signs and designated smoking area signs. Sorting rules, no-smoking zones and fine amounts differ by municipality and can change, so follow the official guidance where you are staying. When the rules are confusing, carrying rubbish with you and dealing with it at your accommodation is the safest choice.