Yes, even in 2026 you can still get arrested if you don’t follow a law originally enacted to keep ex-samurai in line.
The late 19th century’s Meiji Restoration, in which Japan abolished the shogunate and warrior castes, is often treated with a sense of bittersweetness by history enthusiasts and entertainment media, But while there’s an undeniable wistfulness to the closing of the curtain on the romantic appeal the samurai era, the Meiji restoration’s shift towards elected officials and codified laws was, in the grand scheme of things, a necessary change and, for the common people, a major improvement over the old system of “The guys who’re the best fighters can do whatever they want.”
Of course, the transition was not immediate or easy, illustrated by the fact that, in 1889, the Japanese government had to officially codify a law, called the “Act Concerning the Criminality of Dueling,” telling people they were not allowed to duel each other. You’d think 137 years would be enough time for that message to seep in, but apparently it wasn’t, as last Thursday the Tokyo Metropolitan Police announced that they’ve arrested an unemployed man from Chiba Prefecture for violating the dueling law.
According to the Tokyo Metro Police’s Organized Crime Division (members of the yakuza are often technically considered “unemployed”), 26-year-old Fugetsu Asari engaged in a duel with another man on the morning of September 23, at around 4 a.m., on the streets of Tokyo’s Kabukicho district of Shibuya Ward.
▼ Kabukicho
We should pause here and take a moment to discuss what’s considered a “duel” in modern Japanese law. The Act Concerning the Criminality of Dueling itself doesn’t explicitly state what the dividing line is between engaging a duel and committing assault, perhaps because it was written at a time when dueling was common enough to not require any additional explanation. However, precedent in rulings from Japan’s Supreme Court has established that “Fighting containing acts of violence likely cause physical harm or be life-threatening, carried out through mutual agreement of both parties at the time” is an applicable definition. In other words, the participants don’t necessarily have to be swinging katana at each other, attempting to take revenge for a slain brother, or trying to uphold the honor of their dojo, and the approximately “at-dawn” timing of Asari’s duel was merely a dramatic coincidence. Basically, if one person says to another “Let’s fight,” and the other says “OK!”, it can be considered a duel.
According to Asari, he had never met his duel adversary, 30-year-old Naoya Masuda (occupation indeterminable), before the day they fought, and says that the reason for their fight was a small, unimportant matter. Whatever the reason, though, it was upsetting enough for the two to agree that they needed to throw hands over it, during which Asari also threw Masuda to the ground. The part of Kabukicho they were fighting in, called Toyoko, is a network of alleys and a large, concrete plaza, and Masuda suffered injuries to his head and face when he was tossed to the pavement.
As for why Asari is the only one who’s facing charges, Masuda died on October 12, due to multiple organ failures stemming from the injuries he sustained in the fight. As a result, Asari is now being charged with manslaughter as well. He has admitted to the charges, but says “I feel deeply remorseful that the person I fought with died.”
Though dueling indictments don’t come up too often, there were at least two instances of them in 2025, one involving a high school student and adult man in Gunma in October, and another in the spring in which two women from rival gangs in Saitama Prefecture arranged to meet up for some fisticuffs through social media.
Violation of the Act Concerning the Criminality of Dueling carries a penalty of between two and five years imprisonment (increased from the law’s original penalty of between six to 24 months’ imprisonment), which would be in addition to any time Asari would have to serve if also found guilty of his manslaughter charges. It’s also worth noting that in addition to fighting itself, challenging someone to a fight, arranging a place for oneself or others to fight, and even gathering to watch the fight can all be considered violations of the dueling law as well. So while Japan remains an overall very safe country, always remember to keep your nose clean and stay out of trouble, especially when you’re in crazy-town Kabukicho.
Source: Asahi Shimbun via Itai News, E-gov
Top image: Pakutaso
Insert images: Pakutaso
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