Osaka Parking & Smoking Finder is a free web app for finding parking lots and designated smoking areas across Osaka Prefecture, Kyoto and the Kobe area on a map. It's built for the moment you're out and thinking "where can I park?" or "where am I actually allowed to smoke?" — questions that are especially hard to answer as a visitor to Japan, where smoking on the street is restricted in much of central Osaka. Add it to your phone's home screen and it opens like an app.
Parking and smoking area data comes from OpenStreetMap community data, the City of Osaka's published list of designated and reported smoking areas, the smoking areas listed by the City of Kobe for its no-smoking street zones, and submissions from people using this site.
Q. Is it free?
A. Yes, completely free, and there's no sign-up. You can start searching the map right away.
Q. Which areas are covered?
A. All of Osaka Prefecture, plus Kyoto, Kobe, Amagasaki and Nishinomiya. Smoking-area coverage is deepest in central Osaka and around Sannomiya/Motomachi in Kobe, where both cities publish official lists. Elsewhere smoking areas come from OpenStreetMap and user submissions and are still sparse. Parking is well covered everywhere, with thousands of listings per area.
Q. Where can I legally smoke in Osaka?
A. Much of central Osaka is a no-smoking-on-the-street zone, and fines can apply. This site maps the designated smoking areas published by the City of Osaka, so you can find a place where smoking is permitted. Always check the on-site signage, as rules can change.
Q. Are the rates and hours accurate?
A. They come from OpenStreetMap, City of Osaka open data and user submissions, so they may be out of date. Please also check the on-site signage or the operator's website before relying on them.
Q. How do I add or correct a spot?
A. Tap the "Add a spot" button on the map and choose a location. You can also tap any existing marker and choose "Add or correct information". Photographing a sign can fill in the name, rate and address for you.