Visitors from abroad have often complained about a lack of places in Japan where adults can have fun at night.

Visitors from abroad have often complained about a lack of places in Japan where adults can have fun at night.

Did they mention casinos specifically, or just places where fun is spontaneous, not micromanaged?

Jesus Christ, I have never once heard any visitor from abroad say that, not a single, solitary one. Visitors to Japan usually suffer from activity overload; unless you are here for at least a month, there simply isn't enough time to see and do everything, day or night. I used to love to visit New Orleans, it was a wonderful place to go. Then Louisiana legalized gambling, and what was a unique and interesting city became a cess pit, with a huge increase in homelessness, panhandling, more prostitution, and a great increase in crime.

All this is about is Japan Inc trying to get into the casino business. Japan Inc's banks will provide the financing, Japan Inc's industries will produce the construction materials, Japan Inc's pet contractors will do the construction, and companies owned or controlled by Japan Inc will make the gaming machines, run the hotels, and the restaurants. Gambling will benefit Japan Inc and Japan's bloated government, but it will harm the Japanese people, as many Japanese are already addicted to gambling. In the end, it is all nonsense.

If you don't like isakayas or hostess clubs, he may be right

Yeah, well when all forms of transport (except rip-off taxi drivers) stop after midnight....

Depends on what you mean by fun at night. There are plenty of good train-spotting locations and most hotel rooms offer a plethora of options on Japanese TV.

I can't disagree. Outside of big city entertainment areas, there aren't many establishments that appear foreigner friendly.

Entertainment infrastructure here other than restaurants / mizushobai is underdeveloped, or based on affiliation or membership that are not available to short-term visitors, because you are supposed to work until 9-10:00 pm then take the train home, else go out with people from the office. Theatres, cinemas, concerts, shopping malls tend to be fewer and start/close earlier than in many other countries. Likewise, there are none of the night markets or outdoor street life you find in many other Asian countries. Japan is about business, not entertainment, much less "fun". Post-work, the locals seem satisfied with watching whatever soporific nonsense is on TV.

So how much does he have at stake in getting casinos approved? The most ridiculous quote I've heard in a while. The only time foreigners would complain about the lack of a night-life in Japan is if they were visiting the countryside. And new casinos that are planned for the major cities isn't going to do anything to solve that.

sangetsu03DEC. 18, 2016 - 10:03AM JST Jesus Christ, I have never once heard any visitor from abroad say that, not a single, solitary one.

RealityofFakeDEC. 18, 2016 - 10:51AM JST The most ridiculous quote I've heard in a while. The only time foreigners would complain about the lack of a night-life in Japan is if they were visiting the countryside.

Japan offers loads of nightlife fun as long as they conform neatly to forms popular with Japanese people - i.e. hole-in-the-wall bars with non-descriptive names where you'll never even know if you'll meet another human being until you open the door and walk in, or dodgy host/hostess clubs where you pay hundreds of dollars for crappy champagne and then the staff pretend they like you for an hour. Or there are places like Gas Panic.

Night life that people in most other countries grow up expecting can often be quite thin on the ground unless you're in central Tokyo, can pull an all-nighter, or have local knowledge. If you're a fresh-off-the-boat foreigner who wants to do something fun at 9PM your options can be quite limited.

Fun? There are many things I like about Japan but 'fun' isn't a word that springs to mind.

It's just not, well, that kind of place.

Moderator: Please refrain from posting Japan-bashing rubbish like this. It makes you look pathetic.

My friends and relatives never ever complained... They even exhausted me as they seemed to take the day for the night during their stays. That way they had no need to deal with jet lag, daytime heat and huge crowds. Sure that if you don't like eating, drinking, shopping, taking a bath in onsen/spa, playing (arcade games, bowling, etc), sports (seeing or doing), karaoke, hearing music /seeing shows /movies, Red District, attending night religious ceremonies, night hiking, seeing fireworks, doing the night hanami, the tsukimi and chasing the hotaru... what is left to do at night ?

Isakayas work for me.

This is just an excuse to get casinos allowed.

Re. the comment about night markets, from what I remember of my travels, outdoor markets in Asian countries were cheap. 90% of food trucks and stalls I've seen in Japan are expensive. You end up paying restaurant prices so you can stand around and eat food off plastic trays. Restaurants charge those prices because they have premises, heating/lighting, waiting staff, toilets, etc. I think a lot of stalls/trucks are trading in fake cool, a bit like Starbucks etc. gets from stealing the aura created by original cafe society. You are paying for a hipster mirage.

Must be an ANA manager. They are clueless about what foreign customers want.

I have never once heard any visitor from abroad say that, not a single, solitary one>

In my business, I hear it on a daily basis. In the provinces there really isn't much to do at night, but that may also be the same in any country.

Lots of Love Hotels that are pretty entertaining

I wish most major museums were open until 10 or 11 pm, for instance.

It comes down to this I think: Japan is different. Visitors I've entertained have all enjoyed the unique atmosphere. If Japan's cities become just like a western city...what is the point of coming here? A Casino is the last place I would take a friend or business guest.

Most of the places you can go after midnight are foul-smelling & dirty. If the casinos are smoke-free it might be OK.

How often is often? Oh, I see, this official is part of the pro casino lobby. Yeah, let's have a few Las Vegas clone cities, that will certainly raise their appeal to foreign visitors of a certain Asian country.

Aside from casinos, I will bet this guy can't give one example of nightlife that Japan lacks. LA and San Francisco have plenty of tourists, despite the dearth of casinos and the puritanical drinking laws that cut most people off after 1:30. The only time I ever heard a guy complain about nightlife here was because he couldn't find any Bangkok style girlie bars. Japan has some of the best nightlife in the world.

This guy works for the airlines, and I am sure he is in favor of anything that leads to more people on planes. The social costs don't matter.

commanteer DEC. 18, 2016 - 11:08AM JST I will bet this guy can't give one example of nightlife that Japan lacks. LA and San Francisco have plenty of tourists,

Do you want to be out in the streets in certain parts of L.A. in late hours? Your nightlife will be shot.

Visitors from abroad have often complained about a lack of places in Japan where adults can have fun at night.

Yes, BOTH of them looked pretty miffed!