Ikebukuro West Gate Park (池袋ウエストゲートパーク)

"A Taste of Winter"

This is a work of fiction. The characters, organizations, and names herein are fictitious,and bear no relation to existing entities.

Citizens of Ikebukuro!

We are a group working to restore our country's pride.

Next Saturday, here in Ikebukuro,

"CRF"

we will hold a demonstration to call attention to our work!

I encourage all of you to take part!

Let us take back our homeland!

In other words, one of those so-called hate rallies?

That's right. They shout things like "Get out of Japan, member-of-whatever-group,"

and when they find someone matching that description, they hurl abuse at them.

Fumika Jounouchi's group indiscriminately targets Asian immigrants.

We'll be waiting for all of you to join us next Saturday.

They call themselves Citizens for Removing All Foreigners from Our Native Japan.

Or the CRF, for short.

Please take a stand by our side!

She's not related by blood, but I have a little sister who's Chinese.

Why do we have to be bodyguards for those guys?

I hear you guys are a group that's opposed to them.

Yeah. Our Association Against Hate Speech and Ethnic Discrimination

is critical of claims and actions such as theirs.

It's just that some amongst our number are an extreme faction,

and they want to use force to stop our opponents.

But if that happens, we might end up as the bad guys.

So, that's why you requested me and the G-Boys as bodyguards.

It's ironic, having to protect enemies from your own allies.

As long as I receive the standard fee, it's fine by me.

But I really don't get it.

I thought this kind of demonstration was prohibited by law.

And isn't it the government's policy to promote foreign immigration?

"Ikebukuro Station"

Modern Japan would stop running if it weren't for foreign laborers coming over.

Until a few years ago,

even this area was in danger of vanishing due to population loss.

What turned that around was an influx of foreign residents.

I'll bet.

So, what's the point of holding a demonstration like that now in Ikebukuro?

The laws are actually getting stricter,

and such demonstrations are hardly ever held anymore.

So I don't know what they're thinking.

There's something behind this.

Ikebukuro West Gate Park

Welcome home, Mako-bro!

What's up, Guo?

Today's not the day you come help out, is it?

It's not that, I brought a guest.

A friend of mine needs to talk to you.

Oh!

Hello!

I'm Meifaa Yamashita,

and I run a Chinese restaurant at the nearby Ikebukuro Paradise building.

Go with them, Makoto.

Huh?

I'll look after the shop.

You sure?

Be of help to Guo- chan and this lady.

We Ikebukuro shopkeepers have to look out for one another.

Thank you. It's reassuring to hear you say so.

It's been 20 years since I set up shop in this building.

"Kayou Hanten | Chinese Cuisine | Lunch menu"

Kayou

My wife Meifaa is from Hunan Province, China.

We met ten years ago and got married.

The neighborhood is full of nice people, and the restaurant is doing well.

But recently...

Harassment, huh?

The same thing has happened to other shops that employ foreigners.

It's terrible, isn't it? They haven't done anything wrong.

Do you have a security camera?

We do, but the people who did it concealed their faces.

Aren't there people active in Ikebukuro who want to drive out foreigners?

I wondered if this place is being harassed, too, because of that.

The work of those guys, huh?

Is there anything else?

A while back, there was a small fire at a café in this building.

The café that caught on fire ended up shutting down.

I'll try talking to that person, too.

At any rate, I need info.

"School route"

Sorry, Mako-bro. I know you're busy enough already.

It's okay. Looks like it's related to the job I'm currently doing, anyway.

Meifaa and her husband are such good people.

And yet, just because she's not from this country, they harass and bully her.

What about you? Are things going well at your new workplace?

Yeah. Everybody's nice to me.

My father's surgery in China went well, too.

It's all thanks to you and Mom.

"For pedestrian and bicyclist use"

I have my Japanese citizenship now, but I'm still Chinese, aren't I?

That's never going to change.

I can't get by anywhere but in this town,

so it hurts so much when they tell me to die, or to get out.

Ikebukuro Paradise is officially named the Third Shouei Building.

At the time, it was as stylish as buildings got.

Apartments up top, shops down below.

I ran the Classic Café, from the time the building was completed.

I heard there was a small fire in the café.

Yeah, cause unknown.

In the end, I decided it must have been the amp I used in my audio setup.

I see.

Then, maybe it's unrelated to the current incidents.

Incidents?

The Ikebukuro Paradise shops are being harassed.

Kayou Hanten, for instance.

Yamashita- san 's place?

You were never sure about what caused the fire?

It could be that somebody...

No, that was just an accident!

Sorry, it looks like I can't help you.

Now drink your tea, and go.

"Kitakami Shinkin Bank"

Saru?

Have you heard any rumors lately about the Ikebukuro Paradise area?

That building?

Let's see, just that redevelopment is expanding even further.

Redevelopment? That's still going on?

The North Gate, this time.

I heard a Chinese fund linked up with a Japanese corporation.

Well, it's good for us if Ikebukuro livens up.

As long as they don't invade our turf, I'd say they're free to have at it.

Nao

It's a Beijing central government fund company that's planning the redevelopment.

The money is moving into Japan's Empire Realty.

It's that real estate firm that's spearheading the project.

What kind of company is it?

The Beijing fund has already bought all its stock shares,

so that makes it a Chinese real estate firm.

It appears to be buying up prime metropolitan locations.

Have you heard of Ikebukuro Paradise?

That place is the centerpiece of the redevelopment.

Empire Realty wants to demolish the current building and put up a new one.

The shops there are being harassed.

Do you think it's connected with the redevelopment?

Would it be?

It's a group that wants to expel foreigners that's doing the harassment.

Meanwhile, a Chinese business is spearheading the redevelopment.

It's difficult to imagine there's common ground.

I'll say.

Then I guess the harassment and the redevelopment are two different stories.

Hisano- san ?

Huh?! He got beat up?!

"Hospital"

I was handing out fliers and collecting signatures at the East Gate.

Then I was jumped on my way home.

It's a pity you were harmed, but now we can show the press how violent they are.

I'll set up a news conference immediately.

That's all you're going to do?!

One of our own got beat up!

Hisano- san , I can't stick with you anymore!

We should answer violence with violence!

If we do that, we'll just be lowering ourselves to their level!

If you get hit, hit back!

Otherwise, they'll just look down on you!

There are plenty of others who think like me.

We're going to do our own thing for a while!

Wait!

So those are your group's extremists.

Shouldn't you go after them?

I'll try talking to them again once they cool down.

They're genuine, in their own way.

The North Gate redevelopment?

You think that has something to do with this case?

I don't know. Some parts don't match, and there's no single line connecting them.

It's obvious that getting violent will get the cops involved.

And yet, somebody does something that makes them the villain?

Who the hell did it, and why? What are they up to?

Guo? What's up?

Mako-bro, there's trouble! Ikebukuro Paradise is on fire!

Mako-bro!

Meifaa- san ! Yamashita- san ! You're not hurt?!

No, we're fine. But...

Maruoka- san , on the sixth floor, apparently passed away.

What caused the fire?

I don't know, but a police officer said it could be arson.

This is a declaration of war against our town.

Makoto, figure out who needs crushing.

Then, the G-Boys will bring them down.

Episode 9

It's Makoto.

Figured out anything?

No, it's like the news is saying.

Could be arson, could be accidental. We're still not sure.

The apartment where the fire broke out was messy to begin with,

and there were lots of combustibles, like books and papers.

That's why it could simply be an accident.

If it was arson, they must have chosen it deliberately.

So that a fire breaking out there wouldn't seem suspicious.

Okay, thanks.

Hey, if you know anything, tell me!

Have you got any ideas?

I still don't know.

Just make sure security is tight for that demonstration this weekend.

Huh? What are you getting at, Makoto?!

Do you think Jounouchi's group is responsible?

I'm not sure. The fire broke out in a regular residence.

There's no reason to target that.

"Paradise"

Ikebukuro has changed.

The town has cleaned up, and huge building after building goes up.