Fine Notice of 13.33 Million Won Sent to Ramen Shop on First Floor of Mixed-Use Building
Umbrella Stand and Bench in Common Area Resulted in Daily Fines of 470,000 Won Each
Cited for Obstructing Movement and Safety Concerns... Fine Will Not Actu
A management association of a mansion (apartment building) in Tokyo, Japan, has sparked controversy after sending a fine notice of 1.41 million yen (approximately 1.33 million won) to a ramen shop on the first floor over the use of common areas.
On September 23 (local time), TV Asahi's "Good! Morning" reported on the board meeting of the management association, investigating why such a high fine was imposed.
Sudden Regulations... Impact on Other Stores Beyond the Ramen Shop
According to the broadcast, the ramen shop owner said, "If I put an umbrella stand, it's 50,000 yen (about 470,000 won) per day, and if I put a long bench, it's another 50,000 yen (about 470,000 won). In total, it added up to about 1.4 million yen (about 13.23 million won)." The total amount of fines received by the ramen shop this month reached 1.41 million yen (about 13.33 million won).
The mansion in question is a nine-story building in Tokyo, built 48 years ago, located just a three-minute walk from the station. In addition to the ramen shop, several other stores occupy the first floor, and currently, 103 households reside in the building. Beginning this month, triangular cones have been installed in the common areas to restrict parking of bicycles and other vehicles. A local resident said, "Until now, everyone used to park their bikes in front of the stores while shopping. There used to be a lot of foot traffic, but things seem different now."
The sudden regulations have affected not only the ramen shop but other stores as well. The owner of a fruit and vegetable shop, who has been in business for 16 years, said, "I used to display goods all the way to the front of the store. I would even use the space next to it. For a greengrocer, it's impossible to do business using only the inside of the store. No matter which shopping street you go to, shops display their goods out front. Honestly, the number of customers has decreased." He continued, "The items I want to display in front of the store are special deals that catch the eye. I submitted a request to the management association, asking to 'rent the common area,' but I haven't received a response yet."
The Reason for Creating the 'Fine Rule'
Why did the management association create the 'fine rule'? During the board meeting, members expressed opinions such as, "We want to prioritize people's safety. If a disaster occurs and items are scattered everywhere, it becomes dangerous to use the area as an evacuation route," and "This has been an ongoing issue for years. It's not a recent problem."
According to the management association, they have repeatedly requested each store to rectify the situation, citing reasons such as "items placed in the common area damage the aesthetics and make it difficult to secure evacuation routes in the event of a disaster." However, as some stores did not comply, they decided to implement fines. The board stated, "Thanks to the fine rule, the area has become this clean in just a few months."
At an extraordinary general meeting, a majority of residents agreed to specify the exact amount of fines in the detailed regulations for common area use. The chairman of the management association said, "We must also reflect on the association's negligence in making store owners mistakenly believe the common area in front of their shops was for their exclusive use." He added, "Store owners say it's too harsh to impose fines or penalties just because a customer parked their bicycle for 15 or 20 minutes. I understand their perspective. However, the rules must be followed."
Active Dialogue... Fines Will Not Actually Be Collected
The management association and store owners have now begun to engage in active dialogue. The ramen shop owner, who was initially bewildered by the fine notice, said, "It turned out to be a notification error. The decision made in July was not communicated to us. Suddenly, we just received the fine notice and thought, 'What is this?'" The penalty clause in the common area use regulations was only conveyed to the ramen shop landlord in July, and the owner was unaware of it.
The ramen shop owner said, "From now on, the chairman has suggested that we talk things over instead of suddenly issuing fine notices. I agreed to comply with the rules as a compromise." The management association has decided not to actually collect the 1.41 million yen fine that was notified to the ramen shop. The chairman of the management association said, "The next challenge is how to maintain this improved condition. Rather than relying on penalties, I hope the stores and the association can work together to preserve the current state by pooling their wisdom."
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