Wednesday 24 October 2012

unite 2 fight the dance prohibitions


Anti-dancing law out of step with Japan's youth culture by Eriko Arita in The Japan Times is a good intro to the police crackdown and resultant disillusionment in the club community.

The article quotes a recent interview with Ryo Isobe, seasoned Tokyo clubber and author of the book, "Odotte wa Ikenai Kuni, Nihon (Japan: the Country Where You Must Not Dance)", which is about his experiences and views of the late-night dance ban.
The piece also draws attention to the murkier politics involved in the crackdown - the Tokyo Government's attempts at a 'purification mission' in Kabukicho (!) and the Osaka government's possible intentions to separate the entertainment district from residential areas, promoting casinos instead of dance clubs...
These government drives tend to push the sex trade further underground, making conditions worse for sex workers, at the same time crushing the late night dance scene (which as we know, has little direct involvement with the sex industry anyway).
The piece finishes with a call to action from Isobe who says clubs should be more united in their actions, lobby politicians, and clean up their act by ensuring customer ID is checked on entry to their premises and that drugs are kept out of clubs.

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