A ‘Footloose’-like ban was lifted, so now you can dance all night Japan
Now Japan’s gotta cut loose.
Footloose, the classic Kevin Bacon film, is apparently a pretty accurate description of what it’s been like to live in Japan for the past 67 years.
Japan has been ushered into modern times with the lifting of the country’s 67 year ban on dancing, according to The Independent. Japan’s nightclub scene regulated dancing like it were alcohol consumption; The ban required venues to have a license for public dancing, but even then all dancing had to stop by midnight.
The law came about after World War II as a way to deal with dancehalls that were rampant with prostitution. The law wasn’t always strictly enforced in the 21st century, but celebrity drug scandals led to a crackdown using the archaic law that was still on the books.
But fear not, now you can dance the night away in Japan with no looming thread of club raids again. A campaign led by Japanese musician Ryuichi Sakamoto called for the abolition of the ban and gained 150,000 signatures.
The new law was ratified last week, but won’t come into force until next year—so don’t go putting on your dancing shoes just yet, Japan.
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