The Cabinet approved a bill Friday to revise the adult entertainment business law to enable dance clubs to operate past midnight, provided they meet interior lighting regulations.
The legislation, which requires Diet approval for enactment, was crafted after a chorus of criticism from music industry figures and intellectuals who took issue with dance clubs being classified in the same way as sex parlors.
The current Law Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses defines a venue providing dining and alcohol to customers and allowing them to dance as an adult entertainment establishment that requires a license to operate. In principle, the law bans it from running from midnight through sunrise.