Some have argued that depictions of smoking in movies are factors that trigger the initiation of adolescent smoking.1^–6 Previous studies on this topic were carried out mostly in the United States. There are few data on the depiction of smoking in Japanese movies. In Japan, smoking is highly prevalent among adolescents and adults.7 8 In this study, we examined the frequency with which smoking is depicted in recent high-grossing Japanese movies.

The 10 highest-grossing Japanese movies in each year from 2000 to 2006 were viewed. The box-office receipts were based on the records of the Motion Picture Association …