There’s a very interesting article on the NPR site today about Japanese smoking culture. One of the things I noticed when I visited Japan in 2008 was the number of people smoking. I didn’t realise quite how politically involved the tobacco industry was in Japan; it goes a long way to explain the issue.

The article also talks about Mina Abe and Kota Osabe, who have an anti-smoking initiative where they sit in traditional smoking areas and blow bubbles with green cigarette-shaped pipes. A fun way to make a point!

Full Story : Japanese Smoking Culture Proves Hard To Snuff Out