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No fun

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A sign in PEARL nightclub in Roppongi. Similar signs are showing up in nightclubs all over Tokyo.

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seriously? so why do they open a club in the first place?

2 ( +5 / -3 )

But is it ok to drink yourself silly, get ripped off by the management and have your credit card ripped off?

9 ( +12 / -3 )

since they would be paying a small fortune to get drunk, the least the management should allow them is for them to shake those booties, right?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

It's against the law to dance in Japan? It sounds like one of those stupid Japanese laws put into place because they feel Japanese people cannot dance as good as the Gaijin so it is unfair. Like similar laws in Sumo and other activities where the Japanese feel inadequate.

Do they believe this will clean up the Gaijin filth plaguing their pure city? What about the Japanese owned Discotechs in Roppongi?

-7 ( +6 / -13 )

Sorry If I had anything to do with this.

Similar signs are showing up in nightclubs all over Tokyo.

Like where? Didn't see anything like that in Roppongi and Shibuya earlier this month. And just as well. Let's party.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

it's against the law to dance at any establishment after 1100 at night in Japan. weird but true!

5 ( +5 / -0 )

What a joke. You go to a club and you can't dance. Ridiculous!!!! Ah yes, Japanese people can't dance so they spare them the embarrassment.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

Hashimoto has been cracking down on this in Osaka and plenty of clubs have shut down because of it - hos whole idea of "cleaning up" the city. Great, no place to go and have a good time ought to keep people entertained and off the streets and out of trouble.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Welcome to north Korea folks. But, it is not illegal to sit and drink until you spew in the toilets or on the train platform. I would be very interested to know exactly which Japanese law prohibits dancing. My guess would be that it's an insurance thing in case of injury, but that is only my guess. It could also be just to stop people enjoying themselves and expressing their individuality. "The nail that stands up must be hammered down!"

3 ( +7 / -4 )

The Japanese part of the sign doesn't mention anything about it being against the law. It just says (very politely) that the management does not allow anything that will inconvenience other customers, such as dancing or jumping about so pretty please don't do it.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

It says "In any commercial place" - wouldn't that mean all the dance schools are illegal?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Please show me the pertaining codes

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Even in IRAN it is not that strict ! Some rules here seem to have been inspired by the Grand Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini !

6 ( +7 / -1 )

It says "In any commercial place"

The statement is incorrect and the place deserves to be shut down.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I would be very interested to know exactly which Japanese law prohibits dancing

You need to apply for the appropriate licence. It would seem PEARL holds a different one.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

If this is not the law, then please show me a dance club that allows dancing after 11 pm and has been open for many years. There is a reason they all get closed, and I think this is it.

Fuddy duddies do rule Japan you know.

This is one aspect to Japan I definitely do not like. And I never dance because I can't! All music and dancing hating Taliban types should get up and move to Afghanistan! Seriously!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

very pragmatic, cut out the useless wanna dance bit and take her straight to the business you have in mind. Not " romantic " but it gets the job done.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I just did a little bit of research because this just seems way too ridiculous. Basically a the laws were passed in 1848 after world war 2, they were meant to help stamp out prostitution and gambling but it also affected nightclubs in a number of ways. Basically those laws haven't been changed and are still around. No dancing past a certain hour was a law and still is a law.... How stupid is that.

Someone correct me if that is wrong ^ ?

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Dancing after a certain time at night is banned, unless you have a special permit. The permit, which is separate from the numerous other permits that night clubs have to apply for, requires the club to have at least 710 ft2 (66 m2) of space for dancers to get down.

taking from the site where im reading about the laws.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Hey, man: You've got to fight for your right to party.

7 ( +9 / -2 )

SilvafanSEP. 23, 2012 - 01:40PM JST It's against the law to dance in Japan? It sounds like one of those stupid Japanese laws put into place because they feel Japanese people cannot dance as good as the Gaijin so it is unfair.

Where you at my brother. Japanese guys ( and ladies ) can break it down on the dance floor just as good, if not even better than their Gaijin counterparts. Not to be rude but I've been to many clubs and seen most of the Gaijins seriously suck in dancing.

I'm not talking about comparing with Japanese manga dudes or whatever, I'm talking about Japanese guys that like to dance and seriously know their stuff and they'll put most gaijins to shame on the floor any day. This coming from a gaijin

3 ( +5 / -2 )

jessbaybay; someone I know was telling me about this the other day, and I palmed it off as standard gaijin BS trivia. Turns out there may have been some truth in what he was saying!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If this were an actual 'law' then you better close down the ballet and social dance schools. They are commercial, after all. But then, it IS Japan, where gambling is also illegal.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

southsakai: "I'm not talking about comparing with Japanese manga dudes or whatever, I'm talking about Japanese guys that like to dance and seriously know their stuff and they'll put most gaijins to shame on the floor any day."

So you've seen this in Japan, which is 98% Japanese people?

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

As much as it pains me to watch white men dance, this is beyond stupid. The sign being predominantly in English says something about who their target is.

You'll never see this sign in 新宿二丁目、however...

1 ( +4 / -3 )

"No Gaijin allowed" in different term

I'm sorry you feel that way. Here is their website in English. http://www.en.pearl-music.net/index.html

By the way, this "not-a-nightclub" PEARL opened in July and is a re-badged version of 'alife', whose management was busted in May. Hence the posters (accompanied by factually incorrect English and no such statement in the Japanese).

1 ( +1 / -0 )

"Hashimoto has been cracking down on this in Osaka and plenty of clubs have shut down because of it - hos whole idea of "cleaning up" the city"

Being the paragon of virtue that he is... Maybe the woman he was cheating with left him for someone who could dance..?

"Dancing is verboten!" This guy reminds me of someone, but I just can't place it.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I've been to clubs where they have similar signs in the front. But once you go inside is all DJ's, music and dance.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Someone with a digital camera and a bit of a script could produce "Tokyo Footloose - Dancing Is Not Allowed"

0 ( +1 / -1 )

https://www.facebook.com/groups/346867795399037/

This group is dedicated to protecting the freedom of expression in Japan. The recent dance regulations are an insidious a threat to Japanese Democracy and is a very serious issue. Rainbows in almost every culture are symbols of peace and diversity. Ninja's are tactical powerhouses. Let's defeat this ban together!

It's a closed group but I can add people that want to be part of the movement!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

...And once again the extremely polite Japanese wording is spat out into blunt, casual English. The sign itself is enough for me to take my money somewhere else.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

This picture of the day definitely needs an explanation to go along with it. All this speculation and hearsay and half-forgotten tidbits on the thread are only confusing things.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

wow... Footloose in real life

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The signs have been all over Kansai for at least a year now, closing clubs left and right. As the law, 風営法, fuieihou, as it's called (nickname for the law, a shortened down word, like the language so often works), prohibits serving alcohol and dancing after 1 am (I believe this was the time), clubs either post a note prohibiting dancing and carry tables onto the dancefloor or close by 1 am. In the former case, people still dance, in the latter, the clubs are open longer than advertised. When discovered by the officials, the club is often forced to close,but typically reopenes under new management in a matter of months.

Japanese people often have the misconception that people use drugs at the clubs, and that's the reason why people go there in the first place. This is supported by japanese light media and entertainment, like movies and drama series.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Geez! It's like the town in ''Footloose'' squared!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I been to that club and read the sign. Everyone drink and still dance in there. They don't enforce the rule unless you are blocking the aisles.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

For the elders here, I think the good old time of Juliana's Tokyo has gone forever. It was really a good period that has gone for a long time and I think we will never see it again. The dance scene in Tokyo is really crappy now, it did not need such rule.

They are going to kill the last dance scenes.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Quick! How many degrees away is Kevin Bacon?! Somebody call him in!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Tell it to James Brown baby! "Get on the good foot!"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not to be rude but I've been to many clubs and seen most of the Gaijins seriously suck in dancing.

Odd, In the clubs I've seen it's the "Gajins" who are better at dancing then the asians, although this club wasn't in Japan.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I honestly doubt anyone will pay attention to the sign anyway.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You'll never see this sign in 新宿二丁目、however...

hoserfella: I can't tell if you're being sarcastic here, but the no-dancing law has actually been one of the major topics of discussion among the guys in Nichome for several months now. Gay clubs were certainly among the first to be asked (by local police) to put up these multilingual signs, and people are certainly being kicked out of Nichome clubs for dancing. Happened to a friend just this weekend.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The law has been in effect for 40 years, the police crackdown on it every 5-6 years when they have nothing better to do.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

are you allowed to sway to the beat???

4 ( +4 / -0 )

So this means they were breaking the law in the past years?

Btw this sound like banning Sushi eating in Japan by Japan law.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

opposite 13 - I had no idea, I just assumed the gay clubs would ignore it.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

...And once again the extremely polite Japanese wording is spat out into blunt, casual English. The sign itself is enough for me to take my money somewhere else.

Nothing blunt about the English. I'd call it friendly and matter-of-fact. Don't see how anybody could be offended, unless they were actively looking to be offended....

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Well, I guess we better pull out the movie Shall We Dance and go for lessons. Not that I get out dancing much anyway. Strange law, I wonder what motivated it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

My understanding is (from talking to managers in Roppongi) that Clubs or places where dancing takes place must close by 1 or 2am. Restaurants can stay open 24 hours. Therefore most "clubs" are officially classified as restaurants (that's why you can order food from them). Almost every club has this sign up in Roppongi - but everyone ignores it anyway.

When a raid comes (usually the owners get tipped off) they turn down the music and turn up the lights for a while. I've seen this happen on numerous occasions. Once I saw them hustle the famous/obviously underage out the backdoor, bring out table and chairs, serve free food (which took about 30 minutes) and turn up the lights/turn down the music. Detectives came in (plain clothes) had a look around for about 5 minutes, then left. At which point the music went up, the lights went down and clubbing continued. Not uncommon at all.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

this sign was put up just to make the cops happy. there is no doubt that dancing goes on inside.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I love going out to dance. You've been studying hard, working hard, it's been raining constantly and your train pass just got stolen.... but then you can go out with a group of mates and dance for hours and forget all of that for one night. No dance = no fun!!

Now that I think about it, I only ever went to one night club in Japan, in Shibuya, and the only people dancing were foreign. It's a shame, cheesy dancing over embarrassing karaoke any day!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I liked learned proper ballroom dancing as well as Rockon Roll, Tango. Chive, etc/, Petty standard for teens in my country at-least if you want a date for the many Balls.

But lacking a good partner right now, also can do the more street-oriantated moves and dancing.

This ordinance is not all that uncomon at a club in South Africa before midnight and no alcohol/dancing, I always snuggled a bottle.

Once midnight came the place rocked in more than many ways, One club was famous for putting drugs into the air-com and plast it all over the Dance Floor.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

If you see stupid signs like this in Japan, do not take your $$$ there! Go and have a good time, dance the night away at a friendlier place. Pearl?? What a stupid name for a club. They can take their pearls and step on them and fall on them slip and slide for all I care!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Next thing up will be Mayhem on the streets-what next? Sharia Law ? In N.Y.C. a club needs a "Cabaret" license to allow dancing,maybe this place & others don't.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

As cleo correctly pointed out the Japanese text simply asks customers to refraion from dancing, jumping whatever because it can annoy other customers in the typically ultra polite Japanese way. The English portion says it's a law because they know that many gaijin don't give a bowel movement about annoying other customers anywhere. Especially in another country.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

No, it says "No dancing, jumping around and bothering other customers on the premises. Thank you for your cooperation"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It is incorrect to say that dancing is illegal. The law has more to do with having the proper permits, the type of establishment and amount of space available in that establishment. Many establishments do not meet the space requirements, or they do not have the proper permits.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

You're wrong badge. Those "required" permits were literally put in place just to make it impossible for basically all clubs to allow dancing. therefore it's illegal to dance. I've gone to my fair share of clubs in roppongi and have been told to stop dancing if i wanted to stay well over 10 times.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

soooo.,. can they dance or not? hard to tell after reading all of these posts...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

No, they cannot.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Badge213: You are correct a night club permit only allows people to dance up until 1am. So from 1am to 5am you are not allowed to dance. That is is the law for a night club permit. If any of you remember Velfarre in Roppongi that is why it closed at 1am.

If you have a bar license you can serve drinks and play music all hours of the day, you just can not dance to it as that implies you are running a night club.

Most places get away with it by having enough seating areas and saying that people are drunk and not dancing but just solicalising (as funny as that sounds), if you have been to Black Horse (911) or even Vanity both in Roppongi they have about 60% of the floor with seated VIP areas.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I guess there won't be any Gangnam Style there anytime soon...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Ima dance to my hiphop beats!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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