SmokeFreeJapan.com

Looks like Kanagawa Prefecture could possibly getting a regional smoking ban as of March next year similar to bans in other countries according to this article.

The ban, if enabled would ban smoking 100% in bars, restaurants, amusement venues, schools, hospitals and department stores which I think would be just simply incredible especially for Japan!

Kazuko Hara who drafted the bill had this to say, “Smoking bans are a global trend. This is also part of our campaign to reduce the risks from passive smoking, which may cause lung and other cancers among non-smokers.”

Well done! Fingers crossed!

(I wonder if this ban would include pachinko parlours?)

The article also has some interesting stats on the amount of smokers in Japan. Apparently the percent of Japanese people who smoke is now down to 26 percent. Not bad!

A search for comparisons found that 15 percent of Australians smoke.

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Name: Natural Station
Type: Juice / Sandwich Bar
Station: Aobadai, Shibuya, Kita Senju, Nishi Shinjuku and more.

Info: Web Site, E: Online Email Form

If you’re an Boost Juice fanatic like me and find yourself going through some serious withdrawal during your stay in Japan the small, yet growing juice / sandwich bar / cafe Natural Station is a good (though not as good) alternative.

As with most serving sizes in Japan the juices served here are smaller than those at Boost Juice though thankfully not as pathetically small as those served in the similar Japanese juice chain, Juicer Bar (does anyone know what’s with all those people who spend all that money on a shot of fruit juice and then stand around train platforms posing while they sip at it’s minuscule contents for the next half hour?).

Natural station has a wide variety of freshly squeezed juices and organic coffees as well as a large selection of rather tasty and fresh sandwiches though watch out for the Bacon & Tomato sandwich which has mayonnaise and tomato sauce on the bacon (only in Japan, right?).

Well worth a go especially if you want something a little different from Starbucks. I tried out the Aobadai branch which is right opposite the main ticket gates and found service very fast and friendly and the interior quiet, clean and relaxing. Brush up on your Hiragana and Katakana beforehand though as all menus are in Japanese and without pictures.

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Name: Cafe AKIRA
Type: Organic Cafe
Station: Roppongi Icchome

Location: About a 3 minute walk from Roppongi Icchome Station or a 10 minute walk from the larger and more famous Roppongi Hibiya and Oedo Line Stations. Check out their site for a map.

Info: Web Site, Ph: 03-6229-2828, Fax: 03-6229-2829

This wonderful little cafe was introduced to me by a good friend who’s involved in the NPO which runs the cafe. They organise several projects around the world, one of which is producing real Free Trade coffee beans in Ethiopia which are used in Cafe AKIRA and taste simply amazing.

As expected there’s a wide variety of coffee (and none coffee) drinks available from about 315 Yen for an espresso shot to 630 Yen for a Vienna Coffee.

What I recommend though is getting one of the many lunch sets, particularly the sandwich ones which will get you a coffee of your choice, a rather decent salad and an amazing sandwich all from 1050 Yen depending on the set.

Something else worth considering is the art gallery in the basement which costs 1000 Yen for entrance but gets you a free drip coffee (again, this coffee tastes incredible!) and two cookies.

It is worth noting though that the artwork in the gallery is on the surreal side so if that genre of art isn’t your thing you might want to give it a miss. Personally I found it really interesting and worth my time.

The cafe itself has a very relaxing and modern atmosphere with a very clean yet warm (very rare in Tokyo) interior design with wooden walls and Ethiopian themed photography decorating the walls. There’s also a large flatscreen monitor on one wall with footage of Ethiopia accompanied by some of Idaki Shin’s music performances.

A big bonus worth mentioning is that all the menus and boards are in Japanese and English and the staff is very non-Japanese friendly!

Cafe AKIRA is definitely not your average Starbucks and I mean that in a good way (as much as I do like Starbucks). If you want a genuinely nice, warm and relaxing Tokyo cafe without the smoking that seems to accompany 99% of the cafes here, Cafe AKIRA is well worth a look.

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Name: Usagi
Type: Bar
Station: About a 10 minute walk from the massive JR Shinjuku and Seibu Shinjuku Stations. 1-2 minutes from Shinjuku San-Chome Station on the Marunouchi or Shinjuku Lines.

Location: If coming from either the main JR Shinjuku or Seibu Shinjuku stations your best bet is to get yourself onto the large Shinjuku Dori (road) and walk towards (and past) OIOI for a good 10 minutes (or less depending on how fast a walker you are and who you’re with) until you get to a massive intersection called the “Shinjuku 2 Intersection”. There should be a pharmacy across the road. Cross the road, then turn left and walk until you hit the first road. Walk down that road, past Dragon Men (one of most popular bars/clubs in the area) and walk through two intersections. Usagi should be on the 5th floor on your left.

Info: Door opens after 9pm. Usagi doesn’t seem to have any website or advertised contact information though for an accurate map of the immediate Nichome area, check out this page.

I actually came across this smoke free bar in Nichome through a simple Google search but funnily enough when I mentioned it to several friends who I wanted to check it out with I was told that they had been regulars at the place for a while and that it has a pretty good reputation and not just for the fact that it’s 100% no smoking!

The bar is fairly spacious, especially for a Tokyo bar and one of the cleanest I have seen in Japan, period. It also has a huge warmth due to it’s lighting, interior design and the amount of effort that’s obviously been put into making it as homey as possible.

The owner is very friendly (served us up some super 5 star meat / veggie dish for free to thank us for moving seats and letting a larger group sit at the long table!) and welcomes Japanese and non alike. Being located in Nichome, Usagi (Japanese for “Rabbit”) does attract a predominantly gay crowd but being Nichome you’ll also find a fair mix of your average straight men and women as well so if you’re part of a circle of friends which includes several demographics this isn’t really a place you would have to worry about anyone feeling left out in.

The Japanese and English menu offers a wide range of alcoholic and regular drinks though strange enough only lists one kind of beer. Most drinks will set you back between 700 to 900 yen.

If you need a break or a friend in your group needs to go out for a smoke, there’s a nice balcony with a view of Nichome that people can step out on for a bit. Usagi is also a minutes walk from several popular clubs making it an ideal place to come back to if you need a rest from dancing or a meet up with friends before a big night out.

Very recommended.

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In preparation for the upcoming revamp I’ve created a Smoke Free Japan Facebook Group! Please join if you’re on Facebook, especially if you’re interested in the Smoke Free Parties!

See you there!

Was just going through my site’s stats via our Reader Community (JOIN NOW!) and have noticed a steady increase in readership lately. What particularily thrilled me was SmokeFreeJapan.com being used as a reference in this post on SeekJapan! I was very surprised but also happy that people are finding the site useful.

I currently have several new reviews lined up that you can expect in to be posted in the next few days or so but I’m also curious as to what you, the reader would like to see on SmokeFreeJapan.com.

Besides “more reviews” are there any other features you would like to see? Would anyone buy “Smoke Free Japan” t-shirts if they were made? How about a badge or two?

Something I was planning to start next year are special “Smoke Free Parties” held every month or so. These would range from Smoke Free karaoke nights (who doesn’t long for those!) to special parties in smoke free clubs.

None of this will happen without your support so please, post a comment (or two) below.

It’s time for a healthier social life in Tokyo and with New Years just around the corner, now’s a good a time as any to start!

Name: Cafe Denmark
Type: Cafe / Bakery
Station: Shibuya

Location: You couldn’t ask for an easier to find place, especially in Shibuya. Just get out at the Hachiko Exit from Shibuya Station, cross the famous crossing, walk to the left of Starbucks and head towards HMV. It’s about two blocks after Starbucks and almost opposite HMV. Entrance is on the street level as is the bakery and the register but table and chairs are upstairs.

Info: Ph: 03-3462-5880

Being in such a public location I’ve walked past this Denmark Cafe on almost a weekly basis but had never really bothered to give it ago, mostly out of my paranoia over the unhygienic displaying of uncovered pastries in Japan. But today I felt like some coffee and pastry and being on a super tight budget for the Christmas holidays I decided to give Denmark a go.

Much to my surprise, they serve more than just pastries and coffee, they have a rather substantial drink menu as well as several soups, sandwiches, and other solid foods in addition to the sweats pastries on show in the window.

I ordered a “Vegetable Hotdog”, a special Christmas themed pastry and a mug of hot cocoa.

Service was really fast, especially on a weekend though there was some unnecessary confusion when I ordered my cocoa. The girl behind the register kept thinking I was saying “Coca Cola” for some reason and after a few minutes of even pointing at the Japanese writing for “Cocoa” I was given hot cocoa and a Coca Cola. I managed to explain to her that I just wanted the cocoa but a little common sense on her part would have saved us a lot of trouble.

Upstairs there was a huge selection of seats to choose from. Again not very busy at all. I decided to sit by the window as I was by myself and thought people watching would be some fun. This is what I saw.

The cocoa and pastry were rather good. The “Vegetable Hotdog” turned out to be just a regular hotdog but with lettuce but it too was rather good. All three set me back around Y840 which wasn’t too bad at all.

I recommend Cafe Denmark, especially if you’re on a budget or if your favourite cafe is packed on your day off. I wouldn’t take a date here though it would be ideal to meet friends of students for private lessons due to it being almost impossible not to find and the number of seats available.

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Name: Soup Stock
Type: Chain

Location: All over the place (just keep an eye out)

Info: Web Site, E: email page

I’ve been to several Soup Stocks during my stay in Tokyo and have found them to always be a rather clean (though a bit too sterile if you know what I mean) place to grab some lunch or dinner without having to put up with the hundreds of smokers in this city.

The two main Soup Stocks I’ve been to again and again are both actually within train stations. The one at Futako Tamagawa is behind the ticket gates (and part of a cool book/magazine store to boot) so only train commuters get a chance to try it.

With the exception of the Proud Cafe, Futako Tamagawa doesn’t have any real smoke free locations so after a day of shopping and site seeing it’s a good idea to keep the Soup Stock as an option for dinner on your way home.

The second Soup Stock that I’ve used a few times is within Takadanobaba station near the Tozai line, underground though near the ticket gates, not behind them so anyone can give it a go without buying a ticket. In a clever business move, this Soup Stock has merged with Bagel & Bagel as well as a smoke free Japanese restaurant and a fruit juice bar giving you a lot of variety that most non-smokers aren’t used to.

There are heaps more locations around Tokyo.

Soup Stock itself serves quite substantial food, especially for the Japanese food industry. On offer is a rather diverse range of soups such as vegetarian, Thai, and even a rather cool Goya (sour melon) one that I tried. There is also two choices of chicken curry available and a substantial drink menu that should satisfy most looking for some refreshment.

All of these can be combined into preselected sets with your choice of soup, curry (or bread roll) and drink for around 1050 Yen and because everything is cooked in bulk, your food is served seconds after paying for it.

My only gripe with Soup Stock is it’s white on white atmosphere which lacks any warmth whatsoever. Practicality is definitely placed over comfortability here and you’ll find yourself wanting to go elsewhere almost as soon as you’ve finished your meal.

There is however some great people watching to be had (link):

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This has to be the best news I’ve heard all year regarding smoking in Japan. Starting in January next year, most of Tokyo’s taxis will be smoke free!

From JapanToday “An association of taxi operators in Tokyo has effectively decided to make its members’ taxi cabs nonsmoking, association officials said Thursday. The measure will possibly come into effect in January after official approval is gained at the group’s extraordinary board meeting on Friday, they said.

Among 436 Tokyo taxi operators, 389 are affiliated with the association, which covers some 36,000 taxi cabs, or more than 90% of them. The association will seek cooperation from its counterpart for owner-driven taxis, they added. A complete nonsmoking policy has already been introduced in Nagoya and its vicinity as well as in Kanagawa Prefecture.”

While I always take taxis with people who won’t smoke in them, we’re still exposed to the smoke from the passenger before us or even the driver.

I’m not sure about the specifics but it’s definitely a good sign and I look forward to seeing how this develops and if other taxi companies follow suit.

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Name: Bagel & Bagel
Type: Cafe Chain

Info: Web Site

I had seen several of these Bagel & Bagel cafes around Tokyo and in a few areas just outside the city centre (I tried the one in Tama Plaza) but I had never been a bagel fan (not as big in Australia as it is in the States I guess) so therefore didn’t really see a point in giving them a go until I was starving and unable to find a real smoke free establishment to unwind in.

I was pleasantly surprised!

While I’m pretty sure Bagel & Bagel is Japanese owned, the feel and look of their cafes have a very strong western feel to them. They even claim to make their bagels “American style”.

The insides were very well designed with kudos to the manager for having real plants in the pots (way too many plastic plants in Japan for my liking) and English names for all the items on the menu. Though be careful as using the English names on the menu might not get you what you want. For example I ordered the Gourmet Drink Set and the woman had no idea what I was going on about. However when I read the Katakana title, “Dorinku Seto” she knew exactly where I was coming from and hilariously asked some of the other girls working why the English subtitles say different things than the Japanese.

All the menus do have pictures of each item though (even of the different kinds of bagels you can choose from, over 20!) so if your Japanese ability fails you, just point and say “Kore wo kudasai”.

I grabbed a latte as my drink and the Vegetarian Bagel for my bagel of choice as well as a chocolate cookie (very similar to those great Subway cookies! Yum.) and found it a bit of a mixed bag. The bagel was great. Fresh ingredients and made in front of me behind a glass screen so I could see what was being put into it. Unlike Subway though, they don’t ask you what you’d like at every stage so make sure you tell the waitress what you want before heading to the pick-up point.

The latte on the other hand was just… flat. It’s like they had bought 100 yen milk and fried it in a saucepan. It just tasted wrong and, well… don’t go there for the coffee!

Great bagels though and they do have other drink alternatives. Well worth a look.

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