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Sumo neighbourhood watch set up
A group of professional Sumo wrestlers has started a neighbourhood watch scheme in a crime-stricken district in Tokyo.
The 15 wrestlers from the Isenoumi stable pound the streets of Edogawa Ward, eastern Tokyo, in pairs or groups of three from 11pm until dawn, reports Kyodo News.
Local shop owner Kazuo Ishizuka, 55, said: "Thanks to this patrol, I feel safe and can sleep well every night. I don't think anyone would commit a crime if they encounter a big sumo wrestler."
Toshio Seki, a 57-year-old resident, said, "I don't know to what extent the neighbourhood watch has contributed to crime prevention. But I'm sure it serves as a deterrent."
The wrestlers take a different route each night, taking notes of findings and events.
They carry whistles, torches and wooden clappers to alert residents of the presence of prowlers.
In 2002, recorded criminal cases in Japan hit a post-war high, having doubled in just 10 years.
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