The Toyotomi Blades (28 page)

I was sorry, too. Not because of the probable fate of Junko’s love affair, but because I found myself just as prejudiced as the Japanese majority. I thought she had a Yakuza connection because she was Korean. It was stupid. I get outraged when I encounter this type of thinking back in the States, especially when it’s directed at Asians, but as soon as I found myself in the majority, I slipped into the ready comfort of a stereotypical prejudice. It was a sobering lesson, and one I’m not proud to admit to.

An aide came to get Mariko, and Sugimoto joined me in the greenroom to translate. I realized it was the show’s producers who probably ordered the VIP treatment for me, not something Junko had done on her own. After a few commercials for some kind of vitamin drink, they started showing a piece about the Nippon Tokkotai. It discussed their past involvement in radical, right-wing causes that were designed to return Japan to a militaristic country. It also showed a red-faced spokesman for the group denying any knowledge of the efforts to use the treasure to further their political agenda.

Then the show ran clips from news shows that showed the capture of Kim and his companion, Honda. As Hirota had predicted, the police were able to set up a roadblock and an amateur video cameraman happened to be on hand to get footage of a bloody Kim being pulled from a car. They ran a second clip of a serious police spokesman announcing that Kim had confessed to the murder of Ishibashi, the student. Unlike the Matsumoto case, I have no doubts that this confession is true. I do have suspicions about how the Japanese police were able to obtain a confession so quickly, though.

They showed some film of the Japanese police combing the mountains by Lake Biwa. Having seen Hirota’s ability to disappear into the forest, I wasn’t surprised the Japanese police couldn’t catch him on foot. I was surprised that even bringing in helicopters to help search the area didn’t unearth a clue about where Hirota had gone, however. It was as if he had turned himself invisible.

Watching the piece, I wondered about Hirota and where he was at that moment. I was curious if he was still in the mountains, hiding someplace and living off the land. Or perhaps he had already found his way back to civilization and had started blending into society. If I was Javert, Hirota’s escape would bother me. But, unlike the fictional detective in Victor Hugo’s classic, I felt no need to pursue him until every last demand of the law was settled. I figured the books between us were balanced and closed. Maybe Sonoda-san was right and my view of the law is more Confucian than Western.

Then it was Mariko’s turn. She did great. Her stage training really showed. In fact, Nagahara-san and Yukikochan commented on what wonderful presence she had on camera. I could see that pleased Mariko, and it pleased me, too. Then more commercials and it was finally my turn. The grand finale.

They rushed me into my seat and fitted me with the earphone so that I could hear the translation. When they got back from commercial, they introduced me and they immediately went to a clip that showed me entering the Nissan building and working with Kiyohara-san and the rest of the Nissan crew to develop the computerized maps we used to find the treasure. After the clip they cut back to me and the interview. Nagahara-san and Yukiko-chan started peppering me with questions about how I solved the mystery, what happened when they were shooting at us in the forest, and what Hirota said to me during our final confrontation.

Before going on camera, I had sworn that I would try to be suitably modest. After the events of the last few days, I figured that I would have to carry my head onto the plane resting in a wheelbarrow if I didn’t watch it. By acting modestly in the interview, a strange thing happened. The more modest I became, the more effusive the two anchors were with their praise. It was as if my modesty gave them permission to lay it on thick when they talked about me and what had been accomplished. It was a valuable lesson and one that taught me the old adage about less is more.

During a lull in the conversation, Junko whispered to me through my earpiece, “Keep it up, the producers are loving it.”

As the show came to a close, Nagahara-san said to me, “So what are your future plans?”

That was a good question, and one I hadn’t planned for. Most of the questions were about the mystery, and I had either been told or could anticipate what they were. This gave me a chance to work out some reasonably cogent answers. This was one I hadn’t thought of, so I just answered from the heart.

“Well, first I’ll return to the United States. It’s been a joy to come to Japan, and it’s an experience that every Japanese-American should have. A part of me will always be Japanese because it’s in my blood. But like most people in America, visiting the home of my ancestors has reminded me of the sacrifices my parents and grandparents made to make a new home in America, and I realize I am truly an American.

“Before the show I talked to Mr. Sonoda, and he made a very generous offer to buy my sword. I’m sure he’s offering more than it’s worth, but I’m going to take advantage of his generosity because the money will allow me to pursue something I’ve been toying with for a couple of months.” Mariko was in the back of the studio watching my interview. She couldn’t understand the question because she didn’t have an earpiece for the translation, but she could understand-my answer.

“When I get back to California, I’m going to investigate what it will take to make me a licensed private investigator. If I can qualify, I’m going to use Mr. Sonoda’s money to pursue that goal.” I glanced over at Mariko. She wasn’t shaking her head yes, but she wasn’t shaking her head no, either. That’s a start.

DALE FURUTANI
is the first Asian-American to win major mystery writing awards and his books have appeared on numerous bestseller lists. He has spoken at the US Library of Congress, the Japanese-American National Museum, The Pacific Asia Museum, and numerous conferences. The City of Los Angeles named him as one of its “Forty Faces of Diversity” and
Publisher’s Weekly
called him “a master craftsman.” He has lived in Japan and traveled there extensively. He now lives with his wife in the Pacific Northwest.

Website:
DALEFURUTANI.COM

BY DALE FURUTANI
Death in Little Tokyo

The Toyotomi Blades

Death at the Crossroads

Jade Palace Vendetta

Kill the Shogun

The Curious Adventures of Sherlock Holmes in Japan

“Dead Time,”
Shaken: Stories for Japan
(anthology written to aid victims of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsumami)

“Extreme Prejudice,”
Murder on Sunset Boulevard
(anthology to benefit the L.A. chapter of Sisters in Crime)

Author watercolor portrait by Shannon Perry