<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> This paper tackles the question of what kind of views on risk and security prevail in the Japanese private security industry and analyses its discursive structure. A theoretical framework based on the Copenhagen School’s concept of securitisation and its modification by Olaf Corry-the model of riskification-is used to explain processes of shaping notions of risk and security within the discourse. By analysing newspapers and professional magazines, it can be observed that by constantly pointing out the risks, the environment of the private security industry slowly changes, giving private companies further opportunities to act as a positively acknowledged part of society. It is not them, however, who actively shape these circumstances; rather, the broader range of activities are enforced and legitimised by the police that seems to be increasingly interested in joint crime prevention strategies.</p></abstract>

This paper tackles the question of what kind of views on risk and security prevail in the Japanese private security industry and analyses its discursive structure. A theoretical framework based on the Copenhagen School’s concept of securitisation and its modification by Olaf Corry-the model of riskification-is used to explain processes of shaping notions of risk and security within the discourse. By analysing newspapers and professional magazines, it can be observed that by constantly pointing out the risks, the environment of the private security industry slowly changes, giving private companies further opportunities to act as a positively acknowledged part of society. It is not them, however, who actively shape these circumstances; rather, the broader range of activities are enforced and legitimised by the police that seems to be increasingly interested in joint crime prevention strategies.

The Safest Country in the World? Notions of Risk and Security in the Japanese Private Security Industry

Vienna Journal of East Asian Studies

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

This paper tackles the question of what kind of views on risk and security prevail in the Japanese private security industry and analyses its discursive...

The Safest Country in the World? Notions of Risk and Security in the Japanese Private Security Industry

Published Online: Dec 05, 2018

Page range: 83 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjeas-2018-0004

Keywords
private security companies, securitisation, Japan, risk, crime prevention, security, newspaper, discourse analysis

© 2018 Sebastian Polak-Rottmann, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

The Safest Country in the World? Notions of Risk and Security in the Japanese Private Security Industry

Published Online: Dec 05, 2018

Page range: 83 - 106

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjeas-2018-0004

Keywordsprivate security companies, securitisation, Japan, risk, crime prevention, security, newspaper, discourse analysis

© 2018 Sebastian Polak-Rottmann, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
private security companies, securitisation, Japan, risk, crime prevention, security, newspaper, discourse analysis