Dusk had yet to deepen, and night gradually seeped across the sky.
Senso-ji, Taito Ward, Tokyo.
Culture set the stage, and the economy put on the show. In the past, Nakamise Shopping Street at Senso-ji bustled with traffic even at night, but ever since the nameless Buddhist statue had been unearthed several days earlier, all the streets surrounding Senso-ji had been placed under restrictions.
Today, the restricted area had suddenly expanded to cover all of Asakusa. Ground Self-Defense Forces troops had also been brought in to seal off every intersection, establishing defensive lines and guard posts while armored vehicles patrolled the streets.
"We finally sealed off all of Asakusa and evacuated tens of thousands of nearby residents before dark."
Superintendent Matsuura stepped out of a police car some distance away. Only after passing through several checkpoints where his identity was rigorously verified did he reach the camp established in Asakusa Park, adjacent to Senso-ji.
Stretching east to the Sumida River, south to the Kanda River, and north to the Komaarai River, Asakusa was the collective name for the area along the western bank of the Sumida River that occupied roughly the eastern half of Taito Ward.
Its name came from a passage in the Illustrated Account of Old Edo: "Since ancient times, plains have stretched unbroken from Shitaya to this place, forming Musashino. Across the vast wilderness, lush grasses grew in shallow clusters, hence the name Asakusa."
After reporting to his superiors, Superintendent Matsuura looked at the squads of Self-Defense Forces soldiers carrying loaded weapons, the armored vehicles and tanks, and the fortifications built around Senso-ji. His expression inevitably grew grave.
"Is something major about to happen at Senso-ji again?"
The somewhat desolate Senso-ji appeared all the more solemn beneath the descending curtain of night.
After the nameless stone Buddha