The country that banned The Rolling Stones: “What are you scared of?”
Controversy has typically lurked around the corner throughout The Rolling Stones‘ career. They are no strangers to public vilification, being the enemy of the press, and having songs banned from the radio. However, even by their standards, being unable to perform in an entire country was extreme.
Although The Rolling Stones did use their image as hellraisers to their advantage by playing up to it, which enhanced the band’s reputation in the eyes of many and, ultimately, drove up record sales, it did also arrive with its drawbacks. One major reason for being in a rock group is to tour the world and perform live, a privilege that didn’t extend to every country for The Stones.
For decades, The Rolling Stones weren’t permitted to play in Japan despite being the biggest band in the world, with the capacity to sell out arenas and boost local economies. Their status as superstars counted for nothing in the eyes of the Japanese authorities, who viewed them as a poisonous influence on their population.
It took until The Rolling Stones announced a concert in Japan, set to take place on January 27th, 1973, for the band to discover they were banned from doing so. As Mick Jagger had a drug conviction in 1967 as part of the Redlands bust, which came following a lengthy targeted campaign by the News of the World, visa issues for Japan arose.
Although Jagger was arrested in 1967 along with his then-girlfriend Marianne Faithfull, they only spent a night in prison, and he was no ardent criminal. They were never sentenced to jail as part of the Redlands drugs bust, and Jagger essentially received a slap on the wrist; however, despite this, it was an association which continued for decades and, at times, made life extremely difficult for The Rolling Stones. While most countries in the world would have rolled out the red carpet treatment for The Rolling Stones, Japan operates a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs. Therefore, Jagger was solemnly forced to stay at home.
Eventually, The Rolling Stones finally had the chance to perform in the country, but it took until 1990, and more unwanted complications later appeared in the pipeline. Their relationship with the country remained complex even after the Asian country had seemingly accepted them, and their skirmishes with Japanese law weren’t over.
Surprisingly, their approval from Japan was down to Jagger, which is ironic considering he was also the very reason they initially had visa issues. In 1988, he toured the country as a solo artist, a test run for The Rolling Stones, who arrived in 1990, and the victory lap didn’t disappoint.
It was carnage when they arrived at Narita Airport before their show at the Tokyo Dome, as Japan laid eyes on The Rolling Stones in the flesh for the first time. The show was sold-out, with 50,000 fans paying $70 to see them in action for a night that lasted long in the country’s memory.
Keith Richards later discussed the ban with Google Play, explaining how it perversely worked in their favour, stating, “I always figured they were making a big mistake. It only made people wonder why you weren’t letting us in. What are you scared of? We’re just a bunch of guitar players for Christ’s sake.”
However, the only reason the show was allowed to go ahead was that Jagger was given special dispensation from the Japanese state ahead of the performance. Furthermore, despite receiving a hero’s welcome, he still wasn’t allowed to visit the country freely, which led to a commotion in 1992.
Jagger had tried to enter the country for a short press trip to promote his movie, Free Jack, but he was refused entry.
Even though it was 19 years after the initial visa refusal, the frontman was still an enemy in Japan’s eyes. However, this was thankfully the final issue he had with the Asian nation. Although Jagger faced two decades of visa troubles, The Rolling Stones now regularly perform in Japan, and much to the delight of the authorities, the frontman has never broken any laws while in their country.
