Japan overturns midnight dancing ban

The ban on midnight dancing drew fierce criticism from dance and music industry figures who said the government should promote Japan’s growing, vibrant dance culture.

Advocates of all-night dancing lambasted the rules as out-of-date and hypocritical, especially after the government made hip-hop dancing a regular subject for junior high school students in 2012.

Under the new law, which is expected to take effect by June next year, dancing after midnight will be allowed if the club has a light level of at least 10 lux.

A lux is a measurement of light over a given area, and 10 lux is approximately equivalent to what a movie theatre looks like with the lights on, according to Panasonic.

The police will be tasked with monitoring light levels in clubs, Jiji Press reported, and will be able to take action against those that do come up to scratch.

The new law also makes provision for clubs that do not serve alcohol after midnight to stay open for 24 hours.