There once was a time in Japan when tobacco was king, with puffing considered the norm and non-smokers treated as second-class citizens. Those days are long gone as smoking is now banned on trains, in stations, in certain areas of the city, and in other areas where large groups of people gather.

One of the more comical stories to come out of the no smoking era is the report that officials in Yamagata, Japan are planning to auction off 28 cast metal “luxury ashtrays” that were once positioned at various locations around municipal offices. The ashtrays are no longer necessary since smoking is now banned in government buildings.

The starting bid for each ashtray is set at 19,400 yen, which is about 10% of the original cost of the most expensive ones.

I was surprised that nowhere in the story did anyone ask why the municipal government found it necessary to shell out up to 200,000 yen in taxpayer money for an ashtray.