Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Act


The Businesses Affecting Public Morals Regulation Law, also known as 風俗営業取締法 or fueiho, is a law that regulates entertainment places in Japan.

History

Businesses offering food and entertainment

Selling alcohol after midnight requires a permission. Also, after 10pm family restaurants must refuse non-accompanied people under 18 years old.

Authorization

Business in the "Businesses offering food and entertainment" class require an authorization from the prefecture's public safety commission.
Business in the "Sex industry" and "Businesses selling alcohol after midnight" classes do not require an authorization, but require a notification.

Consequence on nightclubs

Dance is forbidden in nightclubs with dancefloors smaller than 66 square meters, or nightclubs that operate after 1am. While this rule has been mostly ignored for 50 years, since 2011 it has started to be enforced by the police in Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo. This has led most nightclubs to display "No Dancing" signs, and some employ security personnel to actually prevent customers from dancing.
In 2013, organization Let's Dance submitted a petition signed by 155,879 people to the National Diet, demanding that the part of the law regulating dancing be updated. Let's Dance has a sub-group called Dance Lawyers, composed of lawyers.
The cabinet agreed to lift the ban on dancing in October 2014. Some have speculated this was in view of the 2020 Summer Olympics.