TOKYO - The Japanese are lighting up less often these days, the Yomiuri Shimbun reports. An annual survey by Japan Tobacco Inc. found that the adult smoking rate reached 23.9 percent, falling one percentage point from the previous year. That is a record low and the 15th year in a row smoking numbers dropped.

Factors contributing to the decrease include more controls on smoking and more awareness of the health consequences of smoking.

The smoking rate for Japanese men was 36.6 percent, a decrease of 2.3 points from the previous year. For women, that number was 12.1 percent, which was a 0.2 point increase from a year earlier. In 1966, the smoking rate in Japan peaked at nearly 50 percent.

In October, the price of cigarettes will skyrocket when a planned cigarette tax hike goes into effect. The tax increase will raise 103 brands between 60 yen and 140 yen more. Japan Tobacco predicts cigarette sales will plummet 25 percent during the 12 months after the tax hike.