Abstract
The aim of this paper is to approach “the problem of order of subcultural groups", derived from Claude S. Fischer's “Subcultural Theory of Urbanism", by analyzing a shopping center organization in Mid-Tokyo's amusement district, Kabukichô. “The problem of order of subcultural groups" can be summarized as the problem of how urban society, consisting of various subcultural groups, can avoid collapsing despite its presence within a highly unstable situation.
For this purpose of this study, the following methods were adopted: (1) interviewing members of the shopping center organization, shop-owners, officers of the local government and the police, (2) participant observation in various activities such as meetings and patrol activities of the shopping center organizations and (3) surveying official/unofficial documents and statistics.
It was found that the shopping center organization in Kabukichô has dualistic organization, consisting of both “The Shopping Center Promotion Union" and “Chô-kai-s (communities of shoppers)". Under dualistic organization, the shopping center organization has dual membership criteria and activity zoning. It has a Janus-like nature to it, which is to say, a nature that mediates between the sex industries and the local government that tries to avoid them at any cost. Because of its dualistic organization, the shopping center organization can achieve a very delicate balance between various actors under the situation that Kabukichô accommodates many sex industries.
