This article was written by the NIPPON VISA & LIFE editorial team based on information from public organizations such as the national government and local governments. Rules and fees may differ depending on the city, ward, town or village where you live.
In Japan, drinking alcohol and smoking tobacco are allowed from age 20. If you have been drinking, you must not drive a car or ride a bicycle. Tobacco in principle cannot be smoked inside many buildings. This article explains the basic rules on alcohol and tobacco that you should know when living in Japan.
The Key Points First
- Both alcohol and tobacco are allowed only after you turn 20
- If you have been drinking, do not drive a car or motorcycle, or ride a bicycle
- You also must not lend a car to someone who has been drinking, offer alcohol to someone who will drive, or ask someone who has been drinking to drive
- Smoke tobacco in designated places (smoking rooms and smoking areas). Inside many buildings, it is in principle non-smoking
- Do not throw cigarette butts or empty cans on the street (do not litter)
(Sources: 二十歳未満ノ者ノ飲酒ノ禁止ニ関スル法律 (Act on the Prohibition of Drinking by Persons under 20), 二十歳未満ノ者ノ喫煙ノ禁止ニ関スル法律 (Act on the Prohibition of Smoking by Persons under 20), Immigration Services Agency, “Guidebook on Living and Working”, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Let’s Eliminate Unwanted Secondhand Smoke!”)
Alcohol and Tobacco Are Allowed From Age 20
Under Japanese law, people under 20 cannot drink alcohol. Also, people under 20 cannot smoke tobacco. The law refers to “persons under 20 years of age” and does not make any distinction by nationality.
In Japan, the age of adulthood is 18 (Civil Code). However, alcohol and tobacco are not allowed even at age 18 or 19.
The law also sets out the following.
- Shops that sell alcohol or tobacco must not sell them while knowing that a person under 20 will drink or smoke them. Shops and others that break this rule can receive a fine of up to 500,000 yen
- Shops that sell alcohol or tobacco are required to take measures such as checking age. For this reason, you may be asked your age or asked to show an ID at a shop
- Alcohol or tobacco that a person under 20 has in order to drink or smoke may be taken away (confiscated)
- Parents and others who supervise a child must stop the child if they know the child is drinking alcohol
(Sources: 二十歳未満ノ者ノ飲酒ノ禁止ニ関スル法律 (Act on the Prohibition of Drinking by Persons under 20), 二十歳未満ノ者ノ喫煙ノ禁止ニ関スル法律 (Act on the Prohibition of Smoking by Persons under 20), 民法 (Civil Code), Article 4)
Do Not Drive After Drinking
What You Must Not Drive
The Immigration Services Agency’s “Guidebook on Living and Working” says that if you have been drinking, you must not drive either a car or a bicycle. The same applies to “specified small motorized bicycles” such as electric kick scooters.
The people around the driver are also prohibited from doing the following.
- Lending a car to someone who has been drinking
- Offering alcohol to someone who will drive a car
- Asking someone who has been drinking to drive
(Source: Immigration Services Agency, “Guidebook on Living and Working,” Chapter 9: Traffic)
The Two Types of Drunk Driving and Their Penalties
According to the National Police Agency’s information, there are two types of drunk driving: “driving while intoxicated” (shuyoi unten) and “driving under the influence of alcohol” (shuki obi unten).
| Driving while intoxicated | Driving under the influence of alcohol | |
|---|---|---|
| What condition | Alcohol in exhaled breath of 0.5mg or more per liter, or a condition in which there is a risk that you cannot drive normally because of alcohol | Alcohol in exhaled breath of 0.15mg or more per liter |
| Penalty for the driver | Imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 5 years, or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen | Imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 3 years, or a fine of up to 500,000 yen |
- “Kokinkei” (imprisonment) is a penalty in which you are put in prison.
- Even if the level is less than 0.15mg, drinking alcohol and driving is prohibited by law.
- The numerical standard of “0.5mg or more” for driving while intoxicated started on July 21, 2026 (amendment of the Road Traffic Act).
As a rough guide, the National Police Agency says that a person weighing 60kg may reach this standard 30 minutes after drinking about 2 large bottles of beer, or about 2 go (360ml) of sake. However, the speed at which alcohol is broken down in the body differs from person to person. “A little is fine” is not true.
Penalties Also for People Who Lend a Car, Serve Alcohol or Ride Along
Not only the driver but also the people around them can be penalized.
| If the driver was driving while intoxicated | If the driver was driving under the influence of alcohol | |
|---|---|---|
| Person who lent the car | Imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 5 years, or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen | Imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 3 years, or a fine of up to 500,000 yen |
| Person who served the alcohol, person who rode along, etc. | Imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 3 years, or a fine of up to 500,000 yen | Imprisonment (kokinkei) of up to 2 years, or a fine of up to 300,000 yen |
Driver’s License Points and Revocation
If you drive after drinking, separately from the criminal penalty, there is an administrative disposition on your driver’s license (you receive points, and your license is suspended or revoked). The table below applies when you have no previous violations.
| Points | Disposition | |
|---|---|---|
| Driving while intoxicated | 35 points | License revoked. You cannot get a license again for 3 years |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol (0.25mg or more) | 25 points | License revoked. You cannot get a license again for 2 years |
| Driving under the influence of alcohol (0.15mg or more and less than 0.25mg) | 13 points | License suspended (90 days) |
Be Careful the Next Morning Too
The National Police Agency asks people who drank until late at night to refrain from driving the next morning, because alcohol may still remain in the body. If you plan to drive the next day, be careful about when and how much you drink.
Choose a “Handle Keeper”
The police and others promote the “Handle Keeper Campaign.” When a group goes to a restaurant or bar by car and drinks alcohol, they choose one person who will not drink (the handle keeper), and that person drives everyone home afterwards.
Other rules for riding a bicycle are explained in Rules for Riding a Bicycle in Japan: Keep Left, Helmets, Bicycle Crime Prevention Registration, and Blue Tickets (Fines).
Where You Can and Cannot Smoke
Inside Many Buildings Is “In Principle Non-Smoking”
Since April 2020, under the rules of a law called the Health Promotion Act (健康増進法), the inside of buildings used by many people, restaurants and similar places has become in principle non-smoking. You can smoke, for example, inside a smoking room that meets the set conditions.
- At schools, hospitals, facilities for children, government offices and similar places, not only the inside of the building but also the grounds are in principle non-smoking (except for outdoor smoking areas where the necessary measures have been taken).
- Buildings with a smoking room display a sign (mark) showing this.
- There are also rules for dedicated smoking rooms for heated tobacco products.
(Sources: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Let’s Eliminate Unwanted Secondhand Smoke!” Key points of the amended law, same, “To the general public”)
People Under 20 Cannot Enter Smoking Rooms
People under 20 cannot enter smoking areas such as smoking rooms, even if they do not smoke. This applies not only to customers but also to the people who work there (employees). Keep this in mind if your part-time workplace has a smoking room.
Smoking in a Prohibited Place May Lead to an Administrative Fine
According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, if you smoke in a place where smoking is prohibited, you may become subject to guidance or orders, and an administrative fine (karyo) of up to 300,000 yen (a penalty that makes you pay money) may be imposed. The amount of the administrative fine is decided through a court procedure.
Do Not Litter
The “Guidebook on Living and Working” says that many cities, wards, towns and villages have made ordinances (local rules) that prohibit “littering,” which means throwing empty cans, cigarette butts and similar things on the roadside and elsewhere, and that you may be penalized. Throw away cigarette butts in the designated places.
The rules on whether you may smoke on the street differ depending on the city, ward, town or village. Check by searching “(name of your city) 路上喫煙” (smoking on the street) on the website of the city, ward, town or village where you live.
Frequently Asked Questions
In my country, I can drink from 18. Can I drink in Japan too?
No. In Japan, both alcohol and tobacco are allowed from age 20. The law does not make any distinction by nationality, so the same applies to people who have come from abroad.
After drinking just a little, can I go home by bicycle?
No. The guidebook says that if you have been drinking, you must not ride a bicycle. In the guidebook’s table of penalties for bicycles, the penalties for drunk driving are also the same as in the table above. Walk home pushing your bicycle, or use a train, bus or taxi.
What if my age is checked at a shop?
By law, shops that sell alcohol or tobacco are required to take measures such as checking age. If you are asked, show something that proves your age.
What if I drink too much and feel sick?
When you need an ambulance because of a sudden illness or injury, call 119. For where to get advice when you are not sure whether to call an ambulance, read How to Call an Ambulance in Japan: How to Dial 119, What to Say, and Where to Get Advice When You Are Unsure (#7119).
The overall manners and rules for living in Japan will be explained in Manners and Rules to Know When Living in Japan.
Primary Sources Referred to for This Article
- 二十歳未満ノ者ノ飲酒ノ禁止ニ関スル法律 (Act on the Prohibition of Drinking by Persons under 20) (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search)
- 二十歳未満ノ者ノ喫煙ノ禁止ニ関スル法律 (Act on the Prohibition of Smoking by Persons under 20) (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search)
- 民法 (Civil Code) (e-Gov Laws and Regulations Search)
- National Police Agency, “Eradicating Drunk Driving” (page on penalties and administrative dispositions for drunk driving)
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Let’s Eliminate Unwanted Secondhand Smoke!” Key points of the amended law
- Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Let’s Eliminate Unwanted Secondhand Smoke!” To the general public
- Immigration Services Agency, “Guidebook on Living and Working” (Chapter 9: Traffic, Chapter 12: Rules and Customs in Daily Life)
This article is a translation of the original Japanese version.
