{"id":335,"date":"2026-01-17T21:19:54","date_gmt":"2026-01-17T12:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/?p=335"},"modified":"2026-01-25T18:39:45","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T09:39:45","slug":"kawagoe-kunoichi-detective-agency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/?p=335","title":{"rendered":"Kawagoe Kunoichi Detective Agency\u2460"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u21d2\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u30da\u30fc\u30b8\u306f\u3053\u3061\u3089\u3092\u30af\u30ea\u30c3\u30af\u3057\u3066\u306d\uff01<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Episode One: The Garden of Eden<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Client:<\/strong>
Natsuki Yamamoto, age 11<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Request:<\/span><\/strong>
\u201cWhy did Adam and Eve eat the apple?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consultant:<\/span><\/strong>
Professor Kintoki \u2014 age unknown, occupation unknown<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accompanying Members:<\/span><\/strong>
Ichiko Kuno \u2014 age unknown, Director of the Detective Agency
A Parakeet \u2014 age unknown, bird<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advertisement:<\/span><\/strong>
\u201cWe will find the answers to any mystery you wish to know.
All services are free of charge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25c6\u25c6\u25c6<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We solve any mystery.
No charge.
The Kunoichi Detective Agency<\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The shop stood on the main street of an old post town known as \u201cKo-Edo (Little Edo),\u201d squeezed between a traditional Japanese sweets shop and a secondhand antiques store. Tourists passed by one after another, gazing with curiosity at the Edo-period streetscape, but almost all of them wore puzzled expressions when they noticed the out-of-place words written on the signboard standing on the sidewalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Older passersby showed little reaction. Most pretended not to see it at all, and looked away in another direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young couples, on the other hand, chatted cheerfully as they walked past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey say they solve any<\/em> mystery. And it\u2019s free. Sounds suspicious, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d
\u201cTotally weird. Free means there\u2019s got to be a catch. Kinda scary.\u201d
\u201cAny mystery, huh? Maybe they\u2019ll help with school test questions.\u201d
\u201cDo you think they\u2019d tell us what\u2019s at the edge of the universe?\u201d
\u201cOr if we\u2019re compatible?\u201d
\u201cThat\u2019s fortune-telling, not detective work. Ha ha.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Groups of trendy young people\u2014who made you wonder why they were interested in the Edo period at all\u2014often stopped by as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHey, look at this. That\u2019s hilarious.\u201d
\u201cNo way, seriously? Isn\u2019t this kinda dangerous?\u201d
\u201cThis is super sketchy.\u201d
\u201cLet\u2019s take a photo! Yeah!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was middle-aged couples who spoke in philosophical tones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHm. Do you think they could tell me what life is all about, in the first place?\u201d
\u201cYes\u2026 the years we\u2019ve spent together must have meaning, don\u2019t you think?\u201d
\u201cYou\u2019re right. Thanks to you, I\u2019ve had a good life.\u201d
\u201cI hope we can come back together again next year.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the sign was not there to entertain passersby or enjoy their reactions.
The director of the detective agency chose<\/em> her clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only those who possessed both<\/strong> a pure heart\u2014free from suspicion, fear, mockery, or doubt\u2014and a truly desperate question, serious enough to bring to a dim, unfamiliar shop to ask a stranger, were accepted as clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chance of such a person passing by was rare. About once every two months.
In the three years since the agency opened, there had been seventeen clients. Ten were children under fifteen. Four were teenagers. Only two were adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Occasionally, people who were clearly just fooling around would slide open the lattice glass door laughing, thinking, There\u2019s nothing scary if we go in together.<\/em> But they would end up wasting their time. No one appeared to greet them in the empty shop. The only response was the shrill, unsettling laughter of a ring-necked parakeet inside a birdcage tucked away in a corner. Startled and uncomfortable, they would mutter, \u201cThat was creepy,\u201d and leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Only when someone who truly met the conditions timidly slid open the door would a hoarse, high-pitched voice echo through the shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWelcome!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the parakeet, flapping its wings happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Late June. On a Sunday when summer heat arrived all at once, the main street was bustling with tourists holding handkerchiefs and fans. At last, the parakeet\u2019s voice echoed through the cool, dim shop again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

\u25c6<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Natsuki gently slid open the lattice glass door. It moved more smoothly than she expected, opening wide enough for her to slip through. Before she could even think Oh?<\/em>, her left foot\u2014and then her right\u2014moved on their own, carrying her inside the dim interior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She surprised herself. What am I doing?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceiling was high. The room felt empty. From outside, the shop looked small and narrow, but inside it was astonishingly spacious. In the center of the earthen floor stood a round wooden table with an old-fashioned black rotary telephone on top. Two chairs with spiral-shaped legs sat beside it. That was all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ahead was a raised tatami room, one step higher than the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It feels like an old country house,<\/em> Natsuki thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, a voice rang out behind her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWEL-COOOOME!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Startled, she turned around. Inside a large birdcage, a bright green bird swayed on its perch. A black ring circled its neck, and its red, curved beak moved as it muttered something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful,\u201d Natsuki murmured.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if answering her, the bird spoke again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWEL-COOOOME! WEL-COOOOME!
IF YOU HAVE BUSINESS, PLEASE TALK ON THE TELEPHONE!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The voice sounded like that of a middle-aged man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHuh\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natsuki looked at the black rotary phone on the table. A lace cover was wrapped around the receiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She hesitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What number am I supposed to dial? Maybe I should just leave\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPLEASE TALK ON THE TELEPHONE,\u201d the parakeet urged more loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without thinking, Natsuki replied, \u201cO-okay,\u201d and lifted the receiver to her ear. Immediately, a cheerful young woman\u2019s voice came through.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHello. May I have your name and age, please?\u201d
\u201cAh\u2014yes. I\u2019m Natsuki Yamamoto. I\u2019m eleven.\u201d
\u201cSo, Natsuki-chan. Are you in elementary school?\u201d
\u201cYes. Sixth grade.\u201d
\u201cWhat mystery would you like to solve?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The conversation jumped straight to the point. Natsuki took a deep breath and, having made up her mind, spoke the question that had been troubling her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy\u2026 why did Adam and Eve eat the apple?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see. That is<\/em> a mystery. Let\u2019s ask Professor Kintoki. Professor Kintoki, please\u2026 Professor!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another voice answered, slightly flustered, sounding like a gentle middle-aged man\u2014remarkably similar to the parakeet\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, me? I see. Um, Natsuki-chan, was it? I\u2019m Kintoki. Nice to meet you. Tell me\u2014why do you want to know the answer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natsuki was usually shy and anxious around strangers, but for some reason, the voice reminded her of a kind father. She swallowed, then began to explain why she had come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mom read me a picture book called Bible Stories<\/em>. At the beginning, Adam and Eve\u2014who God created\u2014ate fruit they were told not to eat. Because of that, they had to leave the Garden of Eden, and people started to grow old and die. Their descendants suffered from sickness and hardship. My dad died of illness three years ago. I was born unable to produce insulin, so I have to give myself injections every day, and it hurts a lot. And in Africa, so many children die every day from hunger. Even rich countries fight wars and discriminate against others. There\u2019s bullying at school too\u2026 Isn\u2019t all of that Adam and Eve\u2019s fault? I got angry thinking about it. If they hadn\u2019t done that, everyone could have lived happily. Why did they disobey God? There were so many delicious fruits in Eden\u2014why did they eat the one they weren\u2019t allowed to eat?!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHm\u2026 You sound very angry, Natsuki-chan. If you could meet Adam and Eve, what would you ask them?\u201d
\u201cI\u2019d ask them why they did something so foolish. I\u2019d tell them how much trouble we\u2019re in now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI see. That\u2019s a serious question indeed. Director\u2014ah, I mean, yes\u2026 understood.\u201d
After conferring with someone nearby, Kintoki continued.
\u201cAlright. We\u2019ll answer your question. Please hang up the phone and wait right where you are. Do your best.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The call ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natsuki remained holding the receiver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Do your best\u2019? What does that mean\u2026?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natsuki looked around the room again while she waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceiling was very high. Thick, square wooden beams ran across it. The walls were made of wooden boards, and the grain of the wood showed clearly. Because the wood was dark brown, the room felt a little dim. Soft light came in through a small window near the ceiling. There were no electric lights anywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the dirt floor was a tatami room with nothing placed inside it. Farther back, four pure white sliding doors stood side by side, all closed. No pictures were painted on them. Even though the shop was dark and no light seemed to shine on them, the doors looked as if they were glowing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as Natsuki was thinking that someone might come through those doors, a wooden door behind the parrot\u2019s cage suddenly opened. Someone stepped inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a young woman wearing a wide-brimmed white hat in a very stylish way. She wore a light blue, short-sleeved dress that looked cool and summery, with an open neckline. A small white shoulder bag hung across her body. At the end of her long, slender legs, red high-heeled shoes sparkled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNatsuki-chan, thank you for waiting,\u201d the woman said cheerfully. \u201cMy name is Kun\u014d Ichiko. I am the director of the Kunoichi Detective Agency. Nice to meet you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the same voice as the kind lady from the telephone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She\u2019s so pretty, Natsuki thought. Suddenly, she felt a little shy about her own clothes\u2014a T-shirt with Hello Kitty on it, striped shorts, and her everyday sneakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow,\u201d the director said kindly, \u201cwe are going to look for the answer to your question. It won\u2019t take very long. But there are a few important rules. I think you\u2019ll be fine, Natsuki-chan, but please listen carefully. What is about to happen must be kept secret. Don\u2019t tell anyone afterward. Not even your mother. Can you promise me that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Natsuki answered right away. \u201cI promise. I won\u2019t tell anyone. I\u2019m not very talkative anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The director smiled and continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd one more thing. Never tell anyone about this detective agency. In other words, don\u2019t say where you found the answer to your mystery. If there is someone you want to tell about this place, don\u2019t explain anything. Just suggest that they walk down the street in front of the shop. If they notice the sign and decide to come in by themselves, then that is fine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI understand,\u201d Natsuki said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrom now on, please call me \u2018Director,\u2019\u201d the woman said gently. \u201cNow, let\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The woman\u2014no, the Director\u2014took Natsuki\u2019s hand. She slipped off her red high heels and held them, then stepped up onto the tatami floor. Natsuki did the same, taking off her sneakers and following behind her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right,\u201d the Director said softly. \u201cWe\u2019re going in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYes, Director,\u201d Natsuki replied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two of them reached for the handles of the sliding doors. Just then, the parrot flew out of its cage and fluttered through the air, landing on the Director\u2019s shoulder. The Director didn\u2019t seem to mind at all. She opened the sliding door on the right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Natsuki opened the sliding door on the left with a little burst of courage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, they stepped forward into a place filled with bright light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25c6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To be continued.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u21d2\u65e5\u672c\u8a9e\u30da\u30fc\u30b8\u306f\u3053\u3061\u3089\u3092\u30af\u30ea\u30c3\u30af\u3057\u3066\u306d\uff01 Episode One: The Garden of Eden Client:Natsuki Yamamoto, age 11 Request:\u201cWhy did Adam and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":488,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-short-novels"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=335"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":492,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335\/revisions\/492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/primitivechristianitystudy.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}