Japan

Japan is a country of islands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of mainland Asia. Japan has the world's second largest economy after the U.S. The country sent troops to Iraq after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, causing public opinion in Japan to be divided, with critics saying that the deployment violated Japan's pacifist constitution.

Tobacco industry involvement/activities in Japan
A 1996 Philip Morris strategic "Plan for Japan" lists among its core goals, "Maintain or improve the social acceptability of smoking in Japan," "promote the accommodation of smokers," and "minimize litigation exposures."

The company's strategies to achieve these goals included programs to prevent the passage of clean indoor air laws, to influence the media, promote the idea that "smoking restrictions and/or bans in public places are not supported by the scientific evidence," and support for activities to encourage policies that permit smoking in the workplace. Another goal of the plan was to improving Philip Morris' credibility, so the company could gain more acceptance of its scientific opinions. PM also sought to promote the company's "balanced" view that secondhand smoke exposure does not cause significant health effects.

PM planned to establish and maintain a scientific consultant program in Japan in conjunction with Japan Tobacco. The program would support "credible scientists" who would "inform the public about the facts" regarding the health effects of secondhand smoke.

PM opposed potential regulations to compel the listing cigarette ingredients by brand.

PM's plan also included cultivating industry-friendly scientists by starting a postgraduate scholarship program, and cultivating industry-friendly journalism on secondhand smoke by initiating a "Science Journalism Award" to reward publication of scientific articles in the industry's favor.

PM also planned to advance activities of the industry-funded Asian Regional Tobacco Industry Science Team, or ARTIST.

Resources

 * Whitecoat Project

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Japan's oil industry
 * Japan Tobacco
 * Japan and Mad Cow Disease

External articles

 * "US joins critics of Japan whaling", BBC, November 19, 2007.

External resources

 * Japan, National Geographic, accessed November 2007.