"SmokeFreeJapan.com" - 5 new articles
Possible Smoking Ban in Kanagawa PrefectureLooks 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. Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they’re online. Natural Station
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?).
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. Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they’re online. Cafe AKIRA
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.
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.
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. Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they’re online. Usagi
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 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. Like this site? Subscribe to my site feed or email newsletter to get our updates as soon as they’re online. Smoke Free Japan Facebook Group!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! More Recent Articles |
Name: Natural Station
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?).
Name: Cafe AKIRA
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.
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.
Name: Usagi
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. 