Breaking Social Order

Toho Cinema

by Reio

You almost forget that you are in Kabuki-cho while most of the people you see seem to be protecting and perpetuating social order while they are waiting or watching a movie. Then suddenly you hear load yelling and see people making big reactions as you are reminded of the city that you are in. Social order is created by the insiders and most people will comply and follow. However, in the city of Kabuki-cho, the town of breaking the social order of the metropolitan area, it is common place for these unwritten rules to be broken.

Introduction

Along with following social order, the act of breaking social order is also great to observe the rules that are present and the ways that people may break them. In kabuki-cho, the breaking of social order is something that occurs frequently and is almost forgiven. This domain will see whether that is as true in Toho Cinema, or if the rules are different to that of the rest of Kabuki-cho.

Waiting Area

Yelling across the floor area

Yelling across the floor is something that is breaking social order. While people will be speaking quite loudly and the waiting area of Toho Cinema is often bustling with people talking and moving, it is very easy to tell when a person yells.

Speaking loudly

Speaking loudly, similar to yelling, is a way to break social order. Especially when they are in line, most people will try to lean toward each other and talk.

The two images above are of a male who came with his girlfriend. In the first image, as his girlfriend went to the cashier to buy snacks, the male was rushing to the bathroom, but was called from across the floor by his girlfriend. He turns around, and instead of going up to her, he yells back his answer of “Caramel Popcorn!” and then continues his rush to the bathroom. It was not taken on camera, but in the moment I had seen the cashier look down and people who were in line looked over as well. These reactions are what confirms these actions as the breaking of social order.

Being too close to other people

While some people do get close to each other along walls and pillars when they are waiting, in the open, or when people are moving, people try to avoid getting too close. Those that do are often looked at and avoided. In the case of the three image sequence underneath, we see a male who, assuming from his clothes, is someone who would be considered an outsider in this area. He understands that being too close is something that is not allowed, so as this group of people comes to the ticket vender, he grabs his bag and moves over, just the slightest bit. This slight bit makes the difference between following and breaking social order, and it seems that this person understands that the rules of space are different to that of the outside in Kabuki-cho.

Sitting down or squatting on the floor

Sitting down or squatting is also a way to break social order. This is something that is breaking social order in many other places across Tokyo as well, However, in Kabuki-cho, it is often over seen. Or at least when it is not in Toho Cinema. In Toho Cinema a different social order is in act, and this person looks to understand that they are doing something that is not accepted, considering the fact that they are doing it behind a sign. The people that did see her would look and whisper to each other, but being behind the sign did protect her from a lot of the people that would have seen this act of breaking social order.

In the Theater

Making large rash movements (big reactions)

Quick or large movements or big reaction is something that causes people to see that person as a rule breaker, or someone that is breaking social order. This was during the showing of a film, so there is no image of the incident, but there was a pair that would clap their hands above their head when something was funny or make big reactions and movements. The people that were sitting behind seemed to be quite annoyed and they were leaning and moving vigorously to show their irritation, but to no success.

Letting kid run around

Children are another aspect that cause the breaking of social order. Parents are expected to keep their children in check in public spaces, and considering the amount of families that come, most of them were very well behaved, or at least well kept by their parents. However, there was an incident where a child began running up and down the aisle while the moving was showing, and the parents had just left them be until the child got bored and made his way back to the seat. The other families that were there were staring at the incident, and some were leaning into their own children to say something. Perhaps to tell them not to act that way, or maybe even praise them for sitting still.

These are the ways that the social order in Toho Cinema are disrupted and broken. From these examples, the fact that the social order is created by people who are outside of Kabuki-cho can be seen quite clearly. The insiders of Kabuki-cho are the night workers, but in Toho Cinema they become the outsiders and the people from outside of Kabuki-cho, like the families and students, become the new insiders. The nigh workers seem to understand this as well as they can be seen following a social order that would otherwise not exist, or be the complete opposite if they were anywhere else in Kabuki-cho.

Now that we have learned about personal identity, space and place, and following and breaking social order in Toho Cinema, we can now move onto the next anomaly of Kabuki-cho. You leave the waiting area of the theater and begin your way down the escalators. As we get lower and lower, closer and closer to the outside, you feel yourself losing the power of an insider as you are thrown back into the bustling city of Kabuki-cho, where you now return to being an outsider. You make your way around the cinema and deeper into the heart of Kabuki-cho, trying your best not to break social order as you make your way to the Shinjuku Batting Center.

Shinjuku Batting Center

Personal identity

Sections

toho cinema

Space and Place

following social order

breaking social order