Kamakura’s ‘Guardians’ Keep the Peace at Popular Tourist Spot; Volunteers Prevent Sidewalk Congestion in Place Made Famous by Manga ‘Slam Dunk’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:58 JST, October 3, 2025

KAMAKURA, Kanagawa — A community-based crime prevention group in Kamakura has branched out and is now helping to prevent congestion and other problems at a popular tourist spot in the city.

The Kamakura Guardians were on hand Oct. 1 at a railway crossing near Kamakura-koko-mae Station on the Enoshima Electric Railway, which draws many overseas visitors due to its appearance in the hit manga “Slam Dunk.” That day marked the beginning of China’s extended national day holidays, which will continue until Wednesday, so they expected to see large numbers of inbound Chinese tourists.

The city government, which began stationing staffers in the area on a trial basis in mid-September, will also boost the number of traffic wardens from two to between five and seven to cope with the influx of visitors.

Three guardians greeted tourists as they exited the station and headed toward the crossing. “This way,” one said, gesturing toward a nearby park that offers a good spot to take photographs of the crossing. “Hello,” said another.

The guardians’ objective is to prevent tourists from stopping on the sidewalks and in the road to capture photos and videos of the crossing, which is considered something of a sacred spot among “Slam Dunk” buffs. Two or three members will cooperate with the city government’s traffic wardens to provide security for three to four hours in the afternoon when the area becomes especially busy.

Established in 2009, the Kamakura Guardians are a group of about 130 people who conduct crime prevention patrols and provide security at local events such as festivals and fireworks displays.

“It’s also our duty to protect the safe, peaceful day-to-day living of people living near the crossing,” said Sadahiro Otsu, a 62-year-old representative of the group. “At the same time, we don’t treat visitors as though they are a nuisance. We hope they’ll be glad they came to Kamakura.”

The city government’s trial stationing of staffers drew positive reactions from residents, such as one who was pleased that they had been able to travel “smoothly” along the sidewalk. As a result, the city government decided it would try asking visitors to be more mindful and not disturb public order. As well as bolstering the number of traffic wardens until the end of this fiscal year, the city government asked the Guardians to assist during the Chinese holiday period this month.

“It’s heartening to have a citizens group support our efforts,” an official of the city government’s tourism division said. “We hope the administrative authorities and residents will be able to work together to resolve problems in our communities.”