Dancing Is Not a Crime

An American classic film and play is one about a small town, Bomont, West Virginia, where the local leaders ban dancing fearing it will lead to other destructive decisions. The local pastor, who has gained a position of power in the local community, feels that dancing and music leads to drugs, partying, and drinking. Actions that lead to the death of his son after a night of partying. From an American perspective on the film, Footloose, is one that is ignorant and close minded. One would think that this ideology is no longer among us as the world has evolved and modernized. But it does still exist in Japan’s third largest city, Osaka.

In a section of the city called Amemura otherwise known as “little America” has been under fire for violating laws known as Fueiho. Fueiho or the Entertainment Control Laws controls forms of entertainment on the tiny island nation. It requires any establishments to obtain a license that allows their customers to dance in their club. Over the last few years authorities have turned the other check but know raid have begun on the clubs that did not purchase licenses. Basic restrictions are set by these laws such as closing time should be midnight or one o’clock but these laws also enforce the club must “have 66 square miles of unobstructed floor space in the main room”

(Dancing Ban). With lack of space in Japan clubs do not have the space for a dance floor this big.Fueiho law goes back to the Taisho period which began in 1912 ending in 1926 in which police tried to regulate the dance halls. For the older generations dance halls was a place with questionable morals where strangers danced closely that lead to bad questions later in the night. Often a Western tradition, elders looked down with it even mor...

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...nightlife meaning that instead of the entertainment laws being a focus perhaps the focus should be shifted to reducing gang and crimes linked to gang activity.

In our modern era dancing or even the act of dancing should not be seen as a sign of rebellion or defiance. Dance is a way to express one's emotions and way to relieve stress for many people taking that away is something that should be rectified sooner rather than later. I can respect or understand montairing drug or gang activity but by banning dance the authorities are making way for violent counteraction by it's own people. As Kevin Bacon says in Footloose as he tries to convince the town council, “A time to laugh and a time to weep. A time to mourn and there is a time to dance. And there was a time for this law, but not anymore. See, this is our time to dance”. (Footloose). Japan it's your time to dance.