Six Four

File:SixFour.jpg

Six Four novel cover

Six Four

Author	Hideo Yokoyama
Translator	Jonathan Lloyd-Davies
Language	Japanese
Series	Prefecture D Series
Genre	Crime thriller, mystery
Publisher	Bungeishunjū
Publication date	October 25, 2012
Publication place	Japan
Media type	Print
ISBN	1250160006
Followed by	Prefecture D

Six Four (Japanese: ロクヨン) is a crime/mystery novel written by Hideo Yokoyama in Japanese and published in 2012. It was the first of his novels to be translated into English.

The novel follows a man named Mikami, a disillusioned former detective, now police press director as he prepares for the visit of one of the top police officials in Japan. As Mikami tries to fulfill his obligations in his present role, he uncovers a dangerous secret about a mistake made in the fourteen year old "Six Four" kidnapping case, the reason for the police commissioner's visit to the prefecture. To further complicate matters, Mikami also has to worry about his missing daughter Ayumi, and the emotional state of his wife Minako. As he delves further into these uncertain and mysterious waters, Mikami is plagued by his responsibilities and the conflicts that arise among the reporters, Administrative Affairs, and Criminal Investigations.

The title Six Four refers to the year Showa 64 during which the main case took place. This is not a Gregorian calendar year but a year in the Japanese imperial era naming system, nengō.

Six Four is unique in the crime thriller genre for its "slow-burning" style that enthralls the reader within the "art of deduction".

Development

The original novel was composed over a period of ten years. Hideo Yokoyama was inspired by his own experience as a former reporter on police matters in Gunma. He suffered a heart attack during the writing process but continued the novel anyway.

Jonathan Lloyd-Davies said in an interview that it took him over a year to translate the novel into the English version. He worked independently of author Hideo Yokoyama and conducted research by reading Japanese police websites and online records. The length of the novel and the extensive number of characters posed as a challenge during the translation process.

Plot Summary

The novel begins with Mikami and his wife Minako meeting with a regional captain to examine a body of a young female which could be that of his daughter, Ayumi. Ayumi had run away a few months beforehand and they had been to see two other bodies in the last three months.

The next day, Mikami heads into his job at the police headquarters to find that members of the press have congregated in his office. While he sits at his desk, Mikami mentally recalls his transfer from Criminal Investigations to Media Relations, the department he now works in. The press club members demand to know why the police wouldn’t release the name of a woman involved in a car accident and get into a debate on the ethics of anonymity.

Mikami is called into the office of Director Akama, where they talk about his trip and how they could improve the search for Ayumi. Akama then tells Mikami of the visit from the commissioner general and its purpose being the Six Four case, a kidnapping case fourteen years prior that is regarded as the police department’s biggest failure. Akama tells Mikami he needs to get permission from the victim’s parents to allow the commissioner general to visit their home and have a walking interview. Mikami visits the father of the victim, Amamiya, who reveals his wife died before seeing her daughter’s killer jailed and refuses to allow the visit. Mikami realizes he will have to convince Amamiya before the scheduled date of the visit.

Back at the office, Mikami is informed by his coworker Suwa that the press club is submitting a written protest to the captain for the release of the woman’s name. Mikami leaves the officeand visits Mochizuki, who had worked on the case, to figure out why Amamiya won’t allow the visit. Mochizuki mentions the Koda memo but does not know what it is. At dinner, Minako and Mikami talk about the Amamiya/Six Four situation. Mikami reflects on Ayumi, who had suffered extreme insecurities about resembling her father before running away.

The next morning, Mikami visits Criminal Investigations and finds out about a gag order, which makes him suspicious. Mikami meets with Azusa, a member of the press club, and tells him about bid-rigging charges against Hakkaku Construction to get him off of the press issue. His plan fails, and the press club goes to deliver the protest to the captain. Mikami physically blocks their way, and they subsequently boycott the commissioner’s visit that was supposed to be highly-publicized.

Mikami then visits multiple different people he knew from his time in Criminal Investigations, but has no luck in discovering anything. While talking with a coworker, he finds out about a former detective, Hiyoshi. He visits Hiyoshi’s house and talks with his mother, who reveals how disastrous Hiyoshi’s life has become after the failed Six Four case. Mikami writes an encouraging note to Hiyoshi and leaves it with his mother.

Mikami goes to visit Kakinuma and instead finds his wife. She directs him to Kakinuma and Mikami asks him about the Koda memo. It is Koda’s account of the third call during the Six Four case that was covered up because the police messed up the recording. Mikami reflects on what he has learned and how serious the consequences could be if the press found out.

Mikami visits Amamiya again and cries in front of him, prompting him to accept the visit. After telling Akama about his success back at the office, Mikami asks about the purpose of the visit. Akama tells him nothing. For information, Mikami follows the inspector of Administrative Affairs, Futawatari, but learns nothing. He receives a call from Suwa informing him the press situation is worsening. Mikami has to deal with a situation involving Detention Facilities and foul play, which the press is sure to ask about. The press club meets again to discuss anonymous reporting.

Mikami receives a call from a man named Urushibara asking what he did to Koda, who is now missing. At the end of the call, Urushibara tells Mikami to see Arakida in the police HQ.

Suwa tells Mikami the details of the detention facilities issue just as the press is preparing to speak to Akama about the issue. The conference occurs without an issue. Arakida asks Mikami to have the press continue with their boycott of the comissioner's visit in order to preserve the role of Director of Criminal Investigations. Otherwise, the National Police Agency will take it over. Mikami now understands the commissioner’s visit is to absorb the post of Director of Criminal Investigations into the NPA. Mikami goes to visit Captain Tsujiuchi and tries to argue for the retention of the role with Criminal Investigations, but Tsujiuchi dismisses him. In a fit of rage, Mikami punches a TV. Mikami then calls Futawatari to talk with him about the issue, butMikami suspects that he wanted to avoid being the Director of Criminal Investigations.

The next day, Mikami calls in Mikumo, Suwa, and Kuramae and tells them he plans on removing the anonymous reporting of crimes. He will tell the press everything, but use their relationship to stress the importance of understanding when they should not report information about individuals. As he begins his announcement to the press, Suwa, Kuramae, and Mikumo enter the room to prevent anyone from leaving. After Mikami finishes his announcement, he asks the press to cover the visit with Amamiya. Later, the press club presents him their questions for the commissioner’s visit.

At home, Minako is outside because she had received the latest of many silent call they suspected were from Ayumi. Mikami calls the number back and discovers the call was from Hiyoshi. He gives him some encouraging words.Later in the night, Mikami and Minako talk about why Ayumi ran away. Minako says she thinks Ayumi ran away because they’re not the people she needs right now.

The next morning, Suwa tells Mikami that the whole department of Criminal Investigations knew the true purpose of the commissioner’s visit. Then, Akama calls Mikami into his office, asking if he knew about the commissioner’s visit and questioning his allegiances. Mikami dismisses himself from the meeting to plan the visit at Amamiya's house; he is not home.

Suwa tells Mikami he is going to the fifth floor because the First Division wasn’t answering any calls. After sending Mikumo and Kuramae to check on Second Division and Forensics and getting reports that there was only one person in each office, Mikami grows worried. He visits First Division and questions the only person left. Mikami goes outside and sees people walking to the assembly hall.

Mikami finds two officers guarding the doors to the assembly hall. He jabs one of them, Ashida, in the throat and enters the room. He is pulled out of the room, but before a fight occurs, Assistant Chief Mikura walks out and tells Mikami there has been another kidnapping.

As part of the administrative affairs department, Mikami is responsible for informing the press of the case, which is strikingly similar to the Six Four case. Mikami asks Mikura the identities of the victim and her family, to no avail. He goes to station G, wondering whether the case was a fabrication of Criminal Investigations.

After hiding in the bathroom of station G for several hours, Mikami catches Matsuoka and asked him to assist him in appeasing the press by giving him the names of the victim and her family. Matsuoka gives Mikami the name of the father and his store address, but nothing else. However, upon his return to the office, Suwa tells him that the press would agree to keep the victims anonymous. Their one conditions was to have an announcement by Arakida every two hours. Instead, Ochiai from the Second Division is made to fill the role, attempting to get answers as Criminal Investigations remains silent. Mikami, tired of the stall, asks to join the police in the mobile command center that will monitor the father of the victim, a man named Mesaki, as he delivers the ransom money to the kidnapper. Matsuoka allows it, but asks Mikami to establish a 20 minute buffer zone. Mikami writes down everything as it occurs.

In the middle of the observation, an officer reports that the missing girl, Kasumi, was in police custody in Genbu city for shoplifting. Mikami and Matsuoka then debate on keeping the coverage agreement in place. After a short while, Matsuoka reveals to Mikami that this was an extension of the Six-Four investigation. Mikami then realizes that it was Amamiya who had been the person behind the silent calls. Amamiya had been calling every number in the phone book to recognize the voice that had killed his daughter.

As Mesaki arrived at the Ai’ai Hair Salon, Mikami recognizes the voice of the "kidnapper" on the phone as Koda. Koda instructs Mesaki to put all of the money into an oil drum and burn it, then read a note from Amamiya. His wife calls, telling him his daughter wasn’t kidnapped. Mesaki tears and eats the top half of the note.

Later, Mikami goes to the phone booth where Amamiya had done all of his silent calls. Here, he processes the situation. Everything from the silent calls to his visit to Amamiya’s home was the planning of Koda and Amamiya to enact their revenge on the kidnapper, on the date of the commissioner’s visit. Mikami realizes Mesaki had inadvertently revealed himself as he tried to correct Koda about the Ai’ai hair salon. He had probably eaten the note because it incriminated him as the kidnapper.

Matsuoka calls Mikami and reveals that he knew Mesaki was the kidnapper when he avoided his gaze the day before.

At home, Mikami talks with Minako about the kidnapping and tells her the true source of the calls. Then, he calls Hiyoshi’s house and told him they had finally got a suspect.

The next week, Media Relations and the press are debating about the anonymity of kidnapper Mesaki's home address. Mikami had told them every detail.

The novel ends with Mikami asking Futawatari if he can remain in Media Relations in the spring after the transfers.

Major Characters

• Yoshinobu Mikami - Press Director and inspector of Prefecture D, previously assistant chief of Second Division in Criminal Investigations, main character/protagonist of novel
• Minako - Wife of Mikami, ex-police, stays at home to await a call from Ayumi
• Ayumi - Daughter of Mikami and Minako who had run away from home and has been missing for three months
• Akama - Director of Administrative Affairs and the second-in-command of the Prefectural HQ
• Ishii - Division Chief of the Secretariat
• Shinji Futawatari - Inspector for Administrative Affairs, incites certain events of the plot
• Kinji Tsujiuchi - Captain of the Prefectural HQ, the man in charge of the prefecture and the favorite to become the next commissioner general
• Kozuka - commissioner general of the National Police Agency in Tokyo, the man in charge of all 260,000 police officers
• Suwa - section chief and assistant inspector in Media Relations, 3 years in Media relations
• Kuramae - sub-chief in Media Relations
• Mikumo - recent transfer to Media Relations from Transport
• Arakida - Director of Criminal Investigations
• Katsutoshi Matsuoka - chief of First Division, possibly next Director of Criminal Investigations
• Akikawa - chief reporter of the Toyo, leader of the Press Club and instigator of press conflicts
• Yoshio Amamiya - local businessman and father of the victim of the Six Four kidnapping case

Themes

Multiple reviews have commented on the culturally-dense nature of Six Four. The book reveals many different aspects of Japanese culture, such as authority, hierarchy, and family structures. Every character's actions are defined by their place in the rigid hierarchy of the police department; those who dare to resist the status quo are met with derision and shunning. Even in dealing with sensitive issues such as family problems or crime, characters abide by cultural expectations to preserve their honor. The book has been praised for its accurate portrayal of Japanese conventions, with The Guardian calling it a "guide book to Japan".

Reception

The novel was an instant hit and sold roughly a million copies within the first week of its 2012 publication in Japan. In 2013, Six Four ranked number 1 in the Kono Mystery ga Sugoi! annual list.

Upon its 2017 publication in the UK, the translated novel proved as popular as it had been in Japan, quickly ranking on the best seller's list in Britain. In 2016, it was shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger. In 2017, it appeared on the New York Times' 100 Notable Books of the Year list.