Wayspot Title:Stained Glass of Tabata Sky Heights
Location (lat/lon): 35.7460929, 139.7600000
City:Tokyo
Country:Japan
Screenshot of the Rejection Email:
Additional Information:
The Gym object (stained glass) is located inside the entrance hall of a private residential apartment building (where residents’ mailboxes are).
- Non-residents cannot enter, and from outside it is only faintly visible through the automatic doors, making it very difficult to view or confirm.
- There is also a sign at the entrance clearly stating: “No unauthorized entry or loitering in the entrance or hall.”
This Gym is on private residential property, not publicly accessible, and presents safety concerns.
According to Niantic’s criteria, Wayspots must be publicly accessible and safe for everyone.
Therefore, this Gym should be removed.
Hey, only Single Family Private Residential Property is not allowed under Wayfarer. You can not remove this, even if only the residents have access. Locations never have to be accessible by the entire public the entire time.
In such cases, only the owner or managing organisation can request a deletion.
2 Likes
This is incorrect on both points. Wayspots must be accessible by people when on foot, meaning it must be possible and safe for at least some people to stand at the precise point of the wayspot and stare at their phones. They do not have to be accessible to everyone and can be in gated compounds.
Private property rejection is for single-family private residential property.
2 Likes
Thank you for your clarification. I understand that single-family private residential property is the main restriction under Wayfarer rules, and that locations inside multi-family residential buildings may still be accepted if they are considered accessible to at least some people.
In this particular case, however, the stained glass is located inside the locked entrance hall of the apartment building, where only residents can enter. For non-residents, it is only faintly visible through the automatic doors and cannot be accessed or viewed properly. There is also a sign at the entrance explicitly stating “No unauthorized entry or loitering in the entrance or hall.”
I appreciate your input, and based on your advice I will consider contacting the building management to see if they would be willing to make a formal removal request directly to Niantic.
Hi @shingo014
Areas do not have to be available for everyone to have access to a poi. There are plenty of amusement parks, gated communities, and even wayspots in apartment/condo buildings that have limited access to eligible wayspots.
The below is taken directly from the information provided in the review flow:
Note the top which clarifies details on appropriate locations.
Adding that I see nothing wrong with this wayspot. Residents, their guests, and staff are able to engage with this spot. I know it can be disappointing for those outside but I am not seeing any reason to report or escalate this one.
2 Likes
Can I ask if there is a specific reason why you want this wayspot which does not appear to have been causing any issues and sounds eligible removed?
1 Like
Thank you for your replies. I would like to clarify why I believe this Wayspot is problematic.
・At the entrance of the building, there is a clear sign stating: “No unauthorized entry or loitering in the entrance or hall.”
・However, because this is a Gym in Pokémon GO, players are encouraged to stop and gather near the entrance, which directly conflicts with the posted rules.
・This is not only inconvenient for the residents but also creates a potential safety and security issue.
So the concern here is not just that non-residents cannot enter. The issue is that the existence of this Gym actively encourages behavior (loitering and stopping at the entrance) that is explicitly prohibited by the building management.
Here is the photo of the sign at the entrance for reference. It clearly shows the rule against loitering, which this Gym directly contradicts.
For these reasons, I believe this Wayspot should be reconsidered for removal.
It may be possible to have the wayspot downgraded from being a Gym to being just a Pokestop, which might help as this might not be encouraging people to loiter.
However, if this is causing a problem for building management, the property owner can request that a wayspot is removed using the link below without needing to give cause, while players can only request that wayspots are removed if they are invalid (for the purposes of wayfarer, which this isn’t).
Hello, nice to meet you. In Japan, even in the public areas of apartment buildings, if such a sign is posted, entering for the purpose of accessing a Wayspot would constitute trespassing and could lead to charges. Niantic also requests that we prioritize and follow real-world rules (laws). As others have already mentioned, while access is restricted, it remains a location equally accessible to all residents of that building. Therefore, even if we normal users (Wayfinders/Explorers) request it, the Wayspot will not be removed. Even if it’s not a place anyone can enter, the Wayspot remains valid.
Since that building is a condominium complex, there should be a homeowners’ association organized by the owners. If the owners or tenants living under lease agreements find it problematic, the management association will submit a removal request. As long as that stained glass exists, it won’t be removed for any other reason. There are likely PokémonGO and other Niantic game users among the residents. If it were removed by someone not living in that complex, wouldn’t those residents feel it was unfair?
1 Like
Thanks.
Have residents been complaining or are you a resident?
If there are no issues coming from the people in the building then all is well. There is no need to remove the gym.
The impression you are conveying is that it is you that wants this gym removed, but have not stated why this specific gym in Pokémon Go is problematic at this location. Apologies if this is wrong impression and something is getting lost in translation.
2 Likes
Thank you for your reply and for asking for clarification.
To be clear, I am not a resident of this building.
My concern is not about fairness or personal access, but about the conflict between the posted sign (“No unauthorized entry or loitering in the entrance or hall”) and the behavior that a Gym naturally encourages. A Gym brings people to stop and gather, which directly contradicts the building’s rules, while a PokéStop would allow the Wayspot to remain but with only brief interaction.
I understand that complete removal can only be requested by the property owner or management. But could you please clarify if there is any official process for players to request a downgrade from Gym to PokéStop, or if this is only handled automatically by Niantic?
Thank you again for your guidance.
Hi
There is not a process for players to request changes in this way. This is because unfortunately some people would act maliciously to disrupt individuals or to try and create an advantageous position on the gameboard for themselves. Hence restricted to property owners.
I appreciate that you have concerns about what you interpret as a poor situation but that is not how wayfarer sees this. Players are reminded to respect local trespass laws etc. Unless there is poor behaviour and the management of a property wishes the wayspot to be removed then there is no issue.
I’m sure you will repeatedly see this situation as you go around Tokyo it is not something that you personally need to be concerned with.
4 Likes
Thank you very much for the clear explanation.
I now understand that players cannot request a Gym to be downgraded to a PokéStop, and that such changes can only be made by the property owner or management.
I really appreciate the time and effort you and others here have taken to explain this to me. It has helped me understand the Wayfarer process much better.
Thank you again for your guidance.
3 Likes
