A close-protection team from SECOM Jastic

Why it is on the list

SECOM was founded in Tokyo in 1962 as Japan's first security company and guarded the athletes' village at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.¹ SECOM Jastic is its wholly owned guarding company, set up in 1986, with 2,162 staff and its head office in Nishi-Shinjuku.² Its close protection works in pairs: one guard stays with you, riding in the front passenger seat and watching for anyone following; the other arrives first at each stop, clears it of suspicious people and objects, and sets where the car pulls in.³⁴ The guards are trained in first aid and carry an AED, and trained women guards can be assigned.⁴ Cover extends to family members and to a private residence.⁴

It is a protection service, not a companion for the day: for someone to speak for you in meetings, book an interpreter from Simul International; for a doctor at night, call the out-of-hours line at Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic.

How to get it

Call the Tokyo headquarters on 03-6838-9357, or send the contact form and choose close protection (身辺警備); the form takes requests from individuals as well as companies.⁵⁶ Each assignment is planned to order and can run anywhere in Japan; the first consultation is free.³ Say who is to be protected, the dates, the places and whether family or a residence should be covered too, and ask for a woman guard if you want one.⁴

Discretion

The guards do not restrict where you go or what you do; your wishes come first, and they speak up only when safety calls for it.³ The advance guard checks each arrival point before you reach it, and the guard beside you keeps the schedule moving between stops.³⁴ The company also guards executives at shareholder meetings and at talks, ceremonies and press conferences, planning for fans and press.³