Water

You can drink water from the tap in Japan.

Tokyo Waterworks Department's Homepage

Japanese     English

Traffic Rules

The number of traffic accidents and cases where foreigners are injured party and/or party at fault is increasing. Please strictly follow the basic rules below to avoid traffic accidents.

Basic Traffic Rules
  • Pedestrians are to walk on the right side, cars and bicycles are to drive on the left side.
  • Pedestrians will take precedence between cars and pedestrians.
  • Please follow traffic lights and road signs.
  • Please follow police officers' designation.
  • People who have not acquired driver's license are strictly prohibited from driving cars and motorcycles.
Basic Pedestrian Rules
  • Always walk on the sidewalk where available.
  • Where there are not sidewalks available please walk on the right side of the road.
  • When you cross the street, please follow traffic lights, pedestrian light, at the traffic intersections. Where there are no traffic lights, please use a pedestrian crossing.
  • When you cross the street, please check to your left and right carefully to see that there are no cars approaching or that the cars have stopped for you before crossing.
Basic Bicycle Rules
  • Please ride bicycles on the leftmost side.
  • Bicycles can pass through pedestrian walkway where there are signs indicating that bicycles can pass.
  • Please do not ride double and make sure to use both hands.
  • Always stop and look to your left and right to confirm your safety before crossing at railway crossing or wherever there is a stop sign.
  • Please follow the traffic lights at intersections with traffic lights.

 

Emergency Telephone Number

Police Department
110
Fire Department
119
Ambulance
119

 

Earthquake

Let's prepare for big earthquakes which may happen and check for evacuation sites near your home.
We conduct evacuation drills once every year.

Tokyo Metropolitan Disaster Prevention Homepage

Japanese     English

 

Smoking

Minors, people under 20 years of age, are prohibited from smoking and purchasing cigarettes.
Smoking on the road is prohibited.

After the harm of second-hand smoking was discovered, each country is starting to progressively restrict smoking in public places.
Even though smokers are careful not to make other people feel bad, it is possible to burn other people’s clothes and make people around you breathe your smoke while you are in crowded public places.
Cigarette butts are very conspicuous amongst in the garbage littering the city. This is probably the result of smoking on the street.
In addition, being negligent when putting out cigarettes can be a cause for fire disaster.

In recent years, metropolitan municipalities such as Chiyoda-ku, Suginami-ku, Ota-ku, Shinagawa-ku, Koganei-shi, Itabashi-ku, Chuo-ku, Setagaya-ku, Shinjuku-ku and Oume-shi are prohibiting smoking on the street according to local government regulations. Other municipalities are starting to spread similar regulations. There is also a spread of establishment of regulations which integrate prohibition without fines or enforcement of Do-the-Best-Effort Duty.

Cigarette Vending Machines with Built-In Age Verifiers

Sales of cigarettes via vending machine have changed to "cigarette vending machines with built-in age verifiers" in March, 2008. In order to buy cigarettes from the vending machines, you need a "taspo".

 

Alcohol Drinking

Minors, people under 20 years of age, are prohibited from buying and drinking alcohol.
  • Businesses that sell alcohol, such as alcohol shops and convenient stores, are prohibited from selling alcohol to minors.
  • Businesses that serve alcohol, such as restaurants, bars and snacks bars, are prohibited from serving alcohol to minors.