Press Releases（Archive）
FY2012 - FY2003

1. All Shinkansen and Limited Express trains to be made entirely no-smoking.

   All Shinkansen trains and Limited Express trains operating on conventional lines within JR East territory will be made entirely no-smoking.

   (1)	Shinkansen
   	Tohoku Shinkansen:	Hayate, Yamabiko, Max Yamabiko, Nasuno and Max Nasuno service
   	Joetsu Shinkansen:	Toki, Max Toki, Tanigawa and Max Tanigawa service
   	Yamagata Shinkansen:	Tsubasa service
   	Akita Shinkansen:	Komachi service
   (2)	Limited Express trains on conventional lines
   	Chuo Line:	Azusa, Super Azusa and Kaiji service
   	Joban Line:	Super Hitachi and Fresh Hitachi service
   	Tohoku Main Line:	Ohayo Tochigi, Hometown Tochigi and Tsugaru service
   	Takasaki Line:	Akagi, Weekend Akagi, Minakami, Kusatsu and Kusatsu-Shirane service
   	Ou Main Line:	Kamoshika service
   	Uetsu Main Line:	Inaho service
   	* Sleeping-car trains and Joyful Train special services are not included. * Elimination of smoking accommodations on trains that run through on lines of other railway companies will be coordinated with the related companies in the future. * Trains that are already entirely no-smoking: Nagano Shinkansen Asama service, Narita Express service, and Boso Limited Express Wakashio, Sazanami, Shiosai and Ayame service

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2. Additional smoking rooms to be established on platforms

   With the elimination of smoking accommodations inside trains, additional smoking rooms will be provided on the following Shinkansen platforms and special platforms for Limited Express trains on conventional lines.

   (1)	Shinkansen platforms (14 locations in 9 stations)
   	Omiya (inbound), Oyama (inbound), Utsunomiya (inbound), Nasushiobara (inbound), Koriyama (inbound and outbound), Fukushima (inbound and outbound), Hachinohe (inbound and outbound), Echigo-Yuzawa (inbound and outbound), and Nagaoka (inbound and outbound) stations.
   (2)	Yamagata and Akita Shinkansen platforms (2 locations in 2 stations)
   	Yamagata and Akita stations
   (3)	Special platforms for Limited Express trains on conventional lines (3 locations in 3 stations)
   	Ueno, Shinjuku and Mito stations
   	* Stations where smoking rooms are already provided: Tokyo, Omiya, Kumagaya, Takasaki, Sendai, Morioka, Niigata and Nagano stations (13 locations in 8 stations) * This will bring the total number of smoking rooms to 32 locations in 21 stations.

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3. Effective date

   This policy is scheduled to take effect in Spring 2007.

   *	The exact effective date will be announced separately.

[Reference]

Current situation and approaches thus far concerning no-smoking and smoking accommodations

1. Current situation in stations

   In principle, a smoking area is provided in one location at the end of each platform, and a no-smoking time has been enforced at stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area during the morning rush hours since the schedule revision of March 2004.
   Smoking rooms equipped with ventilation facilities are provided in 13 locations on Shinkansen platforms at the eight stations of Tokyo, Omiya, Kumagaya, Takasaki, Sendai, Morioka, Niigata and Nagano.

2. Current situation inside Shinkansen trains and conventional-line limited express trains:

   In principle, one reserved-seat car and one non-reserved-seat car on each train remained as smoking-permitted cars, and all other cars were made entirely no-smoking, from the schedule revision of March 2004.
   Nagano Shinkansen Asama service, Narita Express service, and Boso Limited Express service were made entirely no-smoking from the schedule revision of December 2005.

3. Approaches to no-smoking and smoking accommodations thus far

   • August 1992	•	Separate smoking areas established at each Yamanote Line station.
   • March 1993	•	Establishment of separate smoking areas expanded to stations in the greater Tokyo area and other major stations.
   • March 1997	•	Separate smoking areas established at all stations within JR East territory.
   	•	All local trains made entirely no-smoking.
   • May 2003	•	No-smoking times established at six Yamanote Line stations.
   • March 2004	•	Smoking areas inside stations combined into one location at the end of each platform.
   	•	One reserved-seat car and one non-reserved-seat car within each Shinkansen and limited express train remained as smoking-permitted cars, and all other cars made entirely no-smoking.
   	•	Smoking rooms equipped with ventilation facilities provided in seven locations on Shinkansen platforms at four stations (Tokyo, Omiya, Sendai, Niigata).
   	•	No-smoking times established at Greater Tokyo area stations during the morning rush hours.
   • August 2005	•	Ashtrays removed from vestibules of Shinkansen and limited-express trains.
   • September 2005	•	Smoking prohibited in common-use areas of Cassiopeia and Hokutosei sleeper trains.
   • December 2005	•	Nagano Shinkansen Asama service, Narita Express service, and Boso Limited Express service made entirely no-smoking.
   	•	Smoking rooms equipped with ventilation facilities provided in six locations on Shinkansen platforms at four stations (Kumagaya, Takasaki, Morioka, Nagano).