Security Guards
by Amelie
Who Are They?
There is no way to walk through Kabukicho without noticing the security guards in the area. The tall masculine group of men with all black uniform and the neon yellow vest stands out from the crowd and are easily noticeable even from far away. They are usually spotted in Ichibandori, Hanamichidori, Chuodori, and around Toho Cinema, including the Toyoko Hiroba. Most of the times you will be able to observe them standing or walking around these areas in a pair. Kabukicho, as a well known red-light district in Japan, have several legal and extralegal issues going on on a daily basis, rip-off, scouting, littering, to name a few. In order to prevent such incidents the district has been working hard to advocate people by putting up sign boards, playing announcements, installing security camera, having more patrols by the police, and starting up a volunteer security patrol. Though it is unknown when the security patrol has started, it shifted to hiring private security guards on the field to have eyes on the street, as well as intimidate the people there.
A security guard in Kabukicho.
These security guards are hired by two different groups, one from the Shinjuku city and the other by Kabukicho Shotengai Koushin Kumiai (I will be addressing them as Kumiai from now on). According to Shinjuku city, the former group of security are hired to patrol and to educate the people in the area, mainly catch and scouts, to prevent further violation of the ward regulations, as well as the pedestrians from following them (2021, Shinjuku city). They are also required to submit a form to report about the catch and the store that they work for to the Shinjuku city’s crisis management bureau if they find such action (2021, Shinjuku city). Though they are paid up to 53 million yen from the Shinjuku city during their service, the security guards barely have any authority to catch the violators, nor give out fines or tickets to them. The most that they could do is to talk to them and convince the potential customers that the catch caught to not follow them or listen to them. Which is why the question arises; why does this area need security people? And how does the security guards present themselves to be taken serious in this town?
Map of the area
The area inside the red line is where catch and scouts are especially prosperous in Shinjuku, and is considered to be the district that needs special attention to protect the people around there.
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Conclusion
To answer the question, the security guards are hired to prevent people from disobeying the norms in Kabukicho, such as scouting, littering, and more. They are not meant to be authorized with power to prevent crime but rather serves as an inhibitor towards the people in the area. The strategies to make people uncomfortable enough that they feel a sense of concern about how they appear to others, is what constructs the ordinance between the people in the area. In fact, if the security guards cannot control the situation, they would call the police in the koban to help, such as the time where there was a fight in the Hiroba.
Moreover in order to maintain their authority as a worker in Kabukicho, their appearance contributes largely. First, their outfit somewhat resembles that of a military and police in Japan. This helps to give out the idea that they are exclusive and special in the neighborhood. Second, their masculinity also serves as a means to look tough and intimidating that it prevents people from going near by them as much as possible. Thus these two provides the professional like sense to the security guards in Kabukicho, and boosts their authority to admonish to others. However, of course even if the security people are doing as much as possible to make a safer city, there is always a loophole to the laws and local ordinances. This would further be discussed in THIS section.