Do many people smoke cigarettes in Japan?

Yeah, a lot. A lot of younger women and men smoke them... I feel that they eat healthier than Americans do.

Japan has a very high smoking rate. Like many places, Japan saw smoking as cool. So, nearly everyone smoked...at least every once in a while. With the health warnings, most places saw large drops in smoking rates. Japan's smoking rates, while declining, did not go down as quickly as others. There are lots of reasons for this - the largest tobacco company is owned (majority shares) by the Japanese government. They weren't going after the revenue stream. And, as cigarettes were an income source, they didn't tax them at high rates. Today, Japanese people have cut back on smoking. However, they have added red meat in great quantities to their diet, along with dairy, McDonald's, and other western foibles. As a result of that, average lifespans, once much better than those of the west, are starting to decline. People are getting heavier, taller, and sicker. The diet of mostly plant proteins, supplemented with fish and occasional meats, has some serious effect on that. Cigarette smoking is starting to decline. Tokyo has banned smoking in a few train stations...or at least put it in a smoking booth. Many restaurants ban smoking during lunch. Still, compared to the U.S., it's a smoker's paradise.

What's wrong with smokin'? Much healthier than US junk food that makes you fat and ugly. We smoke a lot; but we have the longest life expectancy in the world. How do you explain?