If you’ve ever wanted to get crunk and bust a move in Japan, today you can breathe a little easier. After the 2010 murder of a 22 year old student at night club in Osaka, laws from the the late 1940’s were reintroduced, and sought to remove the “excessively hedonistic atmosphere” that had apparently engulfed the Japanese nightlife. Raids on establishments became commonplace, subsequently leading to lack of business and several closures. I know my dancing is bad, but I’m not entirely sure if would lead to murders and violent behaviour, at least I would like to think so.
The music industry and frustrated party-goers urged the government to reconsider the restrictions, compiling a list of 160,000 signatures in support of change. Disgruntled dancers were finally granted some relief this week with changes to be implemented next summer, allowing for dancing to take place after midnight. However all is not solved, there are still conditions and caveats aplenty. All establishments must be lit up to 10 lux, which is substantially brighter than a dimly lit room; hardly the ideal conditions for letting your inner dancer let loose. Police will continue to monitor light levels in these establishments. 9 lux clubs beware, the illumination police will find you, and they will…well they will just make the lights a little bit brighter.
Call me crazy, but half the appeal of dancing in a nightclub is the darkness, the sweaty congregation of bodies kind of loses its appeal if you can see the perspiration. I think I will not be skipping the Japanese dance scene until they turn the lights out!