So are you looking to take along flight to Japan any time soon and need something to eat up all those long, boring hours on a
commercial airliner? Well, don’t look to
your Nintendo DS or any other portable video game system or wireless-enabled
device to take up that slack for you any time soon. Japanese lawmakers have completely banned the
use of all wireless gaming systems.

From the Hollywood Reporter:

Playing wireless hand-held video games on Japanese airplanes
no longer will be allowed after a revised law enforcing an earlier ban went
into effect Monday.

Previously, passengers were asked by airlines to refrain from using gaming
systems with built-in wireless functions, like Nintendo’s popular DS.

But Japan’s
transport ministry has concluded that the electromagnetic waves emitted by the
consoles have the ability to interfere with aircraft navigation systems and
other devices.

Passengers still will be permitted to use game systems that lack integral
wireless communication functions.

The law also has been relaxed to permit the use of electric razors, calculators
and cassette players.

Wireless computer mouses have also been
banned aboard flights, along with headphones that are not provided by the
airlines.

Battery chargers and toys that give off
electronic sounds can’t be used during take-offs and landings, the ministry
said.

Now here in America,
we’re only limited using that sort of stuff during takeoffs and landings, and
we can’t use cell phones at any time, but the kicker to me is banning
headphones not provided by the airline. Obviously this is meant to force the rider to buy those expensive
airplane headphones during the flight, forcing the user to depend on the
airline for entertainment.

Why can’t all airlines be as progressive as Virgin America,
who plans to offer wi-fi service on all flights starting in 2008?