Kiosks and koban

Kiosks and koban (2007/5/6, Japan Times)

According to a Japan Times' editor, Kiosks and koban are two of Japan's respected institutions. They symbolize Japan's most basic values, which are "safety" and "efficiency".
But nowadays, changing of circumstances around them changes needs for them. Kiosks lose their position as "the most useful convenience stores in stations" because of increasing "Eki-Biru" or shopping mall in stations.
About kobans, too, the demands for kobans as "the way of asking how we can get to" is decreasing because of the Internet service. Thus, the number of them are decreasing.
The editor thinks that the ever - ready convenience of Kiosks and mental security of koban are the basic certainties of Japanese life.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/ed20070506a1.html

※There are 1613 Kiosks in area of Higahi Nihon (Eastern Japan) . By search in Higashi Nihon Kiosks website.
http://www.ej-kiosk.jregroup.ne.jp/cgi-bin/disp.cgi?frame=0&file=company/index.html

※There are 6362 koban in Japan. By search in Wikipedia.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/交番