Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 350, The Murder on the Set of a Taiga Drama

The exclamations coming from the warehouse on set interrupted the preparations for the next scene. The entire crew of hundreds of people in the Taiga drama all turned their gazes toward the warehouse.

What happened?
"Oh no! Nishimura has fallen! Call an ambulance! Call an ambulance!"

The NHK props team's screams were deafening, and the entire set was thrown into chaos. The actresses, in particular, were screaming and wearing long kimonos. They tried to get up and run away, but one by one they stepped on the hem of another's dress, and seven or eight actresses fell into a heap, groaning in pain.

My makeup is ruined!

"I have to reapply my foundation!"

"Oh dear, why did this happen?"

The male actors were equally terrified, but relatively calmer. At one moment, everyone's eyes suddenly turned to the man sitting in the rest area.

Muneyuki Uesugi, Special Investigation Division 1 Special Missions Unit, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Department, Special Case Unit, Forensic Examiner!

If there's a murder, is Uesugi involved?
"Don't move! Don't move!" Sure enough, Uesugi Muneyuki immediately stood up and roared at everyone present, "Don't move!"

Uesugi Muneyuki's voice was loud and penetrating, startling everyone on set. The crew's safety officer, assistant director, extras leader, and production assistant, who were about to rush over to check the situation, were all stunned by this inexplicable reprimand and then began to get annoyed.

Who are you, Chicken Neck? Why are you yelling so loudly?

Japanese film sets have extremely strict hierarchical rules, and Taiga drama crews film for extended periods, so everyone knows each other. When an unfamiliar person suddenly speaks to them, many crew members feel offended.

However, upon seeing the person who walked out, the entire crew instantly changed their expressions.

Oh, it's Uesugi-san!
Uesugi-san, this way!

"Don't move! Safety officer, come with me. You all call 119 and 110 immediately!" As soon as there was a murder, Uesugi Muneyuki's aura immediately came into play. He calmly took out the cherry blossom badge, the symbol of the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division, and pinned it to his collar, with his hands behind his back.

(In Japan, the emergency and police numbers are 119 and 110, respectively.)

"Yes!"

After saying that, Uesugi Muneyuki, along with Ikeda Erena and the on-site safety officer, headed to the warehouse.

In a secluded warehouse at the NHK Taiga Drama production studio in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, a crowd had already gathered. When Uesugi Muneyuki arrived, he saw a corpse lying on a steep slope below the secluded prop warehouse.

"Don't move!" Uesugi Muneyuki shouted again, then went forward to examine the body himself.

His appearance quickly caused a sensation at the scene. Many staff members were surprised to see him, and there was a constant stream of discussion and exclamations.

At that moment, only one guy in the crowd noticed the appearance of Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena, and his expression changed drastically.

This, isn't this right?

What's this guy doing here??

According to the filming schedule, he won't arrive on set until tomorrow!

Now, it’s terrible!

If this guy were to perform the autopsy...

As expected, Uesugi Muneyuki immediately began an autopsy on the spot. After confirming that the man was indeed dead, he began to examine the body and immediately learned who he was from the safety officer and the crew leader.

The deceased, Nishimura Yuzuru, 33 years old, was an assistant in the production department of a Taiga drama crew. He was a young, eager-to-show-off but sometimes somewhat reckless newcomer, responsible for coordinating venues, scheduling extras, and some logistics.

The cause of death was a fall from a height. According to Uesugi Muneyuki's on-site examination, he likely slipped on the icy external stairs leading to the set storage area while moving props for the production crew, falling headfirst and sustaining obvious external injuries from the fall.

Uesugi Muneyuki examined the body's clothing again and found that it was still warm, with the outside frozen but the inside soaked with sweat. Clearly, in the extremely cold environment of January, the deceased had slipped and fallen while under extremely difficult conditions, resulting in death.

At least that's what it seems.

But...

Uesugi Muneyuki hadn't even triggered the Soul Contract yet, but he easily saw something different using his spiritual vision.

In his spiritual vision, Uesugi Muneyuki saw a split-toe shoe footprint on the deceased's clothes.

At this moment, producer Takashi Nakamura and director Kenji Tanaka had already arrived at the scene. "Uesugi-san, we've already called the police. Have you found anything?" Producer Takashi Nakamura was sweating profusely. He glared fiercely at director Kenji Tanaka and quickly asked Uesugi Muneyuki, who was squatting down to examine the body.

An accident on set is a serious dereliction of duty! As the producer, he will definitely face disciplinary action!

“There’s no need to call 119 anymore, the person is already dead.” Uesugi Muneyuki said calmly, “Please have the NHK staff maintain order at the scene and wait for the officers from the Tochigi Prefectural Police Headquarters Nikko Station to arrive. Besides that, I need some time to conduct further investigations.”

"...Okay, we understand. We'll leave the on-site work to Uesugi-kun!" Upon learning of the man's death, NHK producer Nakamura Takashi broke out in a cold sweat. Despite the biting wind outside and his drenched shirt inside, the NHK producer's lips trembled as he could only whisper, "Please, Uesugi-san, be sure to communicate with our station before releasing the results..."

“I’m just a forensic pathologist. My job is only to explain things clearly. As for how to communicate, that’s not my business. Please contact Inspector Watanabe Minami, the superintendent of the Special Missions Unit of the First Investigation Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Okay, now I need to perform an autopsy.” Uesugi Muneyuki shook his head.

Erina Ikeda immediately understood, and she stood in front of the NHK producer and director, straightening her back so swayed it was earth-shaking, exuding an imposing aura: "Please step back, do not touch the scene! Wait for the forensic examiner to perform the autopsy!"

Uesugi is coming! Uesugi is here! Back off!
The NHK members obeyed and withdrew, collectively intimidated by Uesugi Muneyuki's imposing presence. They dared not speak or ask any questions, and obediently followed orders.
As a result, the entire Taiga drama crew immediately sprang into action. The lead actors were immediately escorted by their assistants and staff to a safe place to wait, so as to avoid witnessing the tragedy or getting involved in the chaos. At Uesugi Muneyuki's request, everyone was immediately ordered to move away from the crash site and surrounding area, and a cordon was set up (or any available material such as ropes or prop boxes were used to isolate the area) to protect the scene from damage as much as possible.

While performing the autopsy, Uesugi Muneyuki issued one order after another.

The person who fell from the height is dead. Immediately notify the NHK president and the production company's legal representative, and send people to comfort the distraught staff, providing hot water and warm clothing. If any other personnel are feeling unwell due to shock or cold, they should also be cared for.

As soon as possible, gather all cast and crew members in the designated safe area for roll call. Everyone is required to stay put and not leave without permission, and wait for police questioning.

Record the names and locations of first-hand witnesses and remind them to remember what they saw and heard. No one should touch any items at the scene, especially the area around the body, and any potentially related props or equipment.

Uesugi Muneyuki's calm orders quickly gave the crew a sense of direction and made them know what to do.

A large group of actors were ushered into the rest area. Takenaka Naoto, who plays Toyotomi Hideyoshi, accepted the hot tea offered by the staff and was about to go see what was going on when he saw the staff come over and put up yellow lines, indicating that they were not allowed to enter or leave and to wait for the police to arrive.

Staff members have even come over with rosters to take attendance.

The scene was filled with a heavy, sad and uneasy atmosphere.

Everyone was talking about it.

A person died on the set of a Taiga drama! This could be a major blow to "Gunshi Kanbei," which had a viewership rating of 18% for its first episode!
Moreover, because of this accident, the entire filming schedule and progress will inevitably be greatly affected.

It's important to know that Taiga dramas are typically "annual productions," meaning the filming schedule is relatively short and tight. Not to mention, the lead actor, Junichi Okada, is a member of the popular Kansai boy idol group V6 from Johnny & Associates, with numerous appearances, events, and concerts, making filming time even more hectic. Sometimes, they had to film winter scenes in the summer and summer scenes in the winter.

As an aside, Hiroshi Nagano, the lead actor of Ultraman Tiga, had a very tight schedule and was busy with other matters at the time, which forced the Tiga production team to film many episodes featuring supporting characters and main storylines. As a result, it was quite successful, creating a series of vivid and relatable supporting characters.

Sure enough, the producer arrived and announced a complete halt to filming, and that no one could leave until the police arrived.

For a moment, the rest area was completely silent.

Naoto Takenaka, still wearing Toyotomi Hideyoshi's golden kimono, complained helplessly to the other extras, "Look, Uesugi Kagetora has brought his concubine, Ikedain, to Kyoto and imprisoned us all. It seems he wants to become the Shogun and be our lord!"

Upon hearing this, laughter erupted on set, especially since Naoto Takenaka was still dressed in Hideyoshi's clothes.

"I've heard so much about him, Uesugi Forensic Examiner... Well, as Nene, it feels a bit strange to be imprisoned by the Uesugi clan." Actress Hitomi Kuroki took a liking to Uesugi Muneyuki's handsome and aloof appearance and sharp temperament as soon as she saw him. However, she was already over fifty years old. If Uesugi Muneyuki had been born twenty years earlier, he might have been her type and her target.

She just loves this tender texture.

"I never imagined that the Taiko-dono would be overthrown by his subordinates!"

"Toyotomi Kōgi? Three days to rule the world!"

"The Nikkoji Incident! The enemy is on the set of a Taiga drama! Uesugi Mitsuhide has wiped us all out!"

Many actors on set played with various historical references.

"Lord Taiko, quickly find your all-powerful military officer, Heibei, and think of a solution!" someone shouted.

The lead actor, Junichi Okada, smiled awkwardly and did not answer. Kansai Johnny & Associates really disliked Uesugi Muneyuki, but their business scopes were vastly different, and Uesugi Muneyuki was backed by the powerful Metropolitan Police Department, so there was no need to offend him; it was best to keep to ourselves.

Seeing that Okada Junichi did not answer, Takenaka Naoto, relying on his seniority, teased his brother Uesugi Sadanori: "This, this is not right, is it? Uesugi Gon Chunnagon (Uesugi Kagekatsu's official title)? I seem to remember that Kagekatsu won the Otate Rebellion. It seems that I should talk to the producer and ask you brothers to switch roles?"

Takenaka Naoto's awkward joke made Uesugi Sakunori's face turn sour, and he could only laugh awkwardly. However, looking at his younger brother who was performing an autopsy in the distance, a strange idea suddenly arose in Uesugi Sakunori's mind.

Cedar seems to be particularly energetic and fond of women... He'll definitely have no shortage of offspring in the future...

(End of this chapter)