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Personal Space
What Leads to Privateness?
Objects that lead to having a private environment
by Reo
As soon as we enter this shady town in Kabukicho, we notice that many objects are different from what we see in the streets in Shinjuku. Why do these objects make us feel distinguishable from other places in Tokyo? Also, there is a constant question that the reason why visitors feel that they want to visit the place again and again. One aspect that allows them to feel like this is the objects that create privateness…
Introduction
Kabukicho, Golden-Gai, and Objects
As persons’ needs demand it, they will assign new meanings to objects and make different usages of existing institutions. (Karp, 2015)
From the quote, we can understand that people utilize the objects as they interpret them as their own objects. Think about your smartphone. Once your smartphone becomes yours, you know that you are going to use it to text, call, or search for information. In the context of your lifestyle, you might also want to check your health condition every day which is not a concern for other people who got their brand new smartphones.
Similar to the example above, objects in Golden-Gai is an objects utilized by people to create their own personal space where they can feel at home. More specifically, objects in Golden-Gai are distinguishable in the point that they create privacy. The privateness allows people to enter the place more easily and let them create a community inside. The objects are the key for people to feel that they are feeling privateness. They will let customers to feel they are private enough so they want to visit again.
Entrance
The entrance of the buildings gives information about what kind of place they are. Most shops do not reveal their insides. Having a small entrance enables the place not to be revealed. The right picture is a good example showing that they have a way to show inside by the glass door but hiding them with a refrigerator. Entrances are only about 1 meter wide, which is only for 1 person to enter at the same time.
Most of the entrances seen in Golden-Gai are relatively these types, small and narrow. They help the shops to have less information about the outside when closing the door and sometimes if the doors are open, the shops want to reveal the inside. Either way, the entrance restricts the sight to the inside.
Take a look at the diagram that I have roughly created with windows software. This reveals the importance of how much people could see at the same distance standing in front of a small and narrow entrance and a big and wide entrance. It is quite obvious that the small and narrow entrance prohibits the observers from further looking inside because there are more blind spots.
Posters
Posters are showing the stance of the site. Specific rules or description of the place allows these bars or restaurants to be a private place. Posters that give specific explanations generate meanings to give people a private environment.
They sometimes say “members only,” which restricts the customers who are not members to enter the place. The poster is excluding people to create a private environment. Other posters point out specific customers, “shy” people for example. By having these words people who fit this place are less which makes more of a privateness.
Kabukicho Golden-Gai posters that show specific rules that can only be applied in that place. Golden-Gai posters let the people follow these particular rules. Posters allow people who enter the place to have the information which is the rule to follow. People who observe these posters have to follow the rules to feel that they are part of Kabukicho Golden-Gai which creates a specific community.
Lights
The lights seen in the streets are not as bright as they are, giving this place a distinguishable characteristic. Places that are dark enable people not to see others’ faces clearly. In other words, the person walking will not be seen by others as well. Walking this area with a memo in hand makes it hard to take a memo with a pencil. Posters on the shops’ walls are also difficult to see.
Lights here are mostly the types on the right shown in the photo. The lights here are unlike the neon and light near Kabukicho Chuo-Dori. The distinguishment made here enables the place to be particularly different. In the sense that darkness creates more privacy, it is easy to say that the lights are helping Golden-Gai to create a private environment.
Lights, colors, sense? Here!
Streets
Small and narrow streets are familiar in Golden-Gai. Small and narrow space gives a sense of a private atmosphere. You should feel comfy studying in a seat with a board on your left and on your right rather than studying in an open space. You have a feeling that you are not watched too much by others. Also, the way that the streets are made prohibits a large number of people to come in. The closed community is created by these aspects. Streets are only 1 to 2 meters wide.
The map on the right side is roughly showing the number of the width in Golden-Gai. the lowest is 1.3 meters and the widest is 3.36 meters. In 1.3 meters street, it feels like only one person can walk beside a person. Other roads are almost 2 meters wide, but still not wide enough for 3 people to walk in a row. The restriction of the number of people entering Golden-Gai is an aspect that has a more limited number of customers and, therefore a more private environment.
Signboards
Signboards cover the sky which enables the street to be dark and closed. Just by looking at the photo on the right, there is less sky seen. Entering the street immediately enables people to see how much the signboards are covering the sky.
The left and the right side is covered by building and since the streets are narrow, it feels like the person is trapped. The more the signboards covering the top, the more people would feel that they are not revealing themselves. This means that looking at the sky, the sky is usually covered with signboards which makes the sky unseen even though it's outside.
The picture on the left side, again hand-drawn, shows the effect of signboards in Golden-Gai. When looking at the sky in a way that does not bother the person lifting their faces too high allows them to see signboards rather than the sky. The size of the signboards differs which creates a different way for the sky to be shown when walking beneath the signboards.
Signboards here!
Stairs
The stairs are closely connected to the architecture. Stairs are distinguishable features of these buildings. They are steep and can possibly hide people’s bodies immediately. Stairs here are relatively short and only lead the customer to the second floor and nothing more.
Most of the stairs outside Golden-Gai have more width and they are not too steep. The building itself is forcing the stairs to become this way; however, creating distinguishable features. Because of this, the place seems like they are hidden spots.
This characteristic also connects to the entrance section where it talked about how much the observer can see the inside of the shop. Take a look at the section once more and notice that stairs like this hides more information as an entrance.
And So What?
All of the objects help people to have their own image or sense that they are being provided a personal space. Every object has its meaning to construct this town. Golden-Gai has a bunch of these features enabling a lot of visitors to become regular customers who feel like the place is their personal space.
Sections
Personal Space