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Security services
Regulation and RUles
by Erika
Introduction
Golden-Gai is the only place that conducts its own unique regulations (rules) and maintains the society. For example, prohibiting taking photos is a significant example of regulations that Golden-Gai has. In order to protect the private and closed atmosphere, regulations and rules are installed and strictly regulated. The unique regulations and rules that are installed by the people in Golden-Gai are helping the community to generate its atmosphere….
1. Prohibiting Smoking 🚭
The warning board is placed in the G2 Dori. Although the picture on the left was taken in the G2 Dori, you can find boards that are mentioning about how Golden-Gai prohibits people to smoke almost everywhere if you walk around the area.
(It is repeatedly warning people to not smoke. )
→ Thanks to the repeatedly-insisted warnings, I have never seen cigarettes ends or ashes in the street. Indeed, people manage to keep the districts clean unlike other areas in Shinjuku such as Kabuki-cho or Love hotel districts.
Not only does prohibiting smoking in this area keep the district clean, but also it creates a unique style of community.
A group of men smoking in the parking area is near the Golden Gai (There were actually more people smoking, but I only could capture two people in this picture 😞)
The picture on the left is showing a group of men who are smoking in the parking area that is near Golden-Gai since they cannot smoke inside of the district. They are not even speaking a single word when they are smoking together.
2. Prohibiting Photos
Golden-Gai is known for the rule prohibiting photo-shooting and video-taking inside of the area. Even though Golden-Gai is famous for visitors and even foreign tourists, people cannot take photos. If they did take photos, it is clearly mentioned that they will report to the police.
⚠️ If they want to take photos for personal reasons, they need to take certain steps to get permission from the association.
The reason why they gather shooting fees from people who visit the Golden Gai is that
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Golden Gai is a private property (private area) that is supervised and controlled by the association of the Golden Gai.
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Since Golden-Gai is not a public property that is maintained by the government or Shinjuku-ku, it is important to gather the funding by themselves (all the lights, water, and electricities are maintained by their gatherings from customers)
Applications can only be submitted on weekdays between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
4. Separating Trashes
G2 Dori has the trash can spot in front of the parking area. There are 8 cans in total and they are labeled with the types of trash that people can throw away. The length of the trash cans is about 3.4m, which can be called the area, large considering it is only for the trash.
Maybe or Maybe not, because of these trash cans, I did not see any trash left behind on the street.
The cleanness of Golden Gai is protected with these controlled trash cans.
Who controls these trash cans is, the association of Golden Gai. They installed the cans in order to keep the area as clean as possible.
3. Membership System
There are many shops that install the system of membership in Golden-Gai. Membership is a system that an organization utilized in order to limit the quality of the number of customers that are entering the organization. Although membership is not a common system in Japan, you can easily find such bars in this area. WHY…?
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protecting privacy
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controlling the number of qualities of customers
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excuse
And... So WHAT?
Rules and regulations are something that restricts people’s behavior or discourse. It is true that such rules are limiting people’s behavior. For example, it is restricted that people’s smoking in Golden Gai, therefore they need to find other places to smoke. However, with the restricted environment and rules or regulations, there is a possibility of creating new communities. As an example, people are smoking in the parking area instead of smoking inside of the Golden Gai, which created a brand new community with total strangers. Even though rules and regulations are the elements of security that limit people’s behaviors, it also participates in creating new communities in the area.
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