Japan’s Infamous “No Dancing” Legislation Is Set to be Lifted in 2016

In 1948 a law was passed in Japan that has plagued the nation's nightlife ever since. The fueiho legislation mandated that dancing in any venue was strictly prohibited without a license, and even then, the action had to be over before midnight. The law effectively grouped nightclubs with brothels, classifying them as part of the "adult entertainment business." This has obviously presented huge obstacles for international DJs as well as Japan's native electronic scene.

It does seem, however, that this is finally about to change. The Japanese cabinet have ruled that this legislation will be eased – providing venues meet certain requirements. This largely comes down to lighting, with the revisions stating clubs will have to be illuminated above 10 lux, roughly the brightness of a mid-movie cinema. This caveat will be enforced by police, who will measure the lighting in clubs to ensure it is bright enough, the justification for this being that an environment that is too dark would encourage crime. Should the venue fail to meet the lighting requirement, it would continue to be regulated as an adult entertainment business. Clubs will also be required to keep records of criminal activity, noise complaints, drunkenness, and how they respond to all of these issues.

But, enough of the T&C's. The real victory here is for dancing, and while the law was far from stringently applied, it's revision is validation from Japan's government that nightlife is a legitimate cultural pursuit, and should go even further to strengthening the country's club culture.

News via The Japan Times.

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