The Japanese parliament has passed a ban on smoking in and outside of public facilities such as hospitals, schools and public offices for the first time ever with fines up to JYP 500,000 (EUR 3,813) for law violators, The Japan Times reported.

The ban, which will come in stages, will be in full effect by April 2020, according to the report.
The amended ban on smoking in public facilities is a revised and more lenient version of the original Health Promotion Law proposed by the health ministry, The Japan Times reported. Designated smoking spaces can still be set up outside of public institutions and smoking will still be permitted outside of bars and restaurants, according to the report.
The revised and amended law applies to restaurants and bars larger than 100 square metres, leaving many establishments exempt from the law. Restaurants and bars existing before the ban and smaller than 100 square metres can allow customers to smoke inside of their establishments if a warning sign is made outside the building, The Japan Times reported. All new bars and restaurants, small or large, will, however, have to ban smoking inside.