Pathway to Japanese Literature

Having His Son Killed for 100,000 Yen

――Three Preachers Arrested――

[From Aomori] On the 23rd of last month, the body of Tsubu Tokuei (41), unemployed of Amamadate, Amamayashi Village, Kamikita District, Aomori Prefecture, was discovered beside the tracks between Kominato and Nishihadaira (Higashitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture) on the Tōhoku Main Line. The National Police Agency Aomori Headquarters and Kominato Regional Police Station, considering it a homicide, advanced their investigation and arrested Sudō Masao (25), an Ontakekyo sect preacher from Kominato Town, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture, as the principal offender on the 8th. Furthermore, on the morning of the 18th, they arrested Tsubu Tokusaburō (61), the victim's biological father and civil affairs committee member of Amamadate, Amamayashi Village, Kamikita District, along with Shige (50), wife of itinerant merchant Tsubu Yūtarō who had introduced Tokusaburō to Sudō and an Ontakekyo sect believer......

――(Asahi Shimbun, May 19 Evening Edition)――

Father Wanting to Disown His Child

Yamada Heisaku, a member of the Public Safety Committee, waited until nightfall before presenting himself at the town police station.
This was because his eldest son Fujio had been caught in the black market.

"You've had quite the ordeal."

The Police Chief welcomed him with an air of pity.
This marked the fifth time Fujio had been taken into police custody.
Given his position as a Public Safety Committee member, Heisaku had to endure many times more shame than others.

Having steeled his resolve on the way here, Heisaku grew agitated upon seeing the Police Chief and said:

“This time at least, I’ve thought it through thoroughly.
Since I cannot even face the mortuary tablets of our ancestors, this time—truly this time—I’ve resolved to disown and disinherit him.”

“Well... I suppose that’s true, ah.
I can well understand your feelings, but someone who requires police intervention needs a warm family environment above all else.
If we abandon him now, he’ll only spiral further into wrongdoing.”

As the Police Chief began to speak hesitantly, Detective Ono took over,

"If you disown him now, you'll just be creating one more good-for-nothing villain, that's all."

He muttered resentfully.
The tone practically shouted not to forget a father’s responsibilities, and Heisaku involuntarily flushed with anger,

“Couldn’t I have you use the police’s authority to straighten out his rotten core?”
"Because he's beyond a parent's control—that's why I'm asking you."

"Even if the police can’t handle him, it’s only logical that the parent should be able to."
"It’s because the parent’s attitude is like that that the child becomes warped."
“A member of the Public Safety Committee, of all people...”

As Ono’s tone grew heated, the Police Chief intervened to restrain him.

“Because Detective Ono is handling Fujio’s case, he’s become emotionally involved in it.”
“His diligence in duty and tendency to grow impassioned are both this man’s strengths and weaknesses.”
“Since Fujio isn’t exactly too young for marriage anymore, finding him a suitable bride might help him settle down.”

The Police Chief calmly mediated in this manner.
To an uninformed listener, these might have sounded like nothing more than composed words, but to those who knew better, there was more beneath.
Because while Heisaku’s manner of speaking made it sound as though he were disowning some delinquent youth around twenty years old, in reality Fujio had already turned thirty-three that year.

Because Heisaku couldn't stand up to his current wife, he had never spoken a kind word to Fujio, his child from a previous marriage.
Fujio had been raised from boyhood as if he were a farmhand.
Had there been no war, he would have turned delinquent and run away from home much sooner; one might say he was saved by the war when he eagerly enlisted.
Military life became his first true experience of youth.

After the war ended, he began descending into delinquency.
While still living like his father's farmhand, he engaged in black market dealings and occasionally plotted unsavory schemes with underworld associates, resulting in repeated police incidents.

Each time, it was Heisaku who suffered the damage—extorted for money under the pretext of settlements, having his crops stolen and sold on the black market, forced to endure both mounting losses and social humiliation.
But far from sympathizing with Heisaku, society—

"You can’t even get some no-good farmhand to work for free, yet you exploit your fully grown eldest son without even getting him a wife—this is what happens," came the cold critique.

Yamada Heisaku had long been seething over this public criticism when the Police Chief suggested finding Fujio a bride, which left him thoroughly displeased.

“What woman would ever become the wife of a guy like that? If there were a woman who wanted that, she’d have to be some sex-crazed lunatic, I tell you.” In his anger, he muttered something akin to cursing a century-old enemy.

At that moment, Heisaku noticed a commotion arising from the depths of the police station.

“Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.
Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.
Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.
Namu Myōhō—”

The prayer chants welled up ceaselessly like the roar of a waterfall.
It was a woman’s voice, yet brimming with desperate intensity.

“What is that?”
“That’s coming from inside the police station, isn’t it?”

The Police Chief gave a wry smile,

“From morning till midnight.”
“There—that Mountain Deity ascetic Okaku.”

“Murderer...”

“No—regarding the murder—it appears Okaku bears no guilt.
“Because she’s too disruptive—we’re planning to release her today.”

A few days prior, a daughter-killing incident had occurred at farmer Jinbē's home - an incident where they confined Yasuko (then eighteen years old), the daughter of Jinbē who was labeled as 'ki-in,' in a room, gave her no food, subjected her to prolonged deprivation through restraint, and caused her death. The family members were suspected of conspiring together to commit murder, and Okaku, the Mountain Deity ascetic, had a hand in this. Claiming she would exorcise the fox spirit possessing Yasuko, [she] stayed for ten days straight praying. The town rumor held that both the withholding of meals from Yasuko and the prolonged deprivation through restraint had been carried out under Okaku’s instructions to exorcise the fox spirit.

“However, upon investigating, it appears that isn’t the case.”
“There exists an elaborate plot by the Jinbē family to evade guilt by making it appear as Okaku’s deeds.”
“Okaku appears to have been nothing more than a mere pawn skillfully used in their scheme.”
“After all, when there are bastards trying to use heretical cults to escape murder charges, sane humans will always prove themselves the more cunning players in the end.”

The Police Chief explained in earnest detail.

Then Ono seemed to abruptly notice something,

“That Fujio bastard seems to have become a believer in the Mountain Deity cult.”
“Also, that Okaku woman has taken notice of Fujio for some reason, you see.”
“They say a Death God has attached itself to Fujio.”
“They say she’ll exorcise it for him.”
“Until yesterday that’s how it was, but since this morning, that Fujio bastard’s been doing prayer gestures and muttering the chants along with Okaku.”

When he heard this, the look in Heisaku's eyes changed.

“So if I ask Okaku, could she straighten out Fujio’s nature?”

“Matters of gods lie beyond police comprehension.”

“Might I meet with Okaku?”
“If Fujio’s nature can be reformed…”

“Hahaha.”
“I could arrange a meeting, but observe that suspicious figure on the bench over there—the one making prayer gestures.”
“Hyōdō Kiyoshi—a twenty-five-year-old youth—is Okaku’s most devoted believer.”
“He’s planted himself there out of concern for his cult leader’s welfare.”
“Though his nature’s been ‘reformed,’ ending up like that might prove more trouble than it’s worth.”

A man wearing an ordinary suit who at first glance resembled a young office worker sat motionless with his hands pressed together in prayer. He wasn't some pale, sickly youth but had the robust build of an athlete. Because he sat motionless with his hands pressed together in prayer, an eerie aura emanated from him instead. Heisaku carefully observed this,

“No, that person is by far the safest bet. I would very much like to meet with Okaku.”

In the end, it was decided that Okaku would straighten out Fujio's nature, and that Okaku together with Hyōdō Kiyoshi would stay at Heisaku's house for the time being to conduct prayers.
As a result, Fujio and Okaku were released simultaneously that evening, and the three of them—now including Hyōdō Kiyoshi—were led out of the police station by Heisaku.

However, thirty or forty minutes later, Heisaku—soaked like a drowned rat and pale-faced—came rushing alone into the police station.

People Who Deceive God

According to Heisaku’s account, this was how it happened.

The rain that had begun at dusk had turned into a torrential downpour by the time Heisaku departed.
Heisaku’s house stood considerably far from town, necessitating the crossing of an entire small mountain.

Heisaku carried a lantern and led the way along the mountain path.
It was a trail so narrow they could only proceed in single file.
Between the pounding rain and Okaku’s ceaseless loud chanting of prayers, no other sounds reached them.

Heisaku could barely manage walking the slippery mountain path, but when he finally reached the summit and turned around abruptly, only Okaku and Hyōdō were following behind—Fujio's figure was nowhere to be seen.

“I had Fujio right behind me, but he couldn’t have just vanished into thin air.”

“Because he looked like he was urinating on the slope, we passed by and came here.”

“You idiots! You fell into Fujio’s trap and were outmaneuvered! And you think you can cleverly exorcise the Death God and reform his nature? Don’t make me laugh! Since I’ve no more use for you lot, scram and disappear somewhere—anywhere! That Fujio bastard’s gone too far now. I’ll have the police settle the disownment.”

Heisaku had returned to the police station, trudging heavily.

After hearing the story, Detective Ono exhaled a puff of cigarette smoke with a soft "huff",

“I thought those prayer chants seemed suspiciously devout—just as I figured,”
“They say heretical cults trick people, but around here, tricking the cults has become all the rage.”
“You might fool Okaku, but you won’t fool these eyes.”
“Figuring out where Fujio’s gone doesn’t require any thinking time.”
“Come along.”
“I’ll nab him for you.”

Ono stood up and suddenly started getting ready to leave.

He urged Heisaku out into the pouring rain.
They turned from the back alley into a narrow lane.

“Shh.”
“Quiet.”
Ono restrained Heisaku and advanced toward the doorway of the small house but abruptly stopped.

“Ah… Someone—a person—”
Heisaku hadn’t perceived any such presence.

“Huh? Where? There doesn’t seem to be anyone here.”

“No. I’m certain someone ran off that way... but with this downpour—well, nothing to be done.”

Ono gave up and stood at the doorway of the small house.
He banged on the front door.

“Good evening.”
“Ms. Otsuki.”
“Good evening.”

By the time he had knocked some twenty times, there was finally movement inside.

“Coming to a woman living alone in the middle of night? What?”

“It’s not midnight yet—twenty minutes to nine. Though in three hours it will be.”

“Who’s there? Some drunkard?”

“It’s the police.”
“There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Police? Hmph, who is it? Some drunk?”

“Open the door. I need to ask you about Yamada Fujio.”

When Ono suddenly barked in a booming voice, the woman inside panicked.
The door opened.

“Oh. Detective Ono?"
“What do you want?”

A woman of thirty-three or thirty-four.
The widow Hisa—a black-market merchant.
A woman who'd shed some of her rough edges.
A figure never ceasing to be dogged by rumors.

“Fujio’s here, isn’t he?”

“He isn’t here.”

“Hmph.
Who were you sleeping with?
Who’s the man in back?”

“No one’s come.”

“Really? I’m coming up to check.”

“Go ahead. Please don’t insult people so much. There are neighbors watching.”

“The neighbors are already used to it.” Ono suddenly barged right in. When he slid the fusuma open with a clatter, the back room offered no place to hide. The man in the futon heaved himself up with resignation.

“Oh. Suzuki.” “Mr. Suzuki Kosuke—unexpected meeting.” “I’ll tell your wife about this.”

Ono looked down at Kosuke and grinned.
He was the top boss of the black-market merchants in this town.

"I don't remember doing anything wrong.
Now scram."

"Yeah.
Just did a good deed, didn't I?"

Ono hurled sarcasm but gave up and put on his shoes.

“Just tell me one thing. Fujio was here earlier, wasn’t he?”

“No one’s come, I tell you!”

“It’s not ‘no one.’
“It’s Fujio.
“He should’ve knocked on the front door twenty or thirty minutes ago.”

“I don’t know.
“Was dead asleep.”

Ono stepped out into the downpour.
Behind him, the door slammed shut with a metallic click of the lock engaging.

“The one who ran off earlier was Fujio.”
“The bastard went to all the trouble of rushing to his beloved woman’s place, only to find himself shut out because she already had company—seems he’d been sneaking peeks inside.”
“Quite the ordeal in this downpour.”
“He shouldn’t get tangled up with some black-market widow.”
“He’ll just catch a cold.”

Yamada Heisaku, who had heard rumors that Fujio was involved with a woman, now thought that it must be that woman.

“Is that woman a widow?”

“The widow Hisa.”
“She’s the hardest worker in the village and a scheming woman.”
“I have no idea how many men she’s got.”
“If only it doesn’t rain blood soon… Fujio had better watch out.”

On the main street，Heisaku parted from Ono．
If only it wouldn't rain blood… The detective’s words seared into his mind．

"That bastard’s tangled up with some vile woman．"

Because of Fujio，it felt like my household was being torn apart．
After the war，I’d expanded my fields from two *chō* to five，bought mountain forests，become one of the town’s undisputed leading figures，even joined the public safety committee—yet thanks to Fujio，people’s respect remained paper-thin．

"After all the trouble I went to building up this fortune, just because that bastard exists..."

Heisaku’s guts seethed as if boiling.
His ambition was vast.
In his eyes, there was no such thing as the new Agricultural Land Law.
What was ingrained in his head were the age-old rural legends.

He wanted to make every inch of land from where the sun rose behind this mountain to where it set beyond that one completely his own, and become a man of wealth whose gold increased by one *shō* measure every time chickens laid eggs.
And be revered by the people as the peasant king, so that whenever he walked through the fields, every human but the scarecrows would crouch in the mud and prostrate themselves.
Every bit of foliage he could see, all the verdant mountains—they were his own.

"The only one who doesn't bow to me is the sun. These human maggots shouldn't even dare speak to me so much..."

He entertained delusional fantasies. Whenever he snapped back to reality, it was always Fujio who made his guts seethe most fiercely against the dream-betraying world.

The God Ensnared by Ritual

When Heisaku returned home exhausted through the pouring rain, a major commotion was unfolding in the dirt-floored entryway of his house.
In the dirt-floored entryway, Okaku and Hyōdō were stubbornly persisting, arguing with his wife Otsune over whether they would be let in.
Otsune ran up to Heisaku rather than simply looking at him,

“What’s the matter? Where have you been wandering all this time?”

“I was looking for Fujio.”

“If you mean Fujio, he came back ages ago and settled in.”

“I see. So he had the nerve to beat me back here.”

“What do you intend to do with these people? Are you saying they’ll exorcise the death spirit and vixen attached to Fujio? Is it true that you’re the one who asked them to do this?”

“No, I did ask them once, but I refused afterward. Well, but… It’d be heartless to turn them away in this downpour. I’ll let them stay in the stable just for tonight. You lot, get out front. Trying to barge into my house—what audacious bastards. Out of pity, I’ll let you stay in the stable just for tonight—so sleep covered in straw.”

Heisaku led Okaku and Hyōdō into the stable.

The reason Heisaku had originally decided to bring Okaku into his own home stemmed not from any intention to reform Fujio’s inherent nature, but rather from the inspiration he had drawn from the incident at Jinbē’s place.

When he heard that Fujio had become Okaku’s follower, he thought this was perfect.

Heisaku had no particular interest in new religions, so he considered cult leaders and ascetic practitioners to be mere humans—or rather, maggots.
Fortune-tellers supposedly call their clients fools, but when those very fortune-tellers can’t even predict their own futures and lead such meager lives, they’re beneath fools—they’re maggots.
The divine powers of maggots were too absurd to even consider.

But it was also true that there existed fools below even maggots in this world—fools who would become followers of maggots. For such fools, it was indeed true that maggots possessed a certain degree of supernatural power.

"Believers become exactly as the cult leader wills. Get Okaku hooked on some drug, make Fujio dance to my tune, and if possible, finish this in one go…"

Jinbē had covered their tracks because they themselves had taken action, but he reasoned that if they left everything to the deity’s supernatural powers, there would be no need for such evasion.

Having thought this through, he had decided to invite Okaku into his home; however, since Fujio’s devotion had served as a means to deceive the police, and on his way home, Heisaku himself had been cleverly outmaneuvered and driven away, his fury erupted, and he cursed Okaku.

However, Heisaku’s mind had changed again.
With Fujio having those bad women and associates around, he needed to dispose of him as soon as possible.
Ono’s words had seared into Heisaku’s mind.

"I just hope blood rain doesn't fall..."

Even that suspicious detective thought blood rain might pour down over Hisa.

"This could work!"
"If we could just make it look like Fujio was killed over Hisa..."

A new idea occurred to Heisaku.

He led Okaku and Hyōdō into the stable and made them sit on straw.
He set a lantern at center and stared fixedly at them,

“Okaku, you truly live up to being a mountain ascetic—it seems you can see the death god and vixen clinging to Fujio.”

“I see them clear as day.”
“The possessed become cloaked in shadows.”
“The vixen’s wail rings in my ears too.”

“What? Can you only see shadows and hear voices? I can clearly see both the Death God and the vixen clinging to Fujio. The Death God and the vixen cling to Fujio’s back—their hands coiled around his neck and legs entwined at his waist—gripping as tightly as wisteria vines. The Death God clings from the right shoulder, the vixen from the left—making his face appear like some three-faced monster—but their bodies are one with his own, fused like centuries-old wisteria roots dug deep into him with no hope of ever letting go.”

“Yes, I’ll use my divine power to cast them out.”

“You—who can’t even see past shadows—don’t spout empty boasts.”
“I see them clear as day myself, yet even I can’t do a thing about it.”
“Once they’ve sunk their claws in this deep through sheer spite, ordinary methods won’t purge them.”
“Hah.”
“Wait—wait.”

Heisaku hid the lantern’s flame with his sleeve and listened intently,

“Hmph.”
Apparently, they had been eavesdropping after all.
Death Gods and foxes being deeply suspicious creatures—if you discuss matters nearby, they’ll catch on quick-like, stretch their ears out and come listening in.
“Raise our voices and they’ll wise up—you lot! Creep forward proper.”
“Lantern light’s no good here—I’ll snuff it out. Each of you—give me a hand.”
“Grip each other’s hands tight now—minds as one when we talk.”
“Don’t do this right and those fiends’ll slip between us—eavesdropping clear as day.”
“Got it?”
Heisaku grabbed Okaku’s hand with his left and Hyōdō’s with his right.

“You all must firmly grasp each other’s hands.”
“Check thoroughly while the lantern still burns—make certain you don’t mistakenly seize the Death God’s or fox’s hands instead.”
“Once this flame dies, never release your grip or adjust it—no matter what occurs.”
“The slightest slackening will let their hands replace yours.”
“Understood?”
“Gripped tight enough?”
“Now I extinguish the lantern.”

Heisaku pressed his face close and blew out the lantern's flame.
Suddenly the stable was plunged into darkness, with only a small red dot remaining at the candle wick's tip that flickered faintly.

“Now, this should do.”
“Now then, I’ll explain—the Death God and fox’s hands and feet have dug deep into Fujio’s neck and waist down to the flesh, so they can’t be released, nor can we kill just the Death God and fox alone.”
“It’s like a three-in-one entity.”
“To save Fujio, it’s impossible to leave his body intact and rescue him.”
“Since their hearts and necks are completely overlapping and breathing as one, we absolutely cannot exorcise the Death God and fox without first stopping Fujio’s breath.”
“Stab deep into Fujio’s heart from his back.”
“The dagger’s tip must pierce through the heart until it bursts out the other side.”
“After laying him sideways like this, next cut off Fujio’s head.”
“Not even a sliver of skin must remain attached.”
“You must sever it cleanly and separate the torso and head completely.”
“When you do that, the heads of the Death God and fox will fall.”
“By doing this, we can exorcise the Death God and fox.”
“If we don’t do this, there’s no other way to exorcise them.”
“How about it?”
“Don’t you all understand that?”

Okaku’s teeth clattered as she,

“That’s right.”
“That’s right.”
“Exactly right.”
“This way we can purge the Death God and fox.”
“There’s no other path—it must be done this way.”
“Stack all three and drive the blade through the heart to its base.”
“Pile the three heads and cleave them as one.”
“This must be done.”
“Do this and both Death God and fox will surely fall!”

“That’s right.”
“But...”
“If we’re spotted, we’re finished.”
“We must lure Fujio into the mountains and do it deep in the wilderness where there’s no one around to see.”

“That’s exactly right.”
“I am an ascetic of the Mountain Deity—we must draw him to the deity’s very seat!”
“The remote mountains of Nikko would serve best.”
“We must lure him to Nikko!”

“That’s right.”
“It must be done deep within Nantai-san mountain in Nikko.”
“You must venture into the ravine far behind Chūgū Shrine and carry it out within the thicket.”
“This task falls to you—Hyōdō, can you do it?”

“That’s right.”
“That’s right.”
“To carry that out is Kiyoshi’s role.”
“Kiyoshi will surely be able to do it.”
“Stab deep into the heart from behind and sever the head completely.”
“You can definitely do it, I tell you.”

Hyōdō had been trembling violently, his body rigid as stone from both the cold and his mounting excitement, but when told this, his knees began to wobble unsteadily, his teeth chattering like clockwork all the while.

“Yes, I’ll definitely do it.”
“I’m not the same man I used to be.”
“Now I can see the deity and hear its voice.”
“With one final push, I’ll become a proper practitioner.”
“I’ll cleanly exorcise Fujio’s Death God and fox!”

When he heard this, Heisaku gripped the hands of the two with all his strength and shook them like a wave,

“Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.”
“Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.”

He began chanting the prayer.
Needless to say, the two fanatics began chanting "Sendō" here in unison along with him.

The King Is Born

It was about ten days later.

A man who had been stabbed through the heart and had his head severed was discovered in the mountains of Nantai-san in Nikko.

The mountain where practitioners never pass except on specific days; however, on that very day, a villager happened to pass through there, so the body was discovered the day after the crime. This too was another stroke of luck.

A letter was found in the murdered man’s pocket, which also revealed the victim’s identity. This was one stroke of luck after another. The victim was, needless to say, Fujio. He was from a neighboring prefecture. Had this letter not come to light, the case might never have been solved.

The letter was from Hisa, asking him to come because she was waiting in Nikko.
I’ll send a guide to Umagaeshi, so please follow that person’s directions without worry.
It contained an artful suggestion about wanting to establish ties through accumulated conversations in Nikko’s mountains.

“So—a crime of passion?”
“Yet going through the meticulous act of cutting off the head but not checking the victim’s pockets—what an utter fool of a culprit we’ve got here.”
“A fool beyond all common sense.”

However, through contact from Nikko, Detective Ono apprehended Hisa, and upon investigation, it became clear—supported by numerous testimonies—that Hisa had been elsewhere that day.

Hisa claimed she had no memory of writing such a letter.

“Hold on there, Boss.
“This letter’s in a man’s hand, isn’t it?
“To make it look like a woman’s writing, someone deliberately warped the characters clumsily.
“You see, I...
“I may deal in rags by trade, but...
“I’ve mastered calligraphy’s deepest secrets since elementary school under proper teachers.
“Lend me a brush properly.
“I’ll show you the stroke marks.”

When they had her demonstrate, her calligraphy proved masterful—such exquisite penmanship that one might mistake it for a noblewoman’s hand. The investigation had to be restarted, but with the victim’s identity established and an evidentiary letter in hand, the culprit’s whereabouts were narrowly confined. All they needed was to scrutinize the men around Hisa. Yet when they investigated Hisa’s lovers, every one had an alibi. Being ragpickers, each could produce clear witnesses for their whereabouts that day.

Detective Ono thought.

"That’s right. It says they’ll send someone to meet him. Since there’s no reason one of her paramours would go meet him, that man must’ve been someone else entirely—none of her lovers."

When he went to investigate at the station, he found there was someone who’d bought a ticket to Nikko the day before and returned the next day. This was Hyōdō Kiyoshi.

That’s right. Since Hyōdō had met Fujio at the police station, he could fulfill the role of the messenger. The messenger was definitely Hyōdō!

Ono sprang into action, searched for Hyōdō’s whereabouts, and arrested him along with Okaku while they were offering prayers in Heisaku’s stable.

The case was solved because Hyōdō Kiyoshi confessed. In gratitude, Heisaku had thrown out 100,000 yen and arranged for a hall to be built for Okaku.

Heisaku was arrested but exercised his right to remain silent, not uttering a single word.
He was probably carrying the dream he couldn’t realize in this world into his prison cell.
Rather, inside a prison cell, his dreams might actually be easier to realize.

“I am the king! What is the meaning of imprisoning the king?!”

He would sometimes cling to the bars, grinding his teeth as he shouted—or so it was reported.