Yes, the Japanese government does own a (slim) majority of all outstanding JT stock, so yes, the J government has no real interest in making tobacco unattractive to Japanese adults. read more
In 2015, the adult smoking rate was 19.3%, 29.7% of Japanese men and 9.7% of Japanese women. This is the lowest recorded figure since Japan Tobacco began surveying in 1965. As of July 2016, just over 20 million people smoked in Japan, though the nation remained one of the world's largest tobacco markets. read more
Most Japanese people, or a lot of Japanese people have probably grown up in a household with their father and/or grandfather smoking. Another thing is the price of cigarettes. About a third of the cost of cigarettes in Australia. read more