In the UK we have Crimewatch UK, a BBC television programme where heinous crimes are re-enacted in the hope that members of the public will call in with vital information, which might lead to an arrest. I think it's a bit like America's Most Wanted, an equally hard-hitting show depicting crimes of great brutality, with clever camera work and some lovely music.

In Japan they have mannequins.

Yes, manneqiuns are being used in the fight against crime. The police are touring the country with some dressed up dummies in the back of the van, stopping outside train stations and asking if they recognise the criminals.

At first I thought the police were trying to sell clothes to raise money for a new bicycle, but it was only when I saw the menacing mannequin's face that it hit me - this was no flea market. This was a man hunt.

I was shocked by how realistic they looked. Indeed, when I first saw them, I half expected one of them to slide across to me and demand all my money. Fortunately for me, they just stood still, like mannequins tend to do. Anyway, it wouldn't have been a good idea as there were several policemen in the vicinity.

One thing alarmed me though. It seemed that the mannequins were without socks. They were in bare feet. I lay awake that night wondering if:
a) the police were in a rush that morning and had no socks available
or
b) Japan's most wanted have no socks


The policeman is real.


Do not approach this mannequin


Without socks.

This entry was posted on Friday, April 21, 2006 at 8:53 pm. You can skip to the end and leave a response.