With increasing focus on the need for social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic, attention is falling on venues turning customers away — or rather, those that aren't.
As the outbreak worsened globally, Tokyo’s nightclubs, for the most part, continued with business as usual, creating a fissure within a dance music scene trying to balance social responsibilities with the precarious financial situation faced by artists and the venues they play at. Many venues remain open, or have simply closed on a short-term basis.
The debate began in earnest after Mindgames, the organizers of the Labyrinth techno festival, published an impassioned blog post on March 16 highlighting the dangers posed by COVID-19 and saying that all of Tokyo’s clubs should close their doors.