Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 355, The Approaching Threat

Sushiro is a very common, affordable chain sushi restaurant in Japan. The average cost per person is only 1000-2000 yen. Even a foodie like Uesugi Muneyuki could easily spend 3,000 to 4,000 yen if he ate and drank to his heart's content. Therefore, using this to treat someone is a very insincere gesture.

However, after the bursting of the bubble economy and the disillusionment with consumerism, the Japanese do indeed value "practicality." Many prime ministers and cabinet ministers prefer to eat cheap food from Matsuya Yoshinoya or even udon rice balls from convenience stores, emphasizing "accessibility."

Many Japanophiles like to use these examples to show how "clean" Japanese bureaucrats are, but this is pure nonsense. The so-called 300 yen 7-Eleven rice ball for lunch and 100,000 yen ryotei for dinner are not contradictory. The prime minister and ministers eat cheap chain fast food restaurants because it is quick, plentiful, and saves time and is convenient. Secondly, it is also to put on a show that they are in harmony with the people and maintain a good reputation. After all, Japan is ultimately a vote-based political system. If they eat too well and it is exposed, they may not be able to get voted for next time.

The Japanese are very conservative and realistic in this respect: if you don't want to be a minister or a member of parliament, there are plenty of people who do!
However, Uesugi Muneyuki was neither a bureaucrat nor a public figure, so his behavior was not actually restricted by these factors. Therefore, Chief Kirenkawa thought that this kid was really too stingy. If your grandfather invited me, it would at least be a Saito-ya restaurant, costing ten or twenty thousand yen per person.
“It’s not something that’s difficult to do.” Uesugi Muneyuki still respected this former member of the nobility: “I just need you to give me a little bit of information during your investigation, Chief…”

"Come on! You brat, you cause trouble wherever you go, even ruining an NHK Taiga drama! And you're still putting on airs behind my back? Did Kunihiro-san teach you this kind of behavior?" Chief Kirenagawa couldn't help but complain, "The Kabukicho incident isn't over yet, and now you've stirred up a Taiga drama corruption case. Is there anything in Japan you wouldn't dare to do?"

Uesugi Muneyuki thought to himself, "Is this my fault?"

Is the corruption issue in Taiga dramas not the fault of the production team and producers, but mine? Is the Kabukicho major case not the fault of the host club system and Yasue Saijo, but mine?

"Speak, what exactly do you want to ask me for a favor?" Chief Kirenkawa asked again. "I can't agree to anything too troublesome, after all, I'm just a humble public servant."

"A public servant with an annual income of 1300 million yen, huh?" Uesugi Muneyuki rolled his eyes.

"I want to ask the department head..." Uesugi Muneyuki said his request in a low voice.

"Emmm~" Chief Kirenkawa hesitated for a moment, then nodded reluctantly: "Although... you've offended too many people, we don't know where to start investigating. Okay, I'll let you know if I have any leads."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Chief." Uesugi Muneyuki thought for a moment, then suddenly smiled and said, "There's one more thing."

"And another thing???" Chief Kirenkawa's face immediately darkened: "Then you'd better bring another document in exchange! One thing at a time, there's no reason why you can make endless demands just because you helped me once."

"No, all I want to say is that I love Taiga dramas, and I'm not afraid of them." Uesugi Muneyuki said calmly, "We are all descendants of the former feudal lords and noble families. The existence of Taiga dramas is the best publicity for us... Although this kind of thing has been over-made, and although the more it is made, the greater the gap between it and history becomes, it is still a Taiga drama after all. I hope that there will be a day when it can be restarted."

"Oh, that." Headquarters Chief Kirenkawa nodded. "Everyone shares the same idea: we'll be making a move on Kasumigaseki."

This is a very serious issue because NHK's revenue largely depends on taxpayers' money. Therefore, it's understandable that people would be furious if they felt their money was being embezzled.

Watching TV isn't a necessity. If rice prices are high, the farmers' association can say, "What can you do to me? Try not eating rice and only eating noodles."

If NHK does this, the public's anger will overthrow the entire national broadcasting association.

The predictable outcomes would include the NHK president resigning, all senior board members involved in the incident resigning, a complete overhaul of the production department, a judicial investigation of the Gunshi Kanbei crew, the formation of a special third-party investigation committee, the permanent cancellation of already filmed episodes, and possibly even the permanent end of the Taiga drama series.

To be fair, even though there's nothing left to film in Taiga dramas, even though there's almost nothing new to film and the fatigue is at its peak, even though the actors are constantly crossing over between different roles and the plots are idolized and childish, as long as the Japanese still film the Honnoji Incident, still fear the Ko-Echigo Wars between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen, and still film the Tokugawa pacification of Hojo, the ochazuke-eating scene, and the Siege of Osaka at Sekigahara, there will still be viewers, and many viewers at that.

The Three Kingdoms theme in China has been thoroughly overused, but people still love to talk about it whenever it's mentioned. Everyone can chime in, since most people are very familiar with the characters and their memes.

Taiga dramas were the golden brand for these former feudal lords and aristocratic families to promote themselves.

General Manager Waki ​​Renkawa had a simple meal at Sushiro, and Uesugi Muneyuki paid the bill, which totaled 4396 yen including consumption tax.

Rice is expensive, and as a result, sushi is getting more and more expensive. Uesugi Muneyuki's face darkened as he noticed that Sushiro had also raised its prices.

The most infuriating thing is that the governor of Akita Prefecture is also one of our own people, the head of the famous Hitachi Satake family! He has served as the governor of Akita Prefecture for more than ten years.

The Tohoku region of Japan is the stronghold of the Chinese aristocracy. Including the Yonezawa Uesugi clan, this group of people are not only beneficiaries of the system, but also staunch supporters and base of Uesugi Sōsetsu. This year, when his grandfather, father, and brother returned to the Tohoku region, all the old descendants of the Chinese aristocracy came to pay their respects and bring gifts. They were extremely excited and eager to see Uesugi Sōsetsu. Many of them even brought their daughters with them.

superstar!
Our former feudal aristocratic clan has finally produced such a figure!

Ok?
The power of spiritual vision greatly enhanced Uesugi Muneyuki's senses. He suddenly realized something, twisted his body, and instantly disappeared into the crowd in Tokyo, as if he had evaporated into thin air.

"Huh? What about people?"

On the rooftop of an internet cafe in a five-story commercial building not far away, a middle-aged man hiding behind a water tower put down his Canon camera with great confusion.

what happened?

How could someone disappear in an instant when you could just capture them on camera?

Impossible! My tracking skills are among the best, even in Weekly Bunshun! At my peak, I was able to film Yui Aragaki and Ryo Nishikido meeting privately from across the entire street!

The paparazzi searched for Uesugi Muneyuki's figure with great confusion.

He had actually been following Uesugi Muneyuki for quite some time, since he returned to Tokyo on January 4th, and had already taken many photos of Uesugi Muneyuki and Ikeda Erena together, which were clearly "ironclad evidence" of them living together.

However, this thing is not very useful. Since the last exposure, it is no longer news that Ikeda Erena is Uesugi Shogun's "concubine". Strictly speaking, Uesugi Muneyuki is not a public figure. His chaotic private life can only be criticized morally at most.

He needs even more explosive revelations!
He actually got the photos today! Uesugi Muneyuki had dinner privately with Ryo Kirenakawa, the head of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office's Special Investigation Unit!

It turns out these two were eating Sushiro... Is this a criticism of them? Or is it free publicity for them!

Strange! Uesugi Muneyuki ducked into the crowd and then vanished as if he had evaporated instantly!
The paparazzi were still searching for Uesugi Muneyuki when they heard the elevator stop downstairs.

The rooftop door opened instantly, and Uesugi Muneyuki rushed over at lightning speed, pinning the paparazzi against the rooftop railing before they could even react!
"What are you doing?" Uesugi Muneyuki said coldly. "Who sent you? What is your purpose?"

"It's a misunderstanding, Uesugi-san! It's all a misunderstanding!" The paparazzo immediately raised his hands in fright: "I was just following the head of the District Public Prosecutors Office Special Investigation Headquarters, it was just a coincidence!"

"Was it really just a coincidence?" Uesugi Muneyuki frowned.

"It really was a coincidence!"

Looking at the paparazzi in front of him, who had a fawning smile on his face, smelled of rotten, and was wearing a lake-green coat and trousers, Uesugi Muneyuki's expression turned serious.

He was right; some threat was slowly approaching.

(End of this chapter)