The bizarre regulation dates back to the Law on Control and Improvement of Amusement Business which was passed in 1948 during US occupation to curb¹ prostitution in dance halls.

 

Enforcement of the law was relaxed from the 1960s, with the nation's now famed all-night clubbing scene booming in recent decades.

 

However, the murder of a 22-year-old student in a fight at a club in Osaka 2010 resulted in a fresh crackdown.

 

Launching a campaign to eliminate an excessively hedonistic atmosphere at clubs, police embarked² on high-profile raids, forcing many clubs to close for licensing³ violations⁴.

 

The music industry lobbied against the laws and a petition calling for a change in regulations was signed by more than 160,000 people.

 

This week they were able to claim victory as politicians in Japan's upper house of parliament voted to relax the law - part of a package of measures designed to ease deflationary pressures and to create a more relaxed atmosphere in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

 

A revision, which is expected to come into effect by next summer, will permit dancing after midnight.

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