The Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly on Wednesday passed an anti-smoking ordinance that is stricter than the national version currently under consideration, in a move intended to rein in secondhand smoke and create a tobacco-free 2020 Olympics.
The capital city's smoking ban precedes the passage of a similar amendment to the Health Promotion Law that is being deliberated by the national Diet.
The Tokyo measure will cover an estimated 84 percent of restaurants and bars across the capital, versus 45 percent likely to be regulated by the revised national law.
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