This is the view from the smoking area outside my local 7-11 where I like to have a quick cigarette each morning. Contrary to certain western claims, Japan is not the 'last smoker's paradise'; in many respects it's more restrictive than my native UK. A few restaurants and cafes have separate smoking areas, and there are small areas outside convenience stores and bus/train stations, while shopping malls often have indoor smoking rooms that are usually tiny, crowded and smoke-filled. However, smoking is not allowed in town- and city-centres, so you can't wander around and see the sights with a cigarette in hand. So if you're a smoker planning to come to Japan for the Rugby World Cup or the Olympics, be warned, you won't be able to smoke in most of the places you can at home!