Island of the Evil Spirits (悪霊島)

WINTER, 1980

What is it?

At around 11 p.m. on Monday or 1 p.m. Tuesday Japan Time, John Lennon

was shot dead in New York.

A suspect, Hawaii-born Mark Chapman, aged 25,

has been arrested.

It appears he was shot by the waiting Chapman

as he arrived home at the Dakota with his wife Yoko Ono

following sessions at his studio in New York.

Chapman's motive and other details around the incident are as yet unclear,

but according to witnesses

Lennon was asked to confirm his identity as he stepped out of a car,

then several shots were fired.

The Beatles came to Japan in the '60s.

I was travelling around at the time.

A journey of my youth.

The Beatles sang and spoke to me.

"Always be on the move, keep changing clothes."

"That's the best way. Everything in transition."

And at the climax of that trip an event occurred,

something that inevitably changed who I was.

But how did that event relate to me?

And as for that island,

certainly, a tempest reeking of blood raged against it,

but now I believe, for those ten days on the island at least,

it was occupied by spirits.

ISLAND OF THE EVIL SPIRITS

There's a body! A dead body! There in the sea.

What? Raise your voice. Hey!

On that island...

Evil spirits...

O-On that island...

Terrifying...

Demons...

Hang in there! What happened on the island?

Hey!

Hey.

Hey! Hold on.

In 1969, Japan was in an unusually prosperous period.

A variety of new terms had appeared in the media.

"Rapid growth," "Pollution," "Hippy," "Long hair."

And at the time, I was completely immersed in that scene.

Next stop, Nakanohama. Nakanohama!

My ticket...

That's strange.

Will you tag alongside me?

Huh?

At the time, I was in the habit of taking free rides.

Stop! Stop!

Stop!

Old geezers are just so easy to outrun.

Bastards! Thieves!

Hurry, hurry!

I can't tell anything from his face.

Aoki...

It's Kindaichi?

Ah! Hello.

This is a surprise. How long has it been now?

You look well.

So cold though.

Why didn't you give me a shout?

I thought about it, but the timing seemed awkward.

You're just avoiding me again.

No!

Given that you're here, it must be something big?

No, just a coincidence.

I came this way on a separate matter, but a body was taken onto a ferry.

And why are you in a place like this?

You're working too?

Well, it's just...

I planned to pay you a visit at some stage.

That's great.

Ride with me.

Um, I've a companion.

Companion?

Well, you could call him that.

Huh?

Where are we?

The scene of my current investigation.

Trying to get away again...

We're old friends, aren't we?

And I'll cooperate fully with you on your own case.

You never give up, do you?

Hirose?

He's inside.

- Inspector. - Ah.

I'll introduce you. This is Kosuke Kindaichi.

I've mentioned him to you a few times.

Inspector Hirose.

Pleased to meet you.

Hello.

So gloomy.

We're keeping the crime scene as we found it.

The victim had fallen here like this.

Ah, here are the photos.

The autopsy indicated the cause of death was strangulation.

The victim was Haru Asai.

She owned the place.

Though she lived here alone.

It seems the pharmacy was a front for various activities.

You're from Tohoku, you must know the itako.

Here, they call a spirit-medium an ichiko.

This looks to be an altar for summoning the spirits of the dead.

She also practiced as an unlicensed midwife.

Um, Inspector...

Could you just disclose what you know?

Why are we actually here?

Well, you see.

About ten days ago, I received a letter.

The sender was Haru Asai, a name wholly unknown to me.

Oh, the victim?

Presumably, she got my name from a newspaper or something.

And what that letter contained was rather peculiar.

This is what she said:

"I've earned my livelihood working as a spiritual medium and midwife."

"Through this work, many a personal secret has been revealed to me."

"Above all else, I was deeply entangled with a dark secret from 24 years ago."

"And it came about that I blackmailed a client."

"But recently, because of that,

I've felt like something dreadful may happen to me."

"I'm willing to confess my crimes, so I want you to protect me."

That's the substance of the letter.

I said it came ten days ago, but at the time I was in Osaka on business.

I didn't open it until a week later.

And then I felt a foreboding.

I contacted the local police at once, but...

She had already been murdered.

Inspector!

This is a bit curious.

A fortune slip hidden in the small draw of a medicine box.

As if it were important...

Osakabe Shrine...

Oh, excellent luck.

A superstitious type would hold on to it.

I guess so.

However, Osakabe Shrine didn't offer fortune slips after the war.

My mother's an authority on these things.

So this is 20 years old?

That's right.

Why did she keep it so carefully hidden?

If I heard correctly, the letter mentioned a secret from 24 years ago.

Erm...

Osakabe Shrine is on Osakabe Island, isn't it?

Yeah. That's significant?

Actually, the case I'm working on has a connection to Osakabe Island.

Someone went to the island in May, since when all contact has been lost.

His name's "Aoki."

Tomorrow, I may travel to Osakabe Island to investigate.

Wait. Did you say "Aoki"?

Yes.

That body on the ferry.

His suit's name-tag said "Aoki."

Really?

Who was it that hired you?

A man called Ryuhei Ochi.

Ochi?

Of Osakabe Island?

You know him?

Yes, besides the Osakabe Clan, the Ochi family are long established islanders.

And Ryuhei was its heir.

Osakabe Island.

Then maybe this Aoki...

That disfigured face makes it impossible to tell.

But his age seems right.

I ought to have come with more photos.

It's early days yet.

Inspector.

A witness turned up.

What?

Someone was seen fleeing the house at the time.

And?

Ah, well...

A scruffy young man with a beard - a hippy.

A hippy?

How is it?

Much easier to make out.

Shall I...?

What is it?

Aoki's final words.

A passenger recorded it.

They...

They are twins...

The bones are attached together

at the waist.

On that island...

Evil spirits...

On that island...

Terrifying...

Demons...

Understand?

Beware the night of the crying nue.

Over here!

You're crossing over?

Yes. And you?

Yeah, I heard a famous festival will take place on the island.

These people are all heading for the festival.

I overheard that the islanders get a daily allowance if they return for it.

The population must really be dwindling.

Who pays it? The town hall?

No.