Asakusa Smoking Areas: Senso-ji & Kaminarimon (2026)
Where to smoke in Asakusa — the four designated smoking spots inside Senso-ji’s grounds, SMOCO by Kaminarimon, Sumida Park and more, with hours and Taito City’s 7–9 a.m. rule.
Asakusa Smoking Areas: Senso-ji & Kaminarimon (2026)
Asakusa is Tokyo’s old town: Kaminarimon, the Nakamise shopping street and Senso-ji, the city’s oldest temple. It is busy from morning to night, and Taito City’s rules apply here like the rest of the ward. The good news for smokers: Senso-ji itself has four designated smoking spots inside its grounds.
Taito City’s smoking rules
Ueno and Asakusa are both in Taito City, which has its own rules — a little different from neighbouring wards:
- No smoking while walking or cycling, anywhere outdoors.
- No smoking outdoors from 7 to 9 a.m. on streets, in parks and in plazas — even standing still. The ward’s designated smoking spots below are the exception.
- Heated tobacco counts (IQOS, glo and the like).
- No fines, but patrolling officers will stop you and ask you to move to a smoking spot. Don’t drop butts: littering is banned too.
Smoking at Senso-ji
Don’t smoke on Nakamise or in front of the main hall — use one of the four temple-ground spots, all open 24 hours:
- ① East of the Nisonbutsu, the two seated Buddha statues.
- ② North of the Kannon-mae police post in front of the main hall.
- ③ By the toilets on the north side of the grounds.
- ④ Beside the Hato Bus coach park, on the west side.
Official smoking spots around Asakusa
| Spot | Where | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Senso-ji ① — east of the Nisonbutsu 浅草寺境内 ①「二尊仏前」東 | Temple grounds, east of the two seated Buddha statues | 24 hours |
| Senso-ji ② — north of the Kannon-mae police post 浅草寺境内 ②「観音前警備派出所」北 | Temple grounds, north of the police post in front of the main hall | 24 hours |
| Senso-ji ③ — south of the north toilets 浅草寺境内 ③「北側トイレ」南 | Temple grounds, by the north toilets | 24 hours |
| Senso-ji ④ — west of the Hato Bus car park 浅草寺境内 ④「はとバス駐車場」西 | Temple grounds, beside the Hato Bus coach park | 24 hours |
| SMOKING & COFFEE BAR SMOCO SMOKING & COFFEE BAR SMOCO | Kaminarimon 2-19-11, steps from Kaminarimon | 10:00–18:00 |
| Sumida Park 隅田公園内 | Hanakawado 1, by the Sumida River | 7:00–19:00 |
| 7-Eleven Tawaramachi Ekimae セブン-イレブン 田原町駅前店 | Kotobuki 2-10-10, by Tawaramachi Station (ward-designated spot) | 24 hours |
| Senzoku-dori shopping street 千束通り商店街公衆喫煙所 | Asakusa 4-36-5 | 10:00–18:00 weekdays; closed weekends and holidays |
| Senzoku Park 千束公園内 | Asakusa 4-24-7 | 7:00–19:30 |
| Kinryū Park 金竜公園内 | Nishi-Asakusa 3-25-7 | 7:00–19:00 |
| Matsuba Park 松葉公園内 | Matsugaya 1-12-6, towards Kappabashi | 24 hours |
| Taito Riverside Sports Center 台東リバーサイドスポーツセンター体育館前 | Imado 1, in front of the gym | 24 hours |
All of these spots are on the map below. Near Kaminarimon, SMOCO is a smoking café (10:00–18:00); by the river, Sumida Park has a spot open 7:00–19:00.
FAQ
Can you smoke at Senso-ji?
Yes, but only at the four designated spots inside the temple grounds. Smoking on Nakamise or elsewhere in the grounds is not allowed.
Where can I smoke near Kaminarimon?
The closest designated spots are SMOCO, a smoking café a short walk from the gate (10:00–18:00), and the Senso-ji grounds spots behind Nakamise.
Can I smoke outside in Asakusa in the morning?
Not between 7 and 9 a.m. — Taito City bans outdoor smoking then, except at designated spots like those in the Senso-ji grounds.
Is there a fine?
No fine in Taito City, but walking and cycling smoking are banned and patrols will ask you to use a smoking spot.
More Tokyo smoking guides
Walking on to Ueno? See our Ueno, Ueno Park & Ameyoko smoking guide. For more of Tokyo, try Akihabara, Ginza, the complete Tokyo guide, or the smoking area map.
Spots and hours: Taito City’s list of designated public smoking areas (open data, CC BY 4.0, as of August 18, 2026; ward smoking-area map). Rules: Taito City smoking rules. Hours change — check the sign on the day.
Where to stay
Find a hotel in Tokyo
Compare prices on hotels, ryokan and capsule stays across Tokyo on Trip.com.
Sponsored link. We may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
Related guides
Ueno Smoking Areas: Station, Ueno Park & Ameyoko (2026)
Where to smoke in Ueno — Taito City’s official smoking spots at JR Ueno Station, in Ueno Park and at Ameyoko, with opening hours and the ward’s 7–9 a.m. street-smoking ban.
Complete Guide to Smoking Areas in Tokyo (By District) – 2026
Where can you smoke in Tokyo? This hub links to district-by-district guides for Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Ginza, and Tokyo Station—plus Osaka, Kyoto, and airports.
Ginza Smoking Spots: Designated Areas & Cafes (2026 Guide)
Where can you smoke in Ginza? This guide maps designated smoking areas and cafes in Tokyo's luxury shopping district—from paspa spots to GINZA SIX and Kabukiza.