The two most common security arrangements for commercial properties in Tokyo are stationed facility guarding and mobile patrol. They are not interchangeable, and choosing the wrong one wastes money without improving security. Here is a plain comparison of both.
What stationed guarding actually provides ¶
A stationed guard is a visible deterrent and a first responder. They control who enters and exits, manage visitor registration, and are the first point of contact in an emergency. The value is in presence and response time. For buildings with regular foot traffic, multiple tenants, or access control requirements, stationed guarding is usually the right choice.
What mobile patrol actually provides ¶
A patrol vehicle making randomised passes through a site deters opportunistic intrusion. The key word is randomised. Predictable patrol routes are easy to work around. The value is in uncertainty. For car parks, storage yards, and properties that are empty overnight, patrol is often sufficient and significantly cheaper than stationed guarding.
The coverage gap to watch for ¶
Mobile patrol has a coverage gap: the time between passes. For most low-risk sites, this is acceptable. For sites with high-value inventory, sensitive data, or a history of incidents, the gap is a real vulnerability. If something happens between passes, the patrol log will show when the vehicle was last on site, not what happened in between.
Cost comparison for Tokyo properties ¶
As a rough guide, mobile patrol for a single site in the Greater Tokyo Area runs from around ¥12,000 per night. Stationed guarding starts from around ¥18,000 per shift. For 24-hour coverage with stationed guards, the monthly cost is significantly higher. The right question is not which is cheaper but which matches the actual risk profile of your site.
If you are not sure which arrangement fits your site, our security consulting service starts with exactly this question. A site assessment will give you a clear answer based on your specific property, not a general rule of thumb.