Philip Morris Japan and Shibuya Mirai Design Launch “Action for 0” to Improve Shibuya’s Smoking Environment

Key Points:

• Shibuya Mirai Design and Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) have jointly launched the “Action for 0” project, focusing on improving the smoking environment in Shibuya Ward.
• The project includes five main initiatives: problem research, cleanup activities, manners education, multi-stakeholder forums, and environmental planning.
• As PMJ transitions toward heated tobacco products, both parties aim to use public-private collaboration to balance the needs of smokers and non-smokers while addressing tobacco-related urban issues arising from overtourism.

According to Toyokeizai on August 14, Shibuya Mirai Design and Philip Morris Japan (PMJ) have launched the “Action for 0” project aimed at improving the smoking environment in Shibuya Ward. The initiative is part of the “Shibuya Good Manners Project” led by Shibuya Mirai Design and seeks to make Shibuya a safe and reliable city.

As part of its goal to achieve a “smoke-free society,” PMJ is gradually phasing out its cigarette business and shifting to producing smoke-free heated tobacco products. PMJ has partnered with Shibuya Mirai Design, an organization dedicated to designing solutions and possibilities for social issues, to drive public-private cooperation that changes the mindset of smokers aged 20 and over, improves the smoking environment, and ultimately eliminates tobacco-related urban problems in Shibuya.

Around Shibuya Station, certain high-traffic days such as Halloween and New Year’s Eve countdowns have traditionally been subject to stricter controls, including bans on drinking alcohol on the streets at night. Even outside these occasions, littering cigarette butts and smoking outside designated areas—leading to secondhand smoke—have become social concerns. Local stakeholders, including government agencies, are calling for improvements.

“Action for 0” will pursue the following medium- to long-term measures to improve smoking etiquette and address urban issues:

• Conduct qualitative and quantitative research on urban tobacco-related problems.
• Carry out cleaning activities in streets and public spaces.
• Raise etiquette and moral awareness among smokers in Japan and abroad.
• Create a forum for industry, government, academia, and the public to share and discuss related issues.
• Plan and develop a smoking environment that helps solve these problems.

Hitoshi Tsuruoka, Director of Environment Development at PMJ, commented:

“We are not only focused on selling IQOS but also on developing dedicated spaces for heated tobacco products and working with local governments and private companies to create an environment where heated tobacco users, smokers, and non-smokers can coexist. We are delighted to work with Shibuya Mirai Design, as it allows us to establish dedicated heated tobacco spaces, gain deeper insight into the root causes of tobacco-related issues, and collaborate with industry, government, academia, and the public to address these problems in the area.”

Jungo Kanayama, General Producer of Shibuya Mirai Design Association, commented:

“The area around Shibuya Station is undergoing a once-in-a-century large-scale redevelopment to transform it into a mature international tourist city. However, the rapid population growth has brought numerous challenges. Problems stemming from overtourism—such as littering garbage and cigarette butts, street smoking, drinking during smoking ban periods, and mass gatherings like Halloween—must be addressed urgently. We believe that the ‘Shibuya Good Manners Project,’ launched in 2023, is significant for tackling smoking-related issues from an unprecedented perspective through environmental surveys and problem analysis. We aim not only to actively promote smoking etiquette but also to explore, through public-private cooperation, the ideal smoking environment for Shibuya’s future.”