Rising Dark Side Part-Time Job Robberies Boost Demand for Panic Rooms—What’s the Cost of Safety

Consider the evacuation routes in the design stage.

With the frequent occurrence of dark side part-time job robberies, encountering a thief in Japan now means facing a life-threatening situation. Robbers are increasingly targeting homes while the residents are present, aiming to extract information such as hidden cash locations or PIN numbers for credit cards. In this environment, the demand for panic rooms in Japan is growing.

The comment at the beginning comes from Kazumi Yoshiyama, the president of Anchor Housing, a company specializing in the construction of imported homes like American-style houses. The company has recently started offering panic room services after receiving a large number of inquiries, especially given their expertise in building nuclear shelters.

A panic room, also known as a safe room, is a designated space inside a home meant to protect individuals during emergencies or in the event of an intruder. It is designed with features such as hidden doors and reinforced walls to ensure safety. In the U.S., panic rooms are a common feature, particularly in the homes of the wealthy. In Japan, the concept gained attention with the release of the 2002 film Panic Room, starring Jodie Foster.

“The features of a panic room include hidden doors to prevent detection by intruders, reinforced walls to prevent physical entry from outside, and independent communication systems to call for help. It also includes systems for ventilation, toilets, water, and food supplies to ensure comfort during an emergency. Additionally, surveillance systems to monitor the outside of the room are often installed,” says Yoshiyama.

Hidden doors can be triggered by sliding a bookshelf or turning a mirror or art panel, resembling scenes from suspense movies. The walls surrounding the room are made of 12mm-thick steel plates, which Yoshiyama claims are impervious to Magnum bullets. For communication, older panic rooms used independent phone lines to avoid interruption, but now, many rooms include backup mobile phones or internet connections. Some may also feature a panic button that can instantly alert a security company.

 

Assuming evacuation flow lines at the design stage

The most important aspect, according to Yoshiyama, is the location of the panic room.

“The basement has fewer potential entry points compared to the ground floor and offers better defense. It’s also less likely to be noticed, making it easier to conceal the room’s existence. Ideally, you should design an evacuation route from places like the bedroom closet to quickly reach the basement in case of emergency.

If the basement is unavailable and the panic room must be installed on the ground floor, it’s best to consider potential entry points early in the planning stages of the house. You should then design the escape routes, considering the quickest way to ensure safety before finalizing the entire layout of the building.”

Of course, it is also possible to add a panic room to an already built home.

“Many homes have underused spaces, like a 6-tatami-mat Japanese room on the first floor. By surrounding these rooms with iron walls and concealing the entrance, you can convert them into a panic room. The cost is about 10 million yen. A room surrounded by sturdy walls is also resistant to earthquakes.”

For a panic room built from the design stage, the cost starts at around 10 million yen. If it’s a basement-mounted model that can also serve as a nuclear shelter, the cost can be around 30 million yen.

Given the rise in violent crimes, it seems that the demand for panic rooms will continue to grow. Although this may seem like a distant concern for someone like our reporter, whose apartment is packed with items spilling over into the trunk room, it’s likely to become increasingly relevant.

Image courtesy of Anchor Housing (https://ancarshelter.jp/)