We have all seen it:

- three men waving flags on a highway to indicate a lane closure

- five policemen standing at the pedestrian crossing outside Lumine in
Shinjuku to direct pedestrians across a street that maybe 1 car in 5 minutes
uses

- five security guards directing traffic/pedestrinas at a quiet intersection
outside JRA betting-hall in Shirahama, Fukushima-ken

- the seemingly pointless lone flag-waver/whistle-blower directing buses
into/out of the bus terminal at Nagoya Station

Is this disguised unemployment on the downturn or still a "necessity" of
Japan? I am not totally against it, as it keeps people off (living on) the
streets in a country with such a poor social welfare system.