Sapporo – Japan’s convenience stores are taking on tasks traditionally undertaken by declining numbers of local police stations, introducing measures to respond to emergencies including those involving women and children. In some instances, employees are required to make life-or-death decisions. To what degree should these stores bear the responsibility?
The Japan Franchise Association (JFA), a consortium of seven convenience store chain operators, launched a “safety station” campaign in the 1990s. Exploiting the fact that most convenience stores are open 24/7, this initiative initially focused on local areas and was later extended to the national level in 2005 after the National Police Agency (NPA) offered its support, recognizing the potential for the stores to contribute to community safety.
Primarily, these efforts involve aiding people in crisis, such as women and children, identifying seniors possibly suffering from dementia, and curbing juvenile delinquency, with approximately ten categories in its entirety. These initiatives are carried out at the discretion of the stores involved as part of their respective operating companies’ social obligations. As of December 2023, there were around 56,719 stores participating nationwide.
Supporting survivors of domestic violence, harassment, disappearance
One factor is the decrease in the number of police substations and local police boxes or “koban” throughout Japan. Kobans have decreased from 6,455 in 2005 to 6,215 in 2024, whereas the number of substations, where officers reside, has decreased from 7,333 in 2005 to 5,923 in 2024. Meanwhile, convenience stores have increased in number from 42,643 stores in 2005 to 57,019 in 2023.
The community safety planning division, part of the National Planning Association (NPA), considers the participating stores under the “safety station” program as crucial for community safety.
According to a recent JFA survey, over 4,448 locations responded to cases of distressed women over 6,681 incidents in the year 2023. Most of these incidents happened between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m., with the primary reasons including stalking, encounters with strangers, and instances of domestic abuse. The report highlights severe cases, including a situation where a junior high school girl escaped from her abusive father and another case where a mother and child were rescued from abduction after discreetly signaling for help by writing “please call the police” at the checkout counter.
Incidents have arisen with this policy. A 17-year-old high school student was allegedly murdered by being dropped from a bridge in Asahikawa, Hokkaido in April. She had looked for assistance from convenience store staff after being confined in a vehicle. However, they did not take any protective measures and did not contact the police because the 22-year-old woman suspected of her murder entered the store and claimed that the victim had mental health issues.
After this incident was reported, people on social media and other platforms had varying reactions, including criticism and speculation that the person could have been saved if the store employees had contacted the police, as well as counterarguments that store staff often consist of part-time workers, including foreigners, seniors and others, who cannot reasonably be expected to provide flawless safety measures.
Awareness above all
How should stores respond? This past October, The Mainichi Shimbun newspaper asked the headquarters of four retail chains – 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart, and Seicomart based in Hokkaido – about their current situation and challenges. All four stated that they do not have established guidelines for reporting incidents or emergency response protocols. They instead claimed that they respond as best they can based on a JFA policy that states, “If a woman who feels she is in danger runs inside to seek assistance, she should be properly protected within the store and the police should be immediately notified.”
Lawson Inc. stated that, to respond appropriately, “A list of emergency contact numbers is posted in store offices and a one-touch security alert system is installed so that all employees can respond in the event of an emergency.”
While the companies did not establish any concrete measures against interference by a perpetrator, similar to the alleged incident that occurred in Asahikawa, each company reported that they conducted awareness-raising activities at all their outlets by October 2024.
One of the convenience store executives questioned the effectiveness of additional rules or guidelines, instead emphasizing the need for thorough staff awareness and training, saying, “I’m not sure why the staff didn’t report it (in the Asahikawa case), whether they thought it was a joke, were distracted by regular tasks, or felt it was too much trouble, or if there were other factors, but I believe it’s essential that staff are fully aware of the issues.”
Expert urges ‘police leadership’
The companies’ responses also included a request for effective cooperation with local governments, law enforcement and residents. Several called for the establishment of a “convenience store support police” system.
As of the end of August 2024, 351 police stations from 27 of Japan’s 47 prefectural police forces, including those in Shimane and Kagawa prefectures, and Tokyo, have implemented this system. By establishing a direct connection between police officers and convenience store staff, quicker cooperation is reportedly achieved in tight situations.
As a result, the National Public Safety Commission issued a notification to prefectural police chiefs and others in September, requesting them to strive for and promote the system’s implementation at all stations.
Hosei University Graduate School logistics professor Yuji Namiki, an expert on convenience stores, commented, “The ‘sensitivity’ required for making proper decisions is something that develops through daily life, making it difficult to rely solely on the judgment of individual store staff. Moreover, the customer service aspect of the business restricts the extent to which staff can intervene. In general, the role of convenience stores in preventing crime and ensuring public safety should be a secondary function.”
Namiki emphasized the need for joint efforts like delivering real-time security footage and audio to the police, stating, “Public safety won’t improve unless the police take charge and the private sector collaborates. Japan’s shrinking population demands a thorough reevaluation of how to ensure local safety nationwide.”
Unfortunately, there is no text provided. Please provide the text in Japanese to be paraphrased in International Edition (English) language.
