One of the things that bugs me about Japan is that smoking isn’t yet universally considered a habit so vile that smokers are treated as social pariahs. Maybe it’s because so many smokers here are middle-aged men, and men get respect here. Walk into a McDonalds in Japan, and wherever you sit, you’ll probably have to inhale someone’s smoke. Looking for the non-smoking section? You’ll find it tucked away in the dingiest, least well-lit corner of the store, away from all the windows. Wait a minute, aren’t smokers the ones who deserve the worst treatment, since they’re puffing away in total disregard for their own health and that of others?
Tian has been having some fun changing the captions on smoking etiquette graphics put out by Japan Tobacco. But to my mind, the graphics are hilarious as they were made. My favourite is this one, because it’s just so tragic…
