Comments on: Stogie Tips: Japan is Awe-Inspiring, Smoker Friendly

By: Chris W

Chris W — Wed, 25 May 2011 12:43:48 +0000

I just got back from the JWC cigar bar in Ginza (www.jwc-ginza.com located behind the Tiffany's store on the main strip). They had a great selection of cohiba, davidoff, partagas, ect... along with an awesome selection of Whiskey. The bartender had an Ipad on hand to translate our conversations if he couldn't understand me, I got some awesome truffles, and he used an icepick to hand cut a giant block of ice into a perfect sphere for my glass, awesome!

By: Alan W. Garcia

Alan W. Garcia — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 05:03:04 +0000

I stayed there for a month in 2009, and did find a few places to smoke cigars in a very peaceful environment:

1. Le Connoiseur in Tokyo, right in the Ginza districe (www.leconnaisseur.jp). I had my first Montecristo Edmundo here and bought a few Cohibas to take back home. Excellent cigar selection, and an excellent lounge where you can have your favorite libations.

2. The Continental at the Okura Hotel (Tsukuba). This is a restaurant right at the top floor of the hotel. The cigar selection is limited, but the service is excellent. They will present the cigar to you in the same manner they present you a bottle of wine when you order it. After you've confirmed your selection, they'll light it up right in front of you with the 3-cedar spill routine.

The price of the cigars well…let's just say they were not "value" priced. But, surprisingly, I did find many of the cigars were priced comparatively similar to the prices here in the U.S. In fact, many Montecristos sticks were priced lower than in NY for the non-cuban counterparts.

One thing to note, tobacco products, including Cigars, are regulated in Japan. A Cigar priced at 12 yen in Tokyo would cost you exactly the same anywhere else…

Loved Japan, by the way.

By: Polterrer

Polterrer — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:48:41 +0000

http://eiortyk.com

By: etyjetuykk

etyjetuykk — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:47:39 +0000

http://rportlostonet.com/

By: Northewo

Northewo — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:20:09 +0000

http://portyeug.com/

By: vometteCynC

vometteCynC — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 08:23:02 +0000

http://jgrtyjp.com/

By: CWS

CWS — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:45:27 +0000

Singapore is another smoker friendly place – great cigars were available in many of the higher-end hotel bars.

Smoking was tolerated in bars but not in public.

By: Patrick A

Patrick A — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 13:14:13 +0000

No, I didn't look too hard. Given the prices, my stash from the U.S., and the fact that I was travelling with people who aren't really into cigars, I was content with everything else we were up to.

I understand there is some sort of public places smoking law. If that's the case, though, it isn't really enforced. I saw lots of smoking on the streets, in parks, etc.

Finally, I don't know where you got your bullet train info from, but the "shinkansen" I took from Toyko to Hiroshima definitely had a smoking car. No doubt about it.

By: BenJP

BenJP — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 12:27:30 +0000

You did not look too hard, this link shows the shops that sell cigars in Japan.

http://www.cigarjapan.com/cigarshoplist/cigarsintokyo.ht...

Also, Japan has the reverse anti-smoking laws… you can not smoke in public places. The place where you stayed is in Minato-ku which past a law that went into effect in July that makes smoking illegal on streets or any other public area.

On the other hand, you are right that you can smoke in almost any restaurants.

One other point, smoking on the the bullet trains is no longer allowed, in fact you can not smoke on any of the trains anymore, all the smoking cars are gone.

BenJP