Last month a group of activists called Dystopia Tokyo called a protest against what they described as a "Draconian" new city ordinance by conservative Gov. Shintaro Ishihara.
Ishihara was revising an existing public safety law to allow "Orwellian" city-center crackdowns on street demos, public performances and the homeless, warned the group. "Even foreigners walking in commercial districts can be categorized as 'nuisances.' "
Few Tokyoites seem terribly concerned: The March 22 demonstration in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district drew just a smattering of seasoned activists, including some non-Japanese and a lone cross-dresser who claimed even he wasn't safe from the cops.