.png)
Personal Space
Maintaining safeness
by Reo
Just take a second and consider what impression you have of Kabukicho Golden-Gai. Maybe you might think of this place being a shady, dark, and dangerous place. Yes, the image is like this, but still, people visit this place and why is this? One reason is that this place is not actually, shady nor dark. Most importantly, it's not even dangerous. People feel safe when they visit here; therefore, continue to have a drink in their favorable shops. Take a look below to find out why and what aspects Golden-Gai provides a safe public place.
What is a Safe Space?
The public needs people to have congregant behavior to feel safe in public places. (Gurian, 1995)
Safeness in Golden-Gai, like the quote above, is maintained by several aspects that force the visitors to feel that they have to follow the rules. Everyone feels the necessity to follow the rules, and safety emerges.
Another quote supports the assumption above. Visitors are always following rules. They follow rules and then enjoy. They assume that others do the same as well. Then a loop. Customers feel that they are safe all the time if they feel the necessity to have safety in the place. Visitors feel that they are safe because the safety is maintained. The environment in Golden-Gai allows all the visitors to feel the necessity to follow the institutional rules.
Safety can be maintained with the assumption that others will follow the rules based on the institutional practices (Zetterstrom-Sharp & Wingfield, 2019)
Maintaining Security Level with Objects
The way that people interpret the place depends could depend on the security level. The security gives people a safe feeling about Golden-Gai. They will be able to engage in the community without worrying. In Golden-Gai there are a lot of elements that allow the security to be maintained.
Siren and Surveillance Camera
The Purpose of these objects
These objects show the town is secured. When something happens, shops can soon let others notice their issues. Something happens and someone would know. The safe feeling created in this place is a key to maintaining security. Just by looking at the siren, visitors would feel that the town itself is conscious of danger.
Check Erika’s page for more information about the Security Services
Sirens
Sirens are placed in the purple circle. Each of the streets has two, one for the left row and one for the right row. Each store also has its mini siren and they are all connected to this siren on the main roads.
Well, interestingly, no one has ever seen this siren being active. Moreover, the police didn’t know why this siren was attached to streets in Hanazono. Then why do they have them? The real meaning was revealed by the staff in a shop. She said that the siren is to let the other shops know when there is a fire. This is because most of the buildings are closely connected, all shops might go down when one shop is on fire. Let’s just hope that no shop has an accident unless every shop goes down…
Cameras
Cameras are also placed on top of the siren. By taking a look at the map on the left side, we can easily notice the number of sirens. Some have 2 and some streets have only one, but all of them seem to notice every passenger who walks by.
The security camera is functioning as a material that could restrict one’s action. Visitors think that they are monitored. The created surveillance system allows the place to claim that it is safe. Even though we can not physically see the camera, the posters claim that there are cameras. The feeling of being observed gets stronger.
Police Station
The existence of a police station is giving a great opportunity to maintain safety. Police have the authority in the place, giving a great impression that the place is safe enough. When thinking about where you would call help when you have trouble, you would probably go to the police. The police station as an object is a landmark for people that they can feel the existing safety.
The location of the police station is close to the Golden-Gai which enables the place to be safe and if something happens, officers would be able to go as soon as possible. Some people who need help also have a better opportunity to talk about the issues they might have.
The diagrams show the distance from Golden-Gai shown below in the diagram, revealing the closeness of the police station. Closer as it gives more idea of safeness.
The Control
Union
The union is located inside Golden-Gai. You can access this spot quite easily when you enter from the Kuyakusho-side.
The interview that our group conducted led us to know that in Golden-Gai there are two unions. The Shinjuku Golden-gai Shoten-gai Shinko Kumiai (新宿ゴールデン街商店街振興組合) and Shinjuku Sanko Shoten-gai Shinko Kumiai (新宿三光商店街振興組合). The former union controls the G1 and G2 streets and the latter controls the streets with Akarui Hanazono (明るい花園).
The union inside Kabukicho gives the sense that the place is maintained as a group, not as an individual. This is an example of direct maintenance rather than indirect ones such as cameras and sirens. Users of this town feel the sense that the union has the power which other towns usually don’t.
Check where the union here
Posters
The power of this union can be seen almost everywhere not only when people see this actual union in the Golden-Gai. The poster is a good example since they are frequently placed in Golden-Gai where every visitor can see them.
Posters restrict people to take a photo or films. They specifically state “No photos for commercial purposes” and “For photo licensing please call.” They have their numbers down below for people to use it. Also, posters give people rules to follow in Golden-Gai. The poster below lists rules: no loud voice, no smoking, and no drinking on the road. People watch these posters and unconsciously or consciously consider following the rules. One reason that accelerates this is the vast amount of similar posters placed.
More info about posters? Check them here.
And So What?
Feeling safe is one of the most important features for visitors to go into a town. You would not feel like going there if you feel like your life might be in danger. Moreover, would you like to drink there? The answer is no. When they feel their safety they then have their personal space where they can drink and talk with others. Think Golden-Gai as a safe place and try to visit there to find new interesting aspects of it. Golden-Gai will be always open, 24 hours!
Sections
Personal Space