Tokyo Unnatural Forensics

Chapter 573, The Secret History of Karuizawa
The vehicle climbed the winding mountain road, leaving behind the hustle and bustle and sweltering heat of Tokyo. The scenery outside the window gradually changed, with dense larch and birch forests replacing the city buildings. Air seeped in through the slightly open car windows, carrying the unique coolness of the mountains, a blend of the sweet scent of plants and the fragrance of earth, refreshing and invigorating. In the distance, the outline of Mount Asama appeared and disappeared against the azure sky.

After the initial cheerful discussion, the atmosphere inside the car seemed to have settled into something more complex and difficult to describe.

Asuka was still immersed in her initial excitement, her little face pressed against the car window, curiously observing the exotic Western-style villas and quaint shops rushing past outside.

"The air feels sweet!" Asuka exclaimed sincerely.

“Yes, Karuizawa always makes people feel relaxed,” Satomi Ishihara added, her gaze also turning to the window, but her eyes seemed to penetrate the scenery, carrying a hint of reminiscence and melancholy. “Especially in this season, it’s easy to recall some… beautiful memories.”

Her words were gentle, yet like a small pebble, they rippled through the hearts of those who knew the truth.

She recalled the passionate years she spent with Uesugi Muneyuki when they were still high school students. She couldn't even count how many times they had met in those two weeks. Years later, when they met again, she thought that Uesugi's abilities must have declined. But she didn't expect him to still be so strong and powerful!
Uesugi Muneyuki, sitting in the front row, also gave a knowing smile. However, Asuka and Erena clearly didn't understand Mikoto's meaning. Erena, driving, complained, "Although I've been to Karuizawa before, it was only a half-day trip. What I remember most is that biggest outlet mall~"

"Hey, hey, hey, then Minami-neechan, take me shopping this time too!" Asuka's little face was full of excitement.

"Go to Karuizawa or go to the outlet mall?" Miss Minami couldn't help but smirk. "If we're going shopping, let's go to those members-only boutiques. No worries, all expenses for today will be paid by Uesugi-kun!"

Uesugi Muneyuki pouted upon hearing this, but didn't say anything: "Okay, one set each, I'll pay."

"Speaking of which, this is my first time accepting an invitation from the Imperial Household Agency." Miss Minami became interested: "Muneyuki, what's so special about the villa the Imperial Household Agency arranged for us? Do you know?"

“If the Imperial Household Agency arranges it, the villa should be in Kyu-Karuizawa or Minami-Karuizawa, and it is usually equipped with a private garden, hot spring and tennis court.” Uesugi Muneyuki replied, “The retired emperor met the empress when he was in Karuizawa for the summer.”

Following this tone, Uesugi Muneyuki gave a brief introduction to the history of Karuizawa.

Karuizawa is located at the foot of Mount Asama in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, at an altitude of about 1000 meters, and is known as the "back garden of Tokyo".

The history of this highland summer resort dates back to the late 19th century. In 1886, Canadian missionary Alexander Shaw built a villa here, marveling at its cool climate, which was similar to that of his homeland, thus beginning the tradition of expatriates seeking refuge from the summer heat. After the railway opened in 1893, it became a favorite summer resort for Japan's upper class, literary figures, and artists.

For example, Sugai Yuka, the most famous young lady in Akasaka, has a villa in Karuizawa. It was only after she revealed this on a TV show that people realized how wealthy her family is.

The most distinctive feature here is that it is warm in winter and cool in summer; even in the hottest summer, the temperature only reaches the twenties.

It is worth mentioning that the Emperor Emeritus and the Empress met while playing tennis in Karuizawa during a summer retreat. At that time, the Imperial Family did not have the tradition of marrying ordinary citizens. The Imperial Family married women from noble families or samurai families. However, the Empress was just an ordinary woman, but the Emperor Emeritus was determined to marry her. The Imperial Family held three meetings before finally agreeing to the marriage, thus setting a precedent for marrying a commoner woman.

Uesugi Muneyuki thought to himself that he had to thank Emperor Goshoku Mugi for this.

After the war, Emperor Wuxing was in charge of the purge of the Imperial Family, confiscating about 95% of the Imperial Family's property. The "Humanity Declaration" forced the Emperor to admit that he was a mortal. In the latter half of the meeting, he even forcibly demanded to shake hands with the Emperor, breaking the taboo of "human god" for the first time. It can be said that he completely shattered the public's filter with absolute violence and force.

The postwar constitution also imposed extremely strict regulations on the royal family, blocking any possibility of royal interference in politics from all angles. Before the royal family was "demoted to the status of subjects," they were "non-human" without any household registration or identity and could not engage in any behavior that required social status.

However, why did Emperor Munakata not completely abolish the emperor despite such strict restrictions?
In fact, what is said in textbooks has some truth to it, but the real core reason is not mentioned.

The real reason is that after a detailed examination of Japanese culture, society, and bureaucratic system, Emperor Munechika of the Five Stars discovered that the Japanese are born with both "conservative and repressive" and "subordinates who overthrow their superiors" genes.

This genetic predisposition has led to the Japanese being conservative and repressive for a long time, with intermittent periods of fanaticism and extremism.

The best way to prevent or control something is not to eradicate it completely, but to use something less harmful to occupy its ecological niche, preserve its position and render it harmless, i.e., a "vaccine".

This is the fundamental reason why Emperor Wuxing Munechika preserved the Emperor. By preserving the Imperial Family, when people call for "honoring the Emperor and punishing the traitors," the Imperial Family has a legal basis to order its dissolution. By preserving the Imperial Family, when people call for "serving the country with the spirit of the Eight Directions and the Seven Lifetimes," the Imperial Family has a legal basis to openly stop such calls.

Similarly, Russia retained the Soviet Communist Party and its "old friend of the Orthodox Church," Chairman Zyuganov, for the same reason. When people really need it, the Russians will innocently say, "What you want, we have it, don't we?"

Zyuganov's greatest role was to raise his hand in agreement, clap his hands in support, and cooperate with Shiravic in repeatedly purging the internal system during State Duma meetings.

Moreover, strictly speaking, the expenses of the Japanese Imperial Family are very small. The Imperial Household Agency's annual budget is only about 200 billion yen, most of which is spent on the Imperial Household Agency's own staff and the operation of various diplomatic and state ceremonial activities.

Going a step further, what if Japan really becomes fanatical and rigid again in the future, and some radicals break through the obstacles set up by Emperor Masahiro and want to take over?
It's very simple. Once you overcome Emperor Mai's obstacles and the constitution he established, the restrictions and controls on the Imperial Family will naturally disappear. At that time, the Imperial Family can legitimately regain power while suppressing these fanatics.

This ingenious system could not possibly be effective for all ages, but it could last for a very long time. From this perspective, Emperor Munakata's design of the Japanese imperial system, which was based on the British constitutional monarchy, was undoubtedly brilliant. He was the true father of modern Japan.

"If the first three championships (referring to the three general stars on my shoulders) were for myself, then this fourth championship (the fourth star) is only dedicated to my teammates (referring to the US troops who fought alongside me in the Battle of Manila and the Battle of the Philippines)."

"To those who have remained loyal and believed in us (referring to the Japanese people), this fifth crown (referring to the fifth star on our shoulders) is dedicated to all of you!"

—General McSanghe (5-star general)

The drive wasn't long. After a burst of laughter and chatter along the way, the car finally left the main road and turned onto a quieter private driveway lined with towering ancient trees on both sides. The air became increasingly cool and tranquil, with only the soft rustling of tires over the pavement and the occasional chirping of birds.

After navigating a few bends, the view suddenly opened up before us.

At the end of a meticulously manicured lawn stood an elegant wooden Western-style villa, with a dark roof and light cream walls, bearing a distinct Showa-era style, simple yet dignified. This was the residence arranged by the Imperial Household Agency for Uesugi Muneyuki.

Even more striking is another, larger courtyard adjacent to this villa, with higher walls and uniformed, solemn-looking royal police standing ramrod straight at the entrance. The outlines of even more magnificent and traditional buildings can be vaguely seen inside the courtyard—that is the villa where the royal family vacations.

An invisible solemn atmosphere permeated the surroundings, causing the people who had just been chatting and laughing in the car to unconsciously fall silent, and even Ikeda Erena sat up straight.

The Lexus came to a smooth stop in the open space in front of the villa.

As soon as the group got out of the car, an employee dressed in the Imperial Household Agency’s distinctive uniform (not a police or guard uniform, but a more understated dark suit similar to that of a senior butler) stepped forward and politely took their luggage. His demeanor was impeccable, and his smile was standard and restrained.

"Ladies, welcome. Your rooms are ready, please follow me." The staff member's voice was calm and even.

Stepping inside the villa, the distinctive "palace-style" ambiance becomes even more apparent. While the decor isn't overly luxurious, it exudes an undeniable sense of taste and style.

The floors are made of glossy dark solid wood, while the walls are a soft off-white, adorned with reproductions of Japanese paintings evoking a sense of tranquility or conservative Western landscape paintings. The furniture is mostly crafted from dark solid wood, with smooth, understated lines, and the sofas are covered with thick, light-colored linen. Beyond the huge floor-to-ceiling windows lies a meticulously maintained Japanese garden, where a dry landscape garden is cleverly integrated with natural trees, extending outwards as if merging with the distant mountains.

The air was filled with the faint scent of tatami mats and old books, creating a tranquil and elegant atmosphere, yet it also carried a hint of institutional restraint and alienation.

"Are they Dr. Uesugi and Manager Watanabe from Tokyo?" Someone immediately rushed over.

"Yes."

"Please change your clothes immediately, they've been waiting for you over there for a long time!"

(End of this chapter)