A 67-year-old Japanese anti-prositution law that banned dancing in nightclubs after midnight has finally been overturned
A heavily criticised Japanese law known as ‘fuzoku’ or ‘fueiho’ has been overturned today in a move that will allow Japanese clubbers to dance after 1AM without fear of repercussions. The archaic law was put into place in 1947 after the second world war and defined nightclubs as ‘adult entertainment establishments’ meaning most venues would have to close at 1AM. The new law means that clubs will now be able to open for 24 hours if they meet the required criteria.
Venues in Japan will now be able to apply to become Yukyo Inshokuten Eigyo, or Nighttime Entertainment Restaurant Operations, as long as they are not located in residential areas and meet with the specified lighting codes. This means they will be able to hold a 24-hour license while venues that do not meet the lighting requirements will be able to open beyond midnight but must still operate as adult entertainment establishments.
While the change has been on the cards for a while – it was drafted last year by Japanese officials – it will only come into effect today (23 June).
You can revisit our 2015 Perspective feature written by DJ Sprinkles about the effects of strict Japanese clubbing laws on the country’s nightlife here.
