Amendment took effect from June 23 this year Fueiho. In the conventional Fueiho, dancing in clubs and eateries to midnight or later had been prohibited, it was able to perform majestically sunny is operating, such as dance and live entertainment in this amendment. In this interview, welcomed Takahiro Saito lawyer who played a central role in the deregulation of the dance, until the process of legal reform from the signature activities involving public opinion, I got back on the activities over the past few years. Furthermore As a result of this revision of the law, "night market (Night Time Economy)" of midnight or later to be newly created, either will bring what kind of change in the future of Shibuya and Tokyo night. Over over the potential that night culture has.

Why, to regulate the dance in Fueiho!?

For Fueiho amendment related to dance regulations, which came into force on _ June 23, and then again ask. Such as staff in April 2012 Osaka Umeda long-established club "NOON (Noon)" is arrested, all at once caught the police began in the club around the country. To begin with opportunity and, I think the problem was what?

Seized all at once with a focus on Kyoto and Osaka at that time, the deterioration of security in the city has been said to be one of the factors. For example, it was a neighborhood noise, Dari yelling at people of the city that was drunk, fight and, news or happening incident that caught up in people's death in a fight .... Among the problems in some areas is serious, including other regions, crackdown of widely club business is has become to be done.

It is that had also received a by-blow _ other clubs

In terms of the maintenance of security of bustle creation and living environment of the city, a relationship that has been made up in a subtle balance until it had collapsed. As a result, the relationship with the local community maintaining good, I think that there is a thing that has become a collateral until the shop was well symbiosis. Also, it is drunk by nuisances such as noise complaints, rather than a club just a matter of, such as karaoke and bar's, the original is of the whole city problem. However, the social image of the club was too bad. Dark and loud, maybe at that time, such as a drug relationship of the news of celebrities also have become a hot topic, like a "drag = Club" image would of got addicted to the whack. "Dance" is also Tatetsuke of law that has become a uniformly regulated, we continue to develop all at once caught. The entire seized number is not been able to grasp, but issued a significant number of arrests, there were many shops were closed. Osaka America village I have heard that it was almost devastated. By the way, caught has been NOON managers, district court, the high court, the Supreme Court and all has been acquitted.

I have heard that there has been _ do not get forced to closed at Shibuya Club. For the crackdown strengthening, it signed, but movement "Let's DANCE" was rising about a famous person, please tell us that opportunity.

Ryuichi's and Sakamoto Yoshihide Otomo, such as Seiko Ito, strong people of Art neighborhood and cultural image gave me agree. Message they issued the "want to dance until the morning at the club," rather than, those referred to as "dance and, everyone is going to protect widely where Tsudoeru". For example, Peadansu and salsa, other ballroom dancing, such as Argentine tango, such as dance in physical education of the junior high school is compulsory, dance culture has a wide layer to the elderly from children. A such a dance began from the place where questioning as "What about whether to crack down across the board as the sex industry is?".

_ Rather than a club, whether dance regulation itself is not that funny.

That's right. Law itself, after midnight is prohibited to take any permission uniform. Only if 12 o'clock before you took the permission, it it was a law that allowed the dance business. For example, as even adult entertainment businesses, such as ballroom dancing classes, it had been subjected to the same laws and regulations as the so-called cabaret. Fueiho rather than regulates the club, has been widely regulate the dance in general. Because only had a movement that tries to protect dance culture, I think broadly that it was me and the sympathy to various people. To small children from grandma of 70-year-old is in the person who has signed. Location also Dattari outdoor festivals such as Fuji Rock than the signature activity of the club, carried out in the ordinary in the city, finally of a little less than 160,000 signatures were gathered.

After _ signature has been collected, towards the actual revision of the law, what do I tried approach.

Increased interest of public opinion, opportunity to get picked up in the media has been increasing. Well, I gathered signatures become what stage that let was, asked to make the Parliamentarians of "dance Gillen" in the agree parliamentarians, I was handed a signature there. However, not get to have a quite image to people of politicians to say that the club culture. So Dattari inbound tourism in order to get to understand people of politicians, or was cool Japan content industry of ..., we discussed dance, the potential of the club. For example, in the London Olympic Games, the opening ceremony, DJ of the people in the closing ceremony both were responsible for the production by the music. On the other hand, since in Japan are trapped in the frame of "sex industry", such a potential is greatly limited. And it would give a bad image to many people, if not not have been made a healthy development, we have much to discuss that. Even as the club industry, or perform clean-up activities such as DJ and artists such as Zeebra who is a Knight Ambassador of Shibuya-ku, it is at the center, such as the provision of the self-regulatory rules to organize the business organizations, the collar of the industry correctness and go activities were also carried out in parallel.

From gray business good capital to enter and easy to market

_そうした地道な活動の結果、法改正に漕ぎ着けて、今年6月から新しい法律が施行されました。具体的には何が変わったのですか？　

Since the dance was "sex industry" until now, earlier also it is after midnight, as I mentioned was a sales ban. Then another, "restaurant at 12 o'clock at night, do not provide the entertainment" regulation that was also located in the old law. But, after midnight okay to eat and drink, it thing called'm useless it is by multiplying the play. For example, a live jazz band that is doing at the hotel, also will not be doing cheer events in the sports bar, Gray also Aiu thing. It is in the new law, now also after 12:00 at night can be if you take a business license.

Because _ its business license is, it was new "specific entertainment restaurant business license."

That's right. If basically "drink" is accompanied, not need permission, totally without problem also open 24 hours a day. Also shop that provides only drink also permit is not required, "late at night," "drink," "entertainment" three but when the overlap of the Take permission. Referred to as "drink" and "entertainment" is disturbed public morals of the city and to coalesce, this is but I was the basic idea. Of course, there is also ambiguity. For example, although has issued a beer in a movie theater, or would do if that is all-night screenings, there is Toka not a restaurant. We have a variety of minor rules, but has been carried out over a period of about a year and a half that kind of discussion with lawmakers and police.

_ New "specific entertainment restaurant business license" is also the name is just different, is not that too much is not much different with the Fueiho?

Generally speaking the Fueiho, I think that many people think of that of "sex," but, mah-jongg and cabaret, applies to this pachinko, also business, such as dance. "Sex" have divided the strength of the "sex industry", "restaurant" and regulated by three layers, is what was the scope of the "sex industry" until now, was dropped in the "food business" in this time of revision in that is, I think that was able to review the big Tatetsuke. Come to think of it, the club until now, while aware of the illegal sales of midnight or later, we have continued to operate in gray. Of course, but still might be some people that was good, just business risk is extremely high, it was not in the industry can easily be new entrants. For the industry when do not know what is caught, the bank is to not lending, is also difficult to make even the business plan. As a result of this amendment, but is it a condition to obtain a business license, compared to the past, business risk is reduced, and also make it easier to enter a variety of capital. In addition, in the case so far is that there was a fight at the club, despite the there are customers who are injured, shop staff were not able to report to the police. Cast out fight the people from the shops, the end in it. If the report if, would found that had a illegal business beyond midnight. If to be operating legally, the store also makes it easier to take cooperation with the police, it can be collateral safety, soundness. Also in Shibuya, as one of the content of making a healthy city to center the Hasebe mayor, we are going actively involved.

_ By the way business license is, do you take the easy?

Hurdle of permit acquisition at this stage has gone much higher. Even if you think going to take, Toka as a regional requirements, can not get a permit and not a large-scale downtown, do not and as a structural requirement, room area is not 33 square meters .... It must still improve regulations I think there are many.

It is _ to hear after a good indoor brightness of the problem.

Dance have fun from children to the elderly, "certainly not sex industry," said police also I not been approved, however, it was stronger still a sense of crisis for the club business. So, I have a regulated business category of adult entertainment businesses that had little investment performance "low illuminance restaurant", the club tries to put continue to regulation under as the sex industry in that corresponds to it. For it, not only the club industry, has rebounded strongly also live entertainment industry. Club also to the production by also lighting and laser live is required, the course is in order, but you need to drop the illuminance. Among the negotiation with the police, "entertainment space" required production by the illumination is in the final and the "dance floor" is'm good at dark, pull out the concession to a place called, including its place, VIP seat food and beverage for more space, it became the brightness of the lighting in the story that "they keep the 10 lux." Without such a steady lobbying, entertainment in general not club only I think that there was still within the frame of the sex industry. Of course, but still challenges remain, I think that's a big improvement in that sense.