A smoker in a smoking zone set up in front of the Lower House chamber in the Diet building in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Jan. 28 (Kotaro Ebara)
Near a sign featuring the national anti-virus mantra of “avoid the three Cs,” smokers, including some of the rule makers, engage in close-range conversations in a confined, crowded and poorly ventilated space.
The transparent smoking booth near the entrance of the Lower House chamber in the Diet building in Tokyo remains a sanctuary for health protocol breakers despite the risk of novel coronavirus contamination.
But they may soon lose such special treatment, as some lawmakers have demanded the removal of the “smoking box.”