Tobacco smoking will be banned from more than 90 per cent of taxis in Osaka Prefecture starting on July 1, according to a Japan Times/Kyodo News story quoting an announcement by the transport ministry's Kinki Transport Bureau and the Osaka Taxi Association.
Taxis belonging to the association and individually owned taxis, together amounting to more than 20,000 vehicles, will participate in the ban.
According to the association, Osaka will be the 40th of Japan's 47 prefectures to introduce a smoking ban in cabs.