Da Steam Visits Japan’s Tobacco Industry and Next-Generation Tobacco Market
As China’s first official vaping media outlet, Da Steam also became the first media platform to engage in cross-border exchange with Japan Tobacco (JT). JT, or Japan Tobacco Inc., is currently Japan’s only tobacco monopoly company. Its predecessor was the
As the first official media of e-cigarettes in China, Big Vapor Home is also the first media to communicate with Japan Tobacco JT, which is the only tobacco monopoly company in Japan, and its predecessor is the Japan Monopoly Corporation (JMC) operated by the Ministry of Finance of Japan. Founded in 1904 and changed to Japan Monopoly Corporation in 1949, JT has been in charge of the monopoly of tobacco and salt in Japan ever since. Tobacco varieties, planting, purchase, processing, cigarette production and material production and distribution, as well as the corresponding import and export business to implement a high degree of monopoly. In order to better the development direction of electronic cigarettes, we have a deep exchange between us, JT also expressed a lot of their unique point of view with us.
JT:Thank you very much for coming to interview us this time.
Big Steamer: We are very glad that you can accept our interview, we are from China's e-cigarette media, we understand that JT is currently producing an e-cigarette called Ploom Tech, the purpose of this interview is to find out what kind of view Japan Tobacco has on the new type of tobacco?
JT: We are now working on traditional paper cigarettes and a new type of e-cigarette called RRP (de-harming). We will also be looking at developing RRP as a new type of cigarettes.
Big Vaporizer: There are so many new types of e-cigarettes in the world, such as heat-not-burn, and vapor e-cigarettes with nicotine smoke, so why did you choose Ploom Tech, which is a form of nicotine and vapor separately, to open up the market of the new type of tobacco in Japan?
JT: The main reason is that in Japan, all products with nicotine content are classified as cigarettes, and there are regulations restricting the sale of cigarettes under Japanese law.
Big Vaporizer: the Ploom Tech also contains nicotine and is considered an e-cigarette. So how does it come to be distinguished from JUUL or some of the e-cigarettes with nicotine salts?
JT: Ploom Tech is a non-combustible e-cigarette, so let me explain the difference between a non-combustible e-cigarette and a combustible e-cigarette. Ploom Tech is a non-combustible e-cigarette with a cartridge, like the iqos. Our products are made by heating the cartridges to produce nicotine in the smoke, while ordinary e-cigarettes are made by adding tobacco. The ordinary e-cigarettes are added with tobacco oil, and under the legal restrictions in Japan, there is no way to add nicotine to tobacco oil, so our company has no way to make e-cigarettes, so we choose to heat without combustion.
Big Vaporizer: So Ploom Tech is a new type of tobacco that can be defined as heat-not-burn, just like iQos?
JT: Yes, but we are a little different. We are a low-temperature heated non-combustible e-cigarette, while iqos and others are high-temperature heated non-combustible e-cigarettes. Our products are heated to a temperature of about 30 degrees.
Big Steamer: Have you done any experiments on human health similar to the new tobacco? Are there any reports of similar experiments in Japan?
JT: Of course there have been some similar experiments done. However, in Japan, regarding the health of smoking, the Japanese people and our company are more concerned about the effects of smoking on the people around us. We have to consider whether secondhand smoke and the smell of tobacco will cause discomfort to others, and that's why we came up with a product like Ploom Tech.
Big Steamer: So it's not so much for smokers per se, but a de-harming of secondhand smoke?
JT: Yes, low-temperature heated, non-combustible e-cigarettes like Ploom Tech do not produce harmful substances similar to secondhand smoke that can cause harm to those around them, and the flavor doesn't smell as pungent as traditional cigarettes. Ploom Tech is also available in a variety of flavors to give the smoke a refreshing sensation.
Big Steamer: So with the de-harming cigarettes we're making, is there a percentage of de-harming compared to traditional cigarettes? #p#Page Break #e#
JT: Of course there is, Ploom Tech is 99% decontaminated for traditional paper cigarettes.
Big Vaporizer: We will have many new tobacco brands in the world in the future, will JT push the Ploom Tech around the world in the future, and then bring in some good e-cigarette devices from some good companies in the world?
JT: Of course we will launch the Ploom Tech program all over the world, but due to the different laws on e-cigarettes in different countries around the world, we are now examining the markets around the world to understand the laws around the world, and the launch program is also in progress.
Big Steamer: As far as we know, there are a lot of smokers using e-cigarettes with some functional ingredients, such as vitamins, caffeine, melatonin. Do you have any opinion about this kind of e-cigarettes with functional incorporation?
JT: We're a company that makes tobacco, so we're not going to do anything outside of what we're supposed to do.
Big Steamer: Now companies like JUUL, for example, in the United States they are defined as new tobacco companies. They also make functional e-cigarettes. In JT's view, only those that contain nicotine can be called tobacco, and those that don't can't be called tobacco, can I understand that?
JT: Yes, you can. In fact, in the overseas market, we do put out some products that do not contain nicotine. But it's a very small portion of the market.
Big Steamer: Will JT have any extensions in the future? Or some new products.
JT: Yes, in fact, at the end of this year and coming February, we will have two new products on sale. One is called Ploom Tech Plus, which is an improved version of the Ploom Tech. One is called Ploom S, which is a high-temperature heating non-combustible e-cigarette. The Ploom S is still under development.
Big Vaporizer: So both of these products will continue to use the same cartridges that Ploom Tech currently uses now?
JT: The Ploom Tech Plus will continue to use the same cartridges that the Ploom Tech currently uses. The Ploom S will use the same type of cartridges that iqos currently uses.
Big Steamer: For companies like Philip Morris, they have a goal of completely de-harming cigarettes in the future. Do companies like us at JT have a similar goal of completely de-harming cigarettes in the future? (No real cigarettes at all)
JT: For now and for the future, there are still many customers who are using traditional cigarettes. Although we are doing RRP type of e-cigarettes, we will also serve both customers who use traditional cigarettes and those who use RRP cigarettes. The question you just asked can be explained by our corporate philosophy. Our corporate philosophy is "Imagine the happiness of others". We also produce products other than cigarettes, so we do everything to make people happy.
Big Vaporizer: So can we understand that smoking is a self-choice for each person, but you can't make trouble for others because of your choice. We understand, thank you very much for this interview, thank you!
For and JT this in-depth exchange is really very happy, electronic cigarettes in the future prospects for the development of the future, through this interview seems to have been clear. I believe that this exchange has laid a certain foundation for the in-depth cooperation between "Big Vaporizer" and JT in the future, and there will be more in-depth cooperation in the future, so let's look forward to a better future for the e-cigarette industry!
JT:Thank you very much for coming to interview us this time. Big Steamer: We are very glad that you can accept our interview, we are from China's e-cigarette media, we understand that JT is currently producing an e-cigarette called Ploom Tech, the purpose of this interview is to find out what kind of view Japan Tobacco has on the new type of tobacco?
JT: We are now working on traditional paper cigarettes and a new type of e-cigarette called RRP (de-harming). We will also be looking at developing RRP as a new type of cigarettes.
Big Vaporizer: There are so many new types of e-cigarettes in the world, such as heat-not-burn, and vapor e-cigarettes with nicotine smoke, so why did you choose Ploom Tech, which is a form of nicotine and vapor separately, to open up the market of the new type of tobacco in Japan?
JT: The main reason is that in Japan, all products with nicotine content are classified as cigarettes, and there are regulations restricting the sale of cigarettes under Japanese law.
Big Vaporizer: the Ploom Tech also contains nicotine and is considered an e-cigarette. So how does it come to be distinguished from JUUL or some of the e-cigarettes with nicotine salts? JT: Ploom Tech is a non-combustible e-cigarette, so let me explain the difference between a non-combustible e-cigarette and a combustible e-cigarette. Ploom Tech is a non-combustible e-cigarette with a cartridge, like the iqos. Our products are made by heating the cartridges to produce nicotine in the smoke, while ordinary e-cigarettes are made by adding tobacco. The ordinary e-cigarettes are added with tobacco oil, and under the legal restrictions in Japan, there is no way to add nicotine to tobacco oil, so our company has no way to make e-cigarettes, so we choose to heat without combustion.
Big Vaporizer: So Ploom Tech is a new type of tobacco that can be defined as heat-not-burn, just like iQos?
JT: Yes, but we are a little different. We are a low-temperature heated non-combustible e-cigarette, while iqos and others are high-temperature heated non-combustible e-cigarettes. Our products are heated to a temperature of about 30 degrees.
Big Steamer: Have you done any experiments on human health similar to the new tobacco? Are there any reports of similar experiments in Japan?
JT: Of course there have been some similar experiments done. However, in Japan, regarding the health of smoking, the Japanese people and our company are more concerned about the effects of smoking on the people around us. We have to consider whether secondhand smoke and the smell of tobacco will cause discomfort to others, and that's why we came up with a product like Ploom Tech.
Big Steamer: So it's not so much for smokers per se, but a de-harming of secondhand smoke? JT: Yes, low-temperature heated, non-combustible e-cigarettes like Ploom Tech do not produce harmful substances similar to secondhand smoke that can cause harm to those around them, and the flavor doesn't smell as pungent as traditional cigarettes. Ploom Tech is also available in a variety of flavors to give the smoke a refreshing sensation.
Big Steamer: So with the de-harming cigarettes we're making, is there a percentage of de-harming compared to traditional cigarettes? #p#Page Break #e#
JT: Of course there is, Ploom Tech is 99% decontaminated for traditional paper cigarettes.
Big Vaporizer: We will have many new tobacco brands in the world in the future, will JT push the Ploom Tech around the world in the future, and then bring in some good e-cigarette devices from some good companies in the world?
JT: Of course we will launch the Ploom Tech program all over the world, but due to the different laws on e-cigarettes in different countries around the world, we are now examining the markets around the world to understand the laws around the world, and the launch program is also in progress.
Big Steamer: As far as we know, there are a lot of smokers using e-cigarettes with some functional ingredients, such as vitamins, caffeine, melatonin. Do you have any opinion about this kind of e-cigarettes with functional incorporation?
JT: We're a company that makes tobacco, so we're not going to do anything outside of what we're supposed to do.
Big Steamer: Now companies like JUUL, for example, in the United States they are defined as new tobacco companies. They also make functional e-cigarettes. In JT's view, only those that contain nicotine can be called tobacco, and those that don't can't be called tobacco, can I understand that?
JT: Yes, you can. In fact, in the overseas market, we do put out some products that do not contain nicotine. But it's a very small portion of the market.
Big Steamer: Will JT have any extensions in the future? Or some new products.
JT: Yes, in fact, at the end of this year and coming February, we will have two new products on sale. One is called Ploom Tech Plus, which is an improved version of the Ploom Tech. One is called Ploom S, which is a high-temperature heating non-combustible e-cigarette. The Ploom S is still under development.
Big Vaporizer: So both of these products will continue to use the same cartridges that Ploom Tech currently uses now?
JT: The Ploom Tech Plus will continue to use the same cartridges that the Ploom Tech currently uses. The Ploom S will use the same type of cartridges that iqos currently uses.
Big Steamer: For companies like Philip Morris, they have a goal of completely de-harming cigarettes in the future. Do companies like us at JT have a similar goal of completely de-harming cigarettes in the future? (No real cigarettes at all)
JT: For now and for the future, there are still many customers who are using traditional cigarettes. Although we are doing RRP type of e-cigarettes, we will also serve both customers who use traditional cigarettes and those who use RRP cigarettes. The question you just asked can be explained by our corporate philosophy. Our corporate philosophy is "Imagine the happiness of others". We also produce products other than cigarettes, so we do everything to make people happy. Big Vaporizer: So can we understand that smoking is a self-choice for each person, but you can't make trouble for others because of your choice. We understand, thank you very much for this interview, thank you!
For and JT this in-depth exchange is really very happy, electronic cigarettes in the future prospects for the development of the future, through this interview seems to have been clear. I believe that this exchange has laid a certain foundation for the in-depth cooperation between "Big Vaporizer" and JT in the future, and there will be more in-depth cooperation in the future, so let's look forward to a better future for the e-cigarette industry!
