Machida GION Stadium is the home stadium of FC Machida Zelvia, a professional soccer club with the motto "Machida to the World. While the stadium is easily accessible from central Tokyo to the nearest station (30 minutes) and is surrounded by nature, it can be accessed from many directions, and there are many obstructions, making the management of the entire site a challenge.
The security cameras installed in the current "Machida GION Stadium" are equipped with "Anora," a discomfort detection system. What were the backgrounds and issues involved in introducing the system? We interviewed Hiroyuki Ishikawa, director of stadium management and operations, and Yoshiaki Ito of FC Machida Zelvia.
Japan Sports Facilities Corporation
Machida Municipal Nozuda Park Designated Manager
Director
Mr. Hiroyuki Ishikawa
Zelvia Corporation
FC Machida Zelvia
Partner Business Department
Mr. Yoshiaki Ito
Mr. Hiroyuki Ishikawa (titles below omitted):
The official name of the stadium is Machida Municipal Athletic Field, located in Machida Municipal Nozuta Park. Machida GION Stadium" is the nickname that was decided through naming rights. The stadium is located in a lush natural environment, despite the fact that it is only about 30 minutes from central Tokyo to the nearest station. Visitors can observe wild birds and plants that cannot be seen in the city, and enjoy sports in the midst of nature.
The park is visited for various purposes not only from Machida City, but also from nearby Tama and Hachioji. The total number of visitors to the park as a whole is approximately 260,000 per year, and 150,000 to Machida GION Stadium (hereafter, the stadium) alone.
Mr. Yoshiaki Ito (titles omitted)
We, FC Machida Zelvia (hereinafter referred to as "Zelvia"), are a J2 League member soccer club based in Machida City. Machida GION Stadium" is the team's home stadium, where home games are held every year during the J-League season. Our performance and popularity have a strong influence on the number of visitors to the stadium, which has been on the rise over the past few years thanks to our success.
Ishikawa:
As a result, the facility has been getting bigger and bigger since around 2014 and is now a magnificent stadium with a six-story main stadium, lighting towers and large monitors. This year, in the spring term of 2021, the renovation will be completed to make the stadium "capable of accommodating more than 15,000 people," which will meet J1 standards.
Ishikawa:
Because the park is accessible to an unspecified number of people from many directions, and because it is located in a hilly area with abundant greenery, there are many obstructions such as trees, so there was a risk that the operator would not be able to keep an eye on the park.
An actual case in point is the "vending machine vandalism" that occurred frequently in the park during the 2011-2013 period. Although night security was in place, the incidents occurred through gaps in patrols, which can be found at .......
Also, security cameras were not yet widely available at that time, and in response, we installed security cameras in 2016. Today, security cameras monitor the parking lot area, vending machines, and various parts of the stadium.
Although the amount of damage was not significant, it cannot be overlooked from a park management perspective.
Ito:
Many fans and supporters come to watch games with their families, and we at Zelvia hope that more families will feel safe and secure coming to our stadium. Therefore, we thought it was essential that the stadium be safe, secure, and comfortable.
Ito:
The direct reason was that Asilla-san became a "partner" of Zelvia in 2020, when the stadium renovation work started to progress. As a start-up company headquartered in Machida, Asilla is aiming for the world, and I felt a sense of affinity with Zelvia, which has a similar goal of "bringing Machida to the world.
And as we talked with him, we came to feel that "Anora" would be useful in creating a safe, secure, and comfortable stadium environment.
Anora" can detect any behavior that may cause trouble from the security camera images in the facility. It is impossible to constantly monitor the security camera footage, but with Anora, it is sufficient to respond only when there is an alert of trouble, and a significant improvement in efficiency can be expected.
Also, since no other soccer clubs are taking the same kind of AI-based safety and security initiatives, Zelvia decided to be the first to introduce the system before others do so.
Ishikawa:
Since there was no major cost involved in introducing "Anora," we decided to introduce the system, judging that it would not pose any problems in terms of facilities.
Ishikawa:
We placed the "Discomfort Detection Anora" device against the existing security camera network to stream and process the camera images. Since the installation was as simple as connecting the security cameras and LAN cables, there was no burden on us to get the system up and running. Most of the work was completed through e-mail communication.
What were your impressions of the actual detected images?
Ishikawa:
At first, it was difficult for me to understand immediately, but when I actually watched the video after the explanation, I could understand what kind of uncomfortable behaviors were detected and how they were detected. I felt that AI would acquire video in this way and improve the accuracy of the system.
I was also surprised that only body movements and skeletal structures were detected in the video, and that no personal information was stored. I was relieved to confirm that privacy is also well protected.
Results after introduction
Measurement period: December 1, 2020 - January 24, 2021 (55 days)
Target cameras: 3
Number of undetected cases: 0 (visually confirmed)
Number of people passing through: 14,557 in total
Uncomfortable behavior detected: 225 total
Number of confirmations: Average 4 times/day
Number of actual incidents/accidents: 0
System down: 0 sec.
If an emergency or incident is detected, the facility manager is notified. There were 0 missed cases, and a total of 225 cases of uncomfortable behavior detected, of which 0 were emergencies or incidents requiring immediate attention.
Ishikawa:
In order to make effective use of the Machida GION Stadium, which was built using taxpayer money from the citizens of Machida, we would like to explore ways to utilize the stadium that have never been done before. As an example, we have already decided to use the stadium for weddings and taiko drumming events.
We will also make sure to communicate that the park is safe and secure and uses state-of-the-art technology, and we will continue to operate the park in a way that everyone will be happy to use it.
Ito:
Machida GION Stadium is located on top of a small hill, which has earned it the nickname "castle in the sky. The exterior design is also somewhat reminiscent of a castle. Therefore, starting from the 2021 season, we will develop a new project by calling the home game venue "Castle in the Sky: Nozuda".
At this "Castle in the Sky Nozuda," we have three principles: "protection," "political space," and "residence. In particular, the first and foremost of these, "protection," is "uncomfortable detection anora. From Machida to the world" and "Machida to the world" are philosophies shared by Asilla and Zelvia. While contributing to the community, we would like to aim even higher than the sky while engaging in friendly competition with each other.
