Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2010

Japan is a smoker’s heaven, right? Packs are cheap, restrictions are limited, and in just about any restaurant, being cheerfully presented with a fresh ashtray is as inevitable a courtesy as receiving your menu.

Wrong. Well, at least on the price business. For the second year in a row, Japan is levying tougher taxes on its substantial tobacco-loving population. This month, prices for international cigarette brands like Marlboro increased more than 37 percent a pack, leading us to wonder: how does the price of vice in Japan stack up to the rest of the world?