THE city of Osaka has imposed a smoking ban on public streets as part of efforts to become more visitor-friendly ahead of this year’s World Expo.
Zimbabwe is one of the 160 countries that will participate in the next World Expo to run for 184 days from 13 April 2025 to 13 October 2025 at Yumeshima, Osaka in Japan.
The Expo has also attracted 25 international organisations. Japan’s Expo Association anticipate more than 28 million visitors will come to the Expo including more than 3.5 million international visitors.
World Expo is one of the oldest and largest international events, held every five years since 1851, it is a global platform for achievement, innovation, collaboration, and cooperation.
Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, to be held under the theme: “Designing Future Society for our Lives,” will focus on developing and adopting best practices from around the world to drive co-creation by the global community in designing a sustainable society that supports social challenges, emerging sciences and evolving technologies.
“The World Expo begins in April. We want to welcome many people from all over the world, so we want to make Osaka a city where people feel safe with smoke-free streets,” mayor Hideyuki Yokoyama was quoted as saying by The Japan Times.
Earlier, smoking was banned in six zones including the area around Osaka station. This has been expanded to the whole city, and violators face a fine of ¥1,000 ($6.40).
Local regulations already ban smoking while walking in most places in Japan, but opposition from some lawmakers has prevented strict national laws.
From April, the wider Osaka region will prohibit smoking in eateries with seating areas larger than 30 square meters, although lighting up in a separate space, such as a smoking room, is allowed.
Current national laws ban smoking in establishments with dining areas over 100 square meters.
According to the Japan Times, Expo 2025 has struggled with slow ticket sales and public concern over the construction budget.
“About 7.5 million tickets had been sold by early January for the six-month event — half the organizers’ target.
“The capital outlawed smoking in all restaurants in 2018, in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics. Smoking outdoors remains allowed in some Tokyo districts,” the newspaper reported.
Central and local governments earn a yearly total of around ¥2 trillion ($13 billion) in cigarette tax revenue.
The national government also owns a one-third stake in Japan Tobacco, the world’s third-largest tobacco company.
Tobacco use in Japan has been falling, in line with a broader global trend, with the ratio of smokers standing at 15.7% in 2023.
