Chapter 22

DianeJoplin’sJALflightlandedatNaritaatexactlythedesignatedtime.10.28AM.Shehadspenttheentireflight,allfourhoursofit,gettingacquaintedwithaportableLonelyPlanetaugmentedrealityinformationsystemonTokyoshehadpurchasedinoneofthesouvenirshopsatLoganInternationalAirport.

Theunitdidn’tworkduringtheflight,relyingasitdidonvisualmarkersonthegroundtofunctionproperly,butDianehadfiguredthatifshejackedtheglassesintothein-flightentertainmentsystemshecouldprobablyusethelatter’sdisplaytoviewthecontentsofthedatabase.Andshe’dbeenright.InsidetheplasticglasseswasatinypieceofflashmemorycontainingtheentiredatabaseonTokyoaswellasasimpleoperatingsystemthatoverlaidthedataoverwhatyouwereseeingthroughtheglasses.Oldtechnologybutitworked.

DianefoundoutthatbyswitchingtheunittomanualmodeandpointingtheglassesataphotoofTokyoTowerinoneoftheglossyin-flightmagazinesshe’dbeabletopullupthedata.Therewasasmallthumbwheelonthesideoftheglassesforscrollingthroughthedataandthatworkedjustfineforherpurposes.TheJapanesesalarymaninthebifocalssittingnexttoherobservedallofthiswithfurtiveinterest.

Satisfiedwiththeprehensivenessofthedata,she’ddisconnectedtheunitandperformedacyberspacesearchonthenameKenzoYamamotoontheairlinesystem.Apparently,outofthecountlessKenzoYamamoto’sthatexistedacrosstheentiretyoftheJapaneseislands,quiteafewwereconsiderednewsworthy.TherewasKenzoYamamotothebaseballplayer,thefootballplayer,thehentai-crazedteenager,thefashiondesigner,thepolitician.ThelattersparkedherinterestbutshequicklydiscountedhimwhenshefoundoutthathewasbutalowlygovernmentofficialinOkinawawhousedthelevelplayingfieldofcyberspacetovoicehisdiscontentovergovernmentpolicies.

Allthistranslatedontheflybytheintelligentagentbrowserintogrammar-perfectEnglish.TherewasawholebunchofotherKenzoYamamotosgleanedfromonlinefamilytrees,sportsmeetingresults,universityprofessorlists,conventionspeakersandsomedownrightweirdstuff.DianelearnedthataKenzoYamamotohadbrokenhishighschoolmachine-assisted100-meterdashrecordinanastonishing5.2seconds.ThenhereyeshonedinonaYomiuriShimbumnewsheadlinethathadherhairstandingonend,goosebumpsbreakingoutallover.KenzoYamamoto,suspectedwakagashiraofthepowerfulYamaguchi-gumiYakuzafactionslaininShinjuku.

Breathlessly,Dianeperformedanothersearch,thistimecross-referencingthenameKenzoYamamotowiththeYakuzagang,theYamaguchi-gumi.Themoreshereadthemoreconvincedshewasthatthiswasthemanwhohadsentherfathertheconsole.TheJapanesemanbesideherwasnowlookingattheglowingpanelofherscreenwithrenewedinterest.Dianeignoredhimandcontinuedreading.KenzoYamamotowasallegedlysecondinmandofthedreadedYamaguchi-gumiYakuzafactionalthoughnoneofthenewspapersreportedthisasastatementoffact.ItwasjustconjecturebutDianeknewwhatthatmeant.Thenewspaperswerebeingpolite,evasiveinthatuniquelyJapaneseway.Yamamotohadnotbeenformallyconvictedofanythingbuttherewerecountlessreferencestohisinvolvementininformationtheft,electronicfraudandcorporateblackmailthoughanintricatenetworkofwell-informedsokaiya,orshareholdersmeetingmen,whoblackmailedcorporationsintopayingfeesorfaceembarrassingdisruptionsatshareholdersmeetings.

KenzoYamamoto’sfront,thenewspapersalleged,wasastringofcorporationsstretchingfromTokyoBaytotheKantoPlain.Yamamoto’sempirecoveredrealestate,hardwareandsoftware,virtualentertainment,includingthenurturingandpromotionofidoruorvirtualstars,KTVs,newspapers,magazines,realitygameshows,banks,currencyexchangebureaus,messengerandcourierservicesandpachinkoparlors.KenzoYamamoto’sforte,itappeared,wascorporateandindustrialblackmailonaglobalscaleandthebuyingandsellingofsensitiveinformation.Thelegitimatebusinessesalsoactedasfrontsforthemuchseedierpartofhisempire,whichincludedasizeablechunkofthesexindustryandtheacpanyingaudio-visualsexracket.KenzoYamamoto,speculatedoneparticularlywellinformedbutconspicuouslyanonymousjournalist,wassecondinmandonlytoNobuTakahashi,Japan’sMinisterofInternalAffairsandCommunication.

DianeJoplincouldnotbelievewhatshewasreading.Themanwhohadsenttheconsoletoherfather,aseedyfigurefromtheJapaneseunderworld,wasdeceasedandherfatherwasdeadtoo.Therewasdefinitelysomethingveryfishygoingonthere.Andshewasgoingtofindoutwhatitwasifonlytobringclosure,tofindoutthatherfatherhadn’tdiedinvain.Sheresistedthetemptationtothinkaboutherfatherastearsthreatenedtoburstfromhereyes.TheJapanesepassengerbesideherwasbeingincreasinglyperplexed.HerewasthisAmericangirl,readingaboutthedeathofsomeno-goodYakuzabosswithtearsinhereyes.AndwhatwasthiswildclaimthatYamamoto’sbosswasnoneotherthanahigh-rankinggovernmentofficial,thisMinisterTakahashi.

AnallegedYakuzaoyabunwasinchargeoftheministryresponsibleforadministeringpensionsforJapan’scivilservants,nationalmunications,thepostalservice,informationtechnologyusageingovernment,statistics,localtaxandlocalfinance.Itwasunbelievable.Ifthereportsweretrue,theYamaguchi-gumiwasrunningthecountrypureandsimple.AndifthisYamamotocharacterwasadealerininformationgloballythenthroughhisoyabunhehadaccesstosensitiveinformationinallofJapan.Thefoxeswerewellandtrulyinthechickencoop.

Asshecontinuedtoread,shequicklyrealizedthateverythingpointedtowardstheTokyobusinessareaofShinjuku.Accordingtotheresultsofyetanothersearch,itwasinShinjukuthatshewouldfindthenewgovernmentofficesoftheMinistryofInternalAffairsandCommunication,theofficialheadquartersoftheYamaguchi-gumiandtheseedyunderworldofYamamoto’s“waterbusiness”inKabukicho.ItwasinShinjukushewouldfindanswerstoherquestions,shethought,yeteachofthethreepossibledestinationsseemedmoreforebodingthanthenext.She’dhavetomakeachoice.

ShelookedupShinjukuhotelsinthein-flightmagazineandwashorrifiedbytheamounttheychargedpernight.Wincing,shebookedadeluxeroominthemaintoweroftheKeioPlazaIntercontinentalHotel.AlthoughthiswasoneoftheolderShinjukuhotels,itwasjustablockawayfromtheTokyoMetropolitanGovernmentOfficebuilding,andashortwalkfromtheYamaguchi-gumi’slairinthebusinessdistrictandthegaudyneonsofKabukicho’svice-riddenbackalleys.Thein-flightsystemdidagoodjobofmakingavisittothelatterbyaforeigngirlonherownsoundlikeapositivelyhair-raisingproposition.DianeJoplinshrugged.She’dgettothehotel,freshenupandconsiderheroptions.

TokyowascoveredinablanketofsnowwhenherflightlandedatNarita.Fromtheair,betweenthevastexpansesofwhite,Dianecouldmakeoutthestretchesofcoloredneonthatmadethecityealiveatnightlikeshe’dseeninthepictures.Itwassnowinglightlyandsheletthatfeelingofarrivinginanewcountryforthefirsttimewashoverher.Theaircraftwasstilltaxiingtothegate,yetherJapaneseco-passengerhadalreadyunfastenedhisseatbeltandwasfumblingunderhisseatforhispilot’sbriefcaseoveranunmovingpotbelly.Dianeleanedoverandfisheditoutforhimandhebowedawkwardlyfromtheneckupembarrassedbytheirfirstmunicationfortheentirelengthoftheflight.ShethoughtaboutherSamsoniteupthereintheluggagepartmentandwhatitcontained,thesleekbutharmlesslookingconsolethathadprobablyalreadyleadtothedeathoftwopeople.Shehopedthatshewouldnotbethethird.

ShedonnedtheARglassesandlookedoutofthewindow.ImmediatelyatextoverlayinformedherthattheywereatTerminal8oftheNewTokyoInternationalAirport(Narita)andthetemperaturewasminusfourdegreesCentigrade,exactlythetemperatureindicatedonthein-flightdisplaysystem.NaritawaslocatedintheareaknownasChiba,afeaturelessconcretesprawlsomesixty-sixkilometersfromdowntownTokyo.TherideintoShinjukuStationwouldtakejustfifteenminutesbyNEXMaglev,theNaritaexpresstrainservice.

Shewasonthedriver-lesselectricshuttlehurtlingacrossthetarmactowardsthearrivalslounge.Dianetookineverythingfromthefreshnessofthesnow,thesmellofJapan,whichremindedherstrangelyoffragranceddisinfectant,tothevariousstatesoftravelfatigueexhibitedbyherfellowpassengers.Shespottedthemanwhohadoccupiedtheseatnexttoherinthefarcorneroftheshuttlebutheseemedtobeignoringher.Thewhirofaircraft,thesnowfallingontheshuttlewindowsandthetarmacandmeltingoncontact,thefortingfeelofherSamsonitebetweenherlegsandtheforeignsmellofJapanallbinedtogiveherastrangesenseofcalm.ThisiswhatshehadescapedBostonfor,thisolfactoryconfirmationthatshehadsuccessfullytransitionedfromthehorrorofherfather’sdeathintosometotallynewdomainwherehisdemisewasbutaspecterinthesnow,dissolvingintothewetblacktarmac.

ShehadbeenimpressedbythecoolefficiencyoftheJapanesecabincrewalthoughshecouldnevertellwhethertheywerereallysmilingatherorwhethertheirvisageswereplexmaskshidingalitanyofotherthoughts,notallofthembenevolent.Shenoticedthequietprecisionwithwhichaircraftmaintenancestaffwentabouttheirbusinessoutside,sidebysidewiththerobots,whichsidleduptotheaircraftandperformedtheirtasksofremovingbaggagefromtheholdorcleaningtheexterioroftheaircraft.

Theshuttlewasdriverless,butprobablytoreducecultureshockforforeignvisitorsusedtoseeingfleshandboneinthedriver’sseat,theyhadriggedupamechanicaldummyupfrontsothat,fromthebackatleast,itlookedlikeahumanbeingwasinchargeofthings.Thedummyworeapeakedbluecapandwasgoingthroughthemotionsofturningthesteeringwheelandshiftinggearsinsynchronywithsomeputerprogramthatwasactuallycontrollingthevehicle.Dianefoundthepurelycosmeticshiftingofgearsabsurd,aseveryoneknewthatnobodyreallyusedmanualgearboxesanymore.

Outsidebandsofsnowshifteddiagonallydownwardasthevehiclecametoastandstilloutsidethegate.Dianesteppedofftheshuttleandfollowedthethrongtopassportcontrol.Whenitwasherturn,thecustomsofficerlookedheroverinawaythatborderedonaninvasionofherprivacy.

“Wherestayingat?”heaskedinhaltingEnglish.

“KeioPlazaHotel,Shinjuku,”shereplied,wonderingwhyheneededthatparticularpieceofinformation.

Hethenproceededtoentersomedataontoherpassportchip,presumablyavisa.Henoddedandreturnedherchip.Herheartbeatslowedalittle.MovingnowtowardstheX-rayinspectionmachines,Dianewonderedwhetheranythingwithintheconsolewouldpromptarequesttoopenhersuitcase.TheyoungguyinfrontofthemonitorstaredattheX-rayimageofherSamsoniteandDiane’sheartstoppedwhenshesawthemanleanforwardandgawpattheimage.Afewsecondslaterheleanedbackandstartedchattingtoafemalecolleague.Heartpounding,DianegrabbedhersuitcasefromtheX-raymachine’sconveyorbeltandwalkedbrisklytowardsthesignforthetrainsintoTokyo.Shetriedhardnottolookback.

Fifteenminuteslatershewascuttingacrosssnow-coveredsuburbstowardsthecenterofTokyo.Everythingfeltnewtoher.ThehushedconversationsinJapanesearoundher,theKanjisignsandtheadvertisingthatportendedanaltogetherdifferentculturefromwhatshewasusedto.But,thatwaswhatsheneededmostnow,theanonymityofthesprawlingmetropolisthatwasTokyo.Sheneededtoloseherselfinitsmyriadneon-soakedsounds,initssightsandinitssmells.Sheneededtofindherselfinitsdistinctculture,whichwasholdingonfordearlifeagainsttheonslaughtofsomekindofultramodernity,onethatwasdevelopingonaradicallydifferenttangentfromtherestoftheworld.Outsidethewindowoftheshape-shiftingNEXMaglev,shespottedagangofkidsonmotorcyclestryingtomatchthetrainforspeed.TheARunitinformedherthattheywerebosozokuorteenagebikegangsandthatmanyofthemwouldgrowuptobeefully-fledgedYakuza.ThewordYakuzablinkingonthedisplaygotDianethinkingaboutKenzoYamamotoandMinisterTakahashi.

Thetrainwasnowcuttingthroughhugeswathesofgrayconcrete,flyovers,suspendedexpresswaysandforestsofneon.Thesnowhaddisappearedfromthegroundleavingnothingbutablackslushthatadheredtothesideoftheroads.Thentheconcreteforestgotawholelotbigger,andtheneonsignsinkanjijustkindofgrewinsizeandscopeandtherewereallthesegiganticTVscreensholleringateachotherindulcettonedbutverypersuasiveJapanese.Andjustasahulkingbuildingofredbrickandblackglasscameintoview,theARunitnotifiedherthatshehadarrivedatShinjukuStation.