Japanese bullet trains to nix smoking rooms

Tokyo, Oct 18 (IANS) Smoking rooms will no longer be provided on Japan's bullet trains running on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen lines in spring 2024, their operators said on Wednesday.

As of next spring, smoking rooms will be replaced with areas to store drinking water for emergencies, Central Japan Railway Co., West Japan Railway Co. and Kyushu Railway Co. said.

The operators said the move was implemented dueto growing health consciousness and declining smoking rates, reports Xinhua news agency.

The move, which will affect the Tokaido Shinkansen line that connects Tokyo and Osaka as well was the Sanyo and Kyushu lines in western Japan, will allow faster response time during disasters and other emergencies, the operators added.

Smoking has already been banned on most local trains in Japan, as well as on Shinkansen operated by Tokyo-based East Japan Railway and Hokkaido Railway.