Chapter 84 - Name and Reality 7 {Combined 13/14} (30-31, 32-33: Nishida and Yoshimura Canvassing in Iwate; Questioning the Elderly Amai)
"I see, so if we show the photos from his old-system middle school days to an acquaintance and have them testify that Kuwano is in them, we can confirm the Kuwano of the old-system high school days as a 'real image'!"
Yoshimura understood Nishida's explanation and rejoiced innocently. But immediately, his expression turned dark. "But wait, doesn't that mean it's pointless? Because you heard from Takagaki-san that the person named Amai testified that 'I can't believe the Kuwano of back then became the current Oshima Kaiji,' right?"
"That's certainly true, but I suspect Takagaki-san's intention is probably 'You police should make the final judgment with your scientific power.' Of course, that's assuming Kuwano is captured in the photos of that time..." Nishida could only give a vague answer.
As a practical matter, there aren't many people who can specifically imagine what a person under 20 will look like when they become an old man. Scientifically verifying the bone structure and the positions of the eyes and nose is far more important for determining if it's the same person. Thinking that way, although the possibility is not high, it would be meaningful to challenge the scientific investigation.
However, if it comes to that, just as they had thought before the fingerprint comparison of Oshima Kaiji and Kuwano Kinya, if they are confirmed to be the same person, then Nishida's theory of "impersonation by another person after murdering Kuwano" would be completely denied. Naturally, it's better if Kuwano and Oshima are the same person because the logic follows cleanly, so there's no doubt that's desirable...
"I see... So there's a possibility it leads to scientific verification... I see. Then for now, it doesn't seem bad to have hope." Yoshimura said this and took his seat. At this time, Nishida began to vaguely think that if he was going to Iwate anyway, he would like to visit the Ryori district of Sanriku Town along with Taro Town, the birthplace of Kuwano and his father. The Ryori district is the hometown of Kuwano's mother. He was starting to feel that he wanted to investigate that area properly with his own eyes and feet as well.
Early morning, Thursday, May 23rd. Nishida and Yoshimura were on a plane from New Chitose Airport to Hanamaki Airport. The materials from the Second High School alumni association were mailed on May 18th. Amai had said anytime was fine, but because a vehicle theft incident had occurred in the Kitami Station jurisdiction, they needed to cooperate with the investigation of the local station immediately after, so their departure was slightly delayed. Since the case was resolved quickly, it wasn't a major delay, but there was a slight disruption to the schedule.
On the plane, they were reading the "Hokkaido Shinpo" they had bought at the shop that morning. They wanted to read the articles related to the "Yubetsu Mine Accident" that Takeshita had written. Takeshita hadn't contacted them at all about the start of the series, but since they had heard he was interviewing for it when they met in Kitami, they noticed the byline on an article they happened to see and had been paying particular attention to reading it since then.
Nishida was impressed that it was quite a readable article, and today's article was also interesting. From Monday to Tuesday, the articles were about the background leading up to the then-Engaru Station's decision to perform the explosion disposal after the mine was discovered. From yesterday, Wednesday, to today, it depicted the 60 years of the bereaved families left behind after the incident. It described the hardships of the households and the region that had lost their breadwinners at the time.
After arriving safely at Hanamaki Airport, they immediately caught a taxi to Hanamaki Station. There, they purchased ekiben and boarded the reserved seats of the express "Rikuchu" bound for Kamaishi. The two, who finally got to eat breakfast, spent their time looking at the mountain scenery that reminded them of the area around Engaru on the Sekihoku Main Line. In a conversation with a conductor who had time on his hands, it seemed that with the timetable revision in November of this year, the train would be downgraded from an express to a rapid. Hearing that, despite not being railway enthusiasts, it was a ride that somehow felt sentimental. And before 11:00 AM, they stepped onto the platform of Kamaishi Station.
From here, they transfer to the Minami-Riasu Line of the Sanriku Railway, Japan's first third-sector railway company. The Minami-Riasu Line is the general term for the approximately 15-kilometer section from the current Yoshihama Station in Sanriku Town, Ofunato City to JR Kamaishi Station—which was originally planned to traverse the Sanriku region but almost became a discontinued line with most of the construction finished due to the JNR's abolition of deficit lines and plan reviews—integrated with the abolished former JNR Sakari Line (between Sakari Station and Yoshihama Station in Ofunato City). Nishida and the others took a local train of the Sanriku Railway that connects to the express Rikuchu and runs onto the JR line from Kamaishi to Ryori Station.
The two hadn't known until just before, but in November of the previous year, 2001, Sanriku Town had been absorbed into Ofunato City, and the branch office of the Sanriku Town Office in the Ryori district (the former Ryori Village Office) had become the Ryori Regional Promotion Branch Office of Ofunato City (in other words, a branch of the city hall).
After riding for about 40 minutes from Kamaishi Station, they arrived at Ryori Station before noon. The station building was a modern structure for the countryside, and as expected of a regional settlement, various facilities were concentrated in front of the station. Although it was cloudy, the temperature was just comfortable, and since they had time, they entered a diner in front of the station to have lunch first. The two ordered seafood bowls using local ingredients.
"Even though it's called the Sanriku Railway, it was mostly mountains and tunnels, a bland landscape. It was similar to the scenery from Kitami to Kamikawa on our local Sekihoku Main Line; it was different from the coastal scenery I expected. I couldn't believe it was a coastal line."
Even when told such a thing, there was nothing Nishida could do, but it was certainly a frank impression.
"Maybe they designed the line this way because the coastline might suffer tsunami damage?"
"I see! It's certainly a mecca for tsunamis, so that's highly likely!"
At Yoshimura's innocent agreement, a middle-aged man who seemed to be a local sitting next to them also reacted, saying, "No, no, that's exactly right." Furthermore, when he heard the two had come from Kitami in Hokkaido, he was surprised and treated them to beer. He had apparently traveled to Eastern Hokkaido before. He told the two that Shiretoko, Lake Mashu, and Lake Kussharo left a strong impression. They decided to gratefully accept just one glass.
Naturally, at their place of work, they wouldn't know who was watching, but here there was no need for such worry. There's a saying that "one can cast off shame while traveling," and for better or worse, it was close to that.
After enjoying the seafood bowls, since they had time until their 1:30 PM appointment before visiting the branch office, they walked out to the coast to help digest their meal. According to a local, the Ryori Shirahama district, where there is a swimming beach, is scenic, so although it was a bit of a distance, they extended their walk there.
"The buildings are only on top of the cliffs; I wonder if they're assuming tsunamis..."
Since Yoshimura muttered that, Nishida confirmed it with an old woman nearby, and she just nodded and said, "Ah, yes," in standard Japanese that couldn't hide her Tohoku accent.
They apparently moved the entire settlement to a place over 30 meters high after the Showa Sanriku Tsunami. It's surprising because in the Meiji Sanriku Tsunami, the tsunami rushed up to a height of 38 meters.
"Even the roof of the Kitami Regional Headquarters would be easily swallowed if something like that came..." Yoshimura joked while making a shivering gesture, but for the local people, it wouldn't be something that could be settled with a joke. Nishida couldn't even imagine a scene where this scenery turned into a living hell, but the reality of the settlement's relocation told the story.
(Author's Note: Please copy and paste the following links into your browser's address bar to view)
Incredible footage of the tsunami that struck Ryori Bay in the Ryori Shirahama district during 3/11 (it is not a tragic video of something being washed away, etc.)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xhwyhg_%E7%B6%BE%E9%87%8C%E6%B9%BE%E3%81%AE%E6%98%A0%E5%83%8F-%E6%B4%A5%E6%B3%A2%EF%BC%92%EF%BC%90%EF%BD%8D%E8%B6%85%E3%81%8B_news
Mass relocation that prevented damage during 3/11
http://memory.ever.jp/tsunami/tsunami-taio_303.html
After enjoying the calm coastal scenery for a while, the two visited the branch office. The staff member who came to respond was a staff member named "Niinuma," whom they had told about their research visit by phone the other day. I recall the singer Niinuma Kenji is also from Ofunato, so it must be a common surname in this region.
"Thank you for the long journey," Niinuma greeted them cheerfully, but after they finished introducing each other, they got straight to business without any unnecessary small talk.
Seven years ago, when Takeshita and the others visited Taro for the family register investigation of Kuwano Kinya, they couldn't investigate this far due to time constraints. Therefore, Nishida had directly called the Sanriku Town Office to look for the "family register" of the Onodera family, from which Kuwano Kinya's mother "Kuwano Tokiko" had departed due to marriage, in the Ryori district of Sanriku Town at the time, after Takeshita and the others returned from Tokyo. However, due to the impact of the Showa Sanriku Tsunami, the village office of the time had been washed away, and it hadn't been found.
Last time in '95, there was no time due to the hospital shooting incident investigation, and there was also invisible pressure from the National Police Agency and the Hokkaido Police Headquarters, so no further investigation had been done, but since they were going to Iwate anyway this time, they had decided to go and investigate themselves to see if anyone who knew about the Onodera family at the time was still alive. They had requested that preliminary investigation directly from the Ofunato City Ryori Regional Promotion Branch Office in the Ryori district in advance.
However, even if no one who knew about the Onodera family was found in advance, they had decided to visit regardless of the results, with a somewhat sight-seeing intention of wanting to see for themselves what kind of place the Ryori district was. Therefore, they had told them that notification of the preliminary investigation results was unnecessary.
"There were several people among those who come here who knew well that a master fisherman family called the Onodera family was in this land. However, unfortunately, there was no one who knew the woman herself by her maiden name, Onodera Tokiko... In any case, most people only have memories from when they were still small children, and when it comes to specific details of the Onodera family... If we asked various people in detail, there might be people in their 80s or older who have such memories, but it was a bit tight in terms of time."
Niinuma hesitated, but in short, he probably meant, "It's a problem to be asked for an investigation right before you come." We couldn't deny that.
"I'm sorry for the trouble," was the best Nishida could say.
"But, we found something a bit interesting..." Niinuma said this and took out a piece of paper and placed it in front of the two. It seemed to be a copy of a struck-off (T/N: a family register is inevitably struck off if everyone listed in it is dead) family register.
"I found a family register—to be precise, a struck-off one—headed by a woman named Onodera Machiko at an address one block away from the address given at the time of the investigation request... Looking at the address, she is likely a woman of the Onodera family, and looking at the name and age, wouldn't she be a sister or something of the Onodera Tokiko we were asked to investigate? I believe the one you requested last time was not this branch office, but the 'main' town hall of Sanriku Town at the time, right?"
"I believe that was the case," Nishida answered when confirmed by Niinuma.
"When 'another department' is involved in between, communication inevitably doesn't go well. The purpose of the request probably didn't reach here, and they likely judged from the main Sanriku office that there was no corresponding family register based only on the address itself. This time, because the investigation purpose was directly conveyed to this branch office, we were able to be flexible with the investigation. After all, the local people are more familiar with the local family registers, and if we know the purpose, we can be flexible enough to investigate including 'surrounding' information. Also, this is hard to say... but it might also be because the management of family registers and struck-off registers has progressed more than seven years ago due to the population decline in this district..." he speculated and explained the reason the information didn't come out last time. Even so, when he spoke those last words, Niinuma looked a bit sad as it meant the decline of his hometown.
Then, without missing a beat, Yoshimura, who didn't read the room, asked, "If this is the establishment of a new family register due to marriage, does that mean this woman took a groom?"
"From the family register, that would be the logical way to see it. Isn't it possible that they formed a new household and started living in the house next door? However, the information in the family register is clearly fragmentary, and I think it means the family register was reconstructed after the tsunami. I suspect they reconstructed only the family register for this person's direct family by hearing from the only son listed in this family register? It seems the original family register of the Onodera family home, which would have listed Onodera Machiko's original family register—that is, her maiden name and Onodera Tokiko—was not reconstructed."
Hearing that, Nishida stared intently at the copy of the register. Onodera Machiko and her husband "Onodera Michio" were recorded as having died on March 3, Showa 8. Since the head of the family register was Onodera Machiko, Michio must be a son-in-law, as Yoshimura said.
"Was March 3, Showa 8, the day the Showa Sanriku Great Tsunami occurred?"
"Um, I believe that's right. You're well-informed!" Niinuma showed slight admiration for Nishida's knowledge.
"In that case, the only son, this person named Michitoshi, didn't die at that time. Since he died in Showa 17."
When Nishida said that, Niinuma stated his theory, "As I said earlier, the town hall probably asked this son various things and managed to reconstruct the family register for only this person's direct family. It's highly likely that the people listed in the family register that was washed away also died in the tsunami, isn't it?" Onodera Michitoshi was born on July 10, Taisho 7 (1918) and died on May 26, Showa 17 (1942).
"...I see, I understand. May I have this?"
"Yes, go ahead. I made a copy for that purpose." Nishida thanked Niinuma for his response.
Even so, the fact that no one has taken any action even if Kuwano Kinya himself, or at least his 'name,' is missing, was probably influenced by the fact that his maternal relatives were also mostly dead. Since Kuwano's paternal side was originally from Taro, it's highly likely the entire clan died, but it seemed a similar tragedy had occurred here in the southern part of Iwate Prefecture as well. Nishida realized that the more the investigation progressed, the lower the possibility of there being anyone who knew the 'real' Kuwano Kinya became.
"So, what shall we do? Shall we keep looking for someone who knows about the Onodera family after this?"
Niinuma's offer was naturally a godsend.
"Of course. Please!"
"Understood. Since there are also people who are bedridden, I will request cooperation from helpers and others. However, some are senile, and I think the reality will be quite difficult. After all, it's a district with almost no young people. Please assume there will be almost... nothing to report."
It was a comment from Niinuma with a wry smile, but even from the perspective of Nishida and Yoshimura, who had experience working in regional areas in Hokkaido, it was not a comment they could remain indifferent to as if it were a distant matter.
After leaving the branch office, Nishida and Yoshimura succeeded in sliding onto the train for Kamaishi before 2:00 PM. If they had missed this, they would have been stranded until evening on the local line with few trains, so it was a close call. Of course, it was the same in Engaru... Since there were few passengers in the car, the conversation naturally turned to the investigation without worrying about their surroundings.
"It was a surprise that the family home of Kuwano Kinya's mother, Tokiko, was also a master fisherman. However, Tokiko and Machiko, who were likely sisters—Machiko stayed in the Onodera family and took a groom, so does that mean she inherited the headship of the house?"
"Isn't that a good way to recognize it? The copy of the register we got just now said Machiko was born in Meiji 26. I believe Tokiko was born in Meiji 28 according to her register. Regardless of whether there were other siblings, Machiko, being older than Tokiko, inherited the house, and Tokiko married into the Kuwano family, who were also master fishermen. I think we can go with that recognition." Nishida said this and checked the copy once more.
"And Machiko's son is Michitoshi. Born in July, Taisho 7. This would be Kuwano Kinya's cousin, but he died in May, Showa 17."
"Was it a death in battle?"
"As for his age at the time, in terms of the Western calendar... he was born in 1918 and died in 1942... so 23. If he had lived until July of that year, he would have been 24... The possibility is certainly there." Nishida nodded, and Yoshimura mentioned the cousin Kuwano, saying, "It seems certain that the real Oshima Kaiji didn't go to war, but I wonder about Kuwano Kinya himself... On the premise that Kuwano and Oshima are different people, I suspect he probably went to war, considering his age."
"Kuwano is also at an age where it wouldn't be strange at all if he went to war, and that possibility is high."
"And since Kuwano appeared at the Sada house in Otaru with Isaka after the war, it means he survived the war. If Michitoshi died in battle, the light and shadow are clearly divided even for cousins. Fate is something that truly has parts that can't be helped by an individual's will..." Yoshimura said with a lot of practical feeling.
According to the schedule for the rest of today, they planned to visit the house of the elderly Amai in Miyako, show him the group photos of the dormitory of the old-system Second High School to confirm them, and then stay overnight in Miyako. Tomorrow, they planned to visit Taro Town (now the Taro district of Miyako City), Kuwano's hometown, before heading back.
The two changed from the Minami-Riasu Line to the JR Yamada Line at Kamaishi and arrived at Miyako Station. From there, they took a taxi to Amai's house in the city, arriving in about 10 minutes.
Amai was 85 years old, and although he seemed to have slightly weak legs and used a cane even indoors, his mind seemed to have no problems at all. He lived with his wife, and although his speech was likely due to the fact that he was facing Nishida and the others, it was standard Japanese. He said that after graduating from the old-system Kamaishi Second Middle School, he once got a job as a clerk at the Kamaishi steelworks before being called up, but he was lucky enough to reach the end of the war before being sent to the battlefield. Moreover, since Kamaishi had been hit by air raids just before the defeat, if he had remained living in Kamaishi, he might have been in danger there, so he was truly lucky.
A few years after being demobilized, he made a fresh start and graduated from a local part-time high school while working as a clerk at the revived steelworks. Furthermore, he went to Tokyo, worked at a small food manufacturing company, and graduated from the evening division of a private university in Tokyo. He got a new job at a trading company in Yokohama and returned home upon retirement. Because of that, he was basically used to standard Japanese. His wife was also from Saitama, so her speech was also standard Japanese. He was also a very soft-spoken person, the opposite type of person to police officers like Nishida.
Nishida and Yoshimura decided to first hear the stories of Kuwano Kinya at the time from Amai before having him confirm the photos.
"According to the information we have, he was a very intelligent and popular person, but from your perspective, Amai-san, what kind of person was he actually?"
At Nishida's question, Amai replied, "He was exactly as you detectives say. You've probably heard from Takagaki-san, but he graduated from the old-system middle school—which was a five-year system—in four years by skipping a grade and went to the old Second High School in Sendai, so there's no doubt he was top-class even at the Second Middle School. Senior Kuwano and I were together in the swimming club. He wasn't just brilliant; he was a very caring senior. By today's standards, he was over 175 centimeters tall, and I think he had a quite blessed physique for the time. His swimming was also quite powerful, perhaps because he was the son of a master fisherman. I remember he was quite high up in the prefectural tournaments, though not quite at the top."
"Gifted in both literary and military arts, and with a good personality; he was perfect," Yoshimura remarked.
"Well, I suppose so. However, at the time, he might have also had aspects of being a delinquent student." Amai replied with words that caught their interest regarding Yoshimura's impression, so Nishida pressed him on it.
"The stories so far and 'delinquent' don't seem to go together; what on earth do you mean?"
"It's not a problem at all now, but at the time he was ideologically dangerous... No, even if I say dangerous, he wasn't a radical, but he seemed to be attracted to things like socialist thought..." Amai smoked a cigarette for a while, then slowly exhaled the smoke.
"I see. There was the Peace Preservation Act and such, so it wouldn't be strange if he was considered to have dangerous thoughts."
"That's why the Senior didn't openly profess it either, and I think he was careful not to be noticed. He seemed to be hiding and devouring books of that sort in English or German originals at his lodgings. He was originally excellent, and since he was receiving a certain amount of support from his master fisherman family. Although he said himself they were small-scale master fishermen, master fishermen are still master fishermen. They are on a different dimension from the local tenant farmers, poor peasants, fishermen with a single small boat, or yan-shuu (hired fishermen). He seemed to be buying books by saving on his allowance. There were also things he got from even older seniors who had influenced him."
"What? Even though it was an old-system middle school, did he have the linguistic ability to read through books in German!?" The surprised Yoshimura confirmed, but Amai answered as if it were nothing, "Actually, the old-system middle schools of the time had regular classes in French and German in addition to English. Especially Kamaishi Second Middle School was famous in this Iwate for the high quality of its foreign language education. Generally, many students came to the Second Middle School for that purpose, rather than the more famous Kamaishi First Middle School or Miyako Middle School." As a matter of fact, it seems those three languages were commonly incorporated into the curriculum of old-system middle schools. Among such people, he was in the top class of academic ability, so even if it was an old-system middle school in the remote countryside, there's no doubt he was an intellectual among intellectuals.
"But, would a person in such a blessed situation at the time awaken to socialism or communism..." Nishida said in a way that suggested he couldn't understand, but in response, Amai stated, "That's a bit of a shallow view, if you'll excuse me. Precisely because one is reasonably wealthy and excellent, when one sees the people around them struggling, one feels guilt and can't help but think about the contradictions of society. All the more so if the person is kind... Especially northern Tohoku was a particularly poor region in Japan at the time, and it would be even more so if it was hit by the Great Depression or great famines... My family were merchants here in Miyako and weren't what you'd call wealthy, but since I could send my only son to an old-system middle school with high tuition, we were at a level that could be called quite wealthy around here. But even after I got in, friends close to me dropped out due to tuition issues, and it was quite something. And the Showa Sanriku (Tsunami) that struck as if to deal a final blow to such a situation was just terrible... Many people died, but there were also countless friends who vanished from the middle school due to economic reasons... The school building itself was washed away and nothing remained. Although my family home in Miyako was almost completely finished by the tsunami, I managed to make it to graduation, so I can't complain..." Amai said each word as if savoring it. Because he was a local who knew the past, and because he was the one who had experienced it, his words carried weight. The two listened in silence.
Incidentally, as a side note, it is surprising that nearly one-third of all entrants to old-system middle schools nationwide at the time dropped out midway, likely because they couldn't pay the tuition. However, the government's "view" at the time was extremely cold. The following are the words of a Ministry of Education official in an article in the Yomiuri Shimbun on December 10, 1929 (Author's Note: Since this is an excerpt from Wikipedia, I have not confirmed if it was actually in the Yomiuri article of the time).
"Among those who drop out midway, other reasons account for nearly one-third. This includes some who failed and stayed in their original grade, but the vast majority are those who entered aimlessly without a fixed policy, and the responsibility lies with the parents. If the parents of the world were to become more steady in their thinking, awaken to the folly of haphazard enrollment, and reduce the number of those who drop out midway, today's examination hell would be significantly alleviated."
This is exactly common with the thinking based on the theory of self-responsibility by the "upper class called bureaucrats" that is the source of today's "neoliberalism," across a vast amount of time. However, because it was such an era, there were likely a small number of intellectuals who grew up conscious of issues like the poverty close at hand in society.
Also, as one practical example of that, I will cite the following case.
In Japan, the Prime Ministers elected from the former Socialist Party are Katayama Tetsu and Murayama Tomiichi, but if you capture it within the framework of being from the Socialist Party, there are actually three. The name newly added is "Suzuki Zenkou," but few people know that now. Naturally, Suzuki took the position of the 70th Prime Minister as the President of the Liberal Democratic Party, but when he first became a member of the Diet after the war, he was a member of the Socialist Party of the time. After that, he joined the Democratic Liberal Party, the predecessor of the LDP, and became an LDP member through the Conservative Merger of 1955 (the merger of the conservative governments of the Democratic Liberal Party and the Japan Democratic Party; one movement of the so-called "1955 System").
Suzuki was from a master fisherman family in Yamada Town (which is also the origin of the name of the JR Yamada Line) on the Sanriku coast of Iwate Prefecture, graduated from a fisheries school and then the "Fisheries Institute," the predecessor of today's Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology (born from the merger of the old Tokyo University of Fisheries and Tokyo University of Mercantile Marine), and became a member of the Diet after working for fisheries cooperatives and the like.
During his time at the Fisheries Institute before the war, he gave a speech at a speech contest questioning the "pre-modernity of the master fisherman system" (it seems he was sometimes treated as a "Red" because of that), and it is speculated that his awareness of class society issues was very strong precisely because he was from a master fisherman background. It is thought that this also led to his running from the Socialist Party after the war. Also, after becoming Prime Minister, he took a dovish line and made problematic remarks regarding the US-Japan security alliance relationship, leading to a temporary deterioration in relations with the US (however, the Kochikai, to which Suzuki belonged and which was called the conservative mainstream at the time, was basically a US-subservient type but was also a faction with a strong dovish color since Yoshida Shigeru. Therefore, looking at the faction as a whole, it wasn't that Suzuki was making particularly idiosyncratic claims. In fact, Miyazawa Kiichi, a later Prime Minister who was a wartime bureaucrat and a pacifist, had also joined the Suzuki Cabinet and made remarks defending Suzuki), and it is highly likely that such an ideological background from before the war was the cause.
*
"So, after Kuwano Kinya went on to the old-system Second High School in Sendai, you became estranged?" Yoshimura changed the subject on behalf of the silent Nishida.
"I suppose so... His family home was also in Taro, so it was quite far from Kamaishi where the middle school was. However, I remember seeing him and talking during summer vacation or something when Senior Kuwano came to see how the swimming club was doing. He seemed well. When I asked if high school was interesting, I think he enthusiastically encouraged me to go on to higher education. I think his eyes were shining."
"That was the summer of 1932, in other words, Showa..."
When Nishida hesitated, Amai smiled and took over the troublesome conversion between the Western calendar and the era name, saying, "August of Showa 7. This conversion is a pain."
"I'm very sorry. So, is it correct that you didn't see Mr. Kuwano since that Showa 7?"
"Yes, I think that was the last time. After all, his family home in Taro seemed to be in a disastrous state, so I even thought at one point that maybe he had returned home and been caught in the disaster. But, anyway, since before the tsunami, Tohoku had been suffering from continuous famines, and we were at our limit just living... Unfortunately, it's been like that ever since." The elderly man closed his eyes for a moment, perhaps remembering those days.
"After the tsunami, although it's not certain, there seems to have been a sighting in his hometown of Taro, and considering various things, I don't think he was caught in it. His family home was destroyed, and it's thought that all his relatives in Taro died... However, his whereabouts after that until 1941, Showa 16, are not well known. He is still alive on the family register."
"Ah, I heard from Takagaki-san that there was information he was still alive after that, but is it known up to Showa 16? He took out a photo of Oshima Kaiji of the Minyu Party or someone and asked me, 'Wasn't he a person whose face resembled this person?' or some such nonsense..." From the reaction to Yoshimura's remark, it was confirmed that, as they had heard from Takagaki himself, he hadn't said anything very detailed about the core part. It might have been his own consideration not to scatter investigation information to the police. When they met directly, he was a person who didn't let them feel that kind of restraint...
"That's right. We have confirmed on our end that he was engaged in gold panning in Ikutahara, near Kitami in Hokkaido."
"Gold... panning? Why on earth would he be doing such a thing... Even if he had dropped out of the Second High School due to the impact of the tsunami, a person like him could have found a job as a substitute teacher anywhere..." Amai tilted his head several times as if he didn't understand what Nishida said at all.
"Do you still find it hard to believe? It seems it was a difficult time with the Great Depression and all?" When Nishida saw that and asked, Amai mused, "Since he was a person of that level, even in such an era, if he were serious, he should have had various places to work even if he was in economic distress..." and then started to say, "...But, if I think about it carefully, such a thing might not be impossible."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nishida-san, it connects to the story from earlier. Socialism and such. In other words, I remember Senior Kuwano saying several times back then that the upper classes of society must walk together with the people struggling at the bottom, if my memory is correct. Perhaps he deliberately threw himself into such a world under that awareness. It might just be my own speculation, though."
"I see. As a kind of 'practice' of socialist movement..." The two showed a certain understanding of the old man's reasoning.
"For now, we've heard your stories and understand to some extent Mr. Kuwano Kinya's character and his situation at the time, and we've confirmed that there are many parts that overlap with our investigation information. So, as I'm sure you've heard from Takagaki-san in advance..."
Saying this, he had Yoshimura take out four photos. They were group photos of the new students of the Somei Dormitory from April of Showa 7 to Showa 10. Originally, he thought Showa 7 alone would be enough, but he had brought four just in case.
"We would like you to check if Mr. Kuwano Kinya is captured in these photos."
"Ah, these... I've certainly heard about them. Um, wait a moment... my glasses." Amai said this while looking at the photos Yoshimura handed him, and looked for his reading glasses. "Ah, here they are... Now then, let's have a look." He sat down in front of the low table again and began to check the four photos. It was about eight minutes, but since Nishida and the others had no choice but to watch in silence, it felt like an unusually long time. Nishida saw Yoshimura check his wristwatch several times.
"Unfortunately, I don't see Mr. Kuwano anywhere," Amai said as he slowly raised his face from the photos and stated firmly to the two.
"Are you sure?" Although he knew the conclusion wouldn't change, he had to confirm.
"Nishida-san, I'm sure. Senior Kuwano is not among these."
"Understood. I see... Well, I didn't think it would go that smoothly, but to be honest, it's a disappointment." Nishida withdrew immediately after the confirmation and had Yoshimura take the photos and put them away.
"Also, if it's alright, do you know if this handwriting is Mr. Kuwano's?" Nishida said this and took out a copy of the part with the name Kuwano Kinya written on the deed from his own pocket and placed it on the low table.
"Is this to see if it's Senior Kuwano's own handwriting?"
"Yes."
"No, I'm sorry, but I don't have a clear memory of what kind of characters he wrote. However, I feel like his handwriting was relatively good, but I don't feel that kind of thing in these characters. Rather, they even feel poorly written." Amai chuckled, but as expected, the "identification" from the handwriting was "unclear." Nishida hadn't expected much to begin with, so he immediately put it back in his pocket.
"By the way, I haven't gotten a very clear answer from Takagaki-san either, but was Senior Kuwano doing something that would lead to police trouble? Well, anyway, it only seems like a story involving the statute of limitations, and I don't understand the point of the police searching into it now..." Just as Nishida pulled his hand out of his pocket, Amai threw the question that he would naturally have. Since the Hokkaido police were persistently asking about things from so long ago, it was natural to think something had happened.
"Since you've cooperated this much, it's only natural that I tell you to some extent, even if it's investigation information..." Nishida said as a preamble, then said, "We believe that Mr. Kuwano's unclear footsteps before the war are connected across time to the essence of a certain major case currently under investigation. That's why we came all the way from Kitami."
"In other words, he's not a suspect for something?"
"I can't say for sure. He might be a suspect, but at present, we consider him rather a victim. Please forgive me for not saying more." Nishida thought he had made a quite vague statement despite saying "to some extent," but it was also true that if he tried to explain this clearly, it wouldn't end at "to some extent." He had to have him bear with it.
"To be honest, it doesn't click, but certainly you've come all the way for only this; he must be related to some major case. But I can say this much. I don't think that person is the kind of person who would do something greatly evil. He's a good person to the core!" Amai slowly placed his reading glasses on the low table without making a sound, but on the other hand, he declared to the two in a sharp and clear tone.