[johnboy]

utter rubbish. if the tax on cigarettes rose to 1,000 yen, the mikuza (sp?) would take over the importation and distribution thereof.

[altair]

if the tax on cigarettes rose to 1,000 yen, the mikuza (sp?) would take over the importation and distribution thereof.

I think you mean yakuza. And yes, they would indeed take it over. The current 2 trillion yen in taxes collected would drop to next to nothing.