“The Case Files of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division” is a modern fantasy novel about humans and non-humans that takes place in Kyoto.

The author is Sayaka Tengeiji, who was born and raised in Kyoto. Her book was supported by readers who love Kyoto and won the 7th Kyoto Book Award. It is extremely popular with a cumulative circulation of over 220,000 copies. One of the charms of this work is that it not only features famous Kyoto spots, but also allows you to feel the daily life of Kyoto.

This article is a summary of an event where you can gain more knowledge about Sayaka Tengeiji’s writing situation.

On Friday, February 17th, 2023, “Learning about Kyoto starting from Kyoto history – A conversation with writer Sayaka Tengeiji” was held at the 4th floor hall of the Kyoto Lifelong Learning Center (Kyoto ASNY) in Nakagyo Ward, Kyoto City.

Sayaka Tengeiji, the author of “The Case Files of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division,” took the stage and talked about her thoughts on the Kyoto City Historical Museum (commonly known as “Kyoreki”), as well as her own creations.

What is the “Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division Case File”?

The Kyoto Prefectural Police’s “Non-Human Special Vigilance Unit,” commonly known as the “Ayakashi Division.” Their mission is to secretly solve all kinds of cases involving Ayakashi, from monsters to gods.

Masaru is a new female member who has just joined the Ayakashi Division. She works hard at her job with a group of unique members, but she actually has a secret that she can’t tell anyone…

An awesome modern fantasy masterpiece that depicts the activities of young soldiers running through the ancient capital to protect the city’s peace!

7 volumes have been published at present.
©”Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division Case Files 7″ by Sayaka Tengeiji (PHP Bungei Bunko)

Tengeiji has been attending the Kyoto City Historical Museum since he was a junior high school student. She has always loved history, and when she was in the sixth grade of elementary school, she wrote a novel in which a girl travels back in time to the Sengoku period.

The Kyoto City History Museum is accessible to anyone for free. The museum was the first place she encountered when she was in middle school. IEven now, in order to write her work, she receives support from a museum researcher at the Kyoto City Historical Museum, where she often researches things.

There is an episode that was born because of the presence of the Kyoto City History Museum. It is the “Matsugasaki Ball” recorded in “Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division Case Files 4: Fushimi Mountain and Foxfire Illusion”. The story is about the protagonists being invited to a reenactment of a ball held in Matsugasaki, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City.

Tengeiji heard from an acquaintance that “A long time ago, balls were held in Matsugasaki,” and although he searched various resources, she was unable to find any solid information. However, after investigating with the help of researchers at the Kyoto City History Museum, they discovered that a dance party was being held at a private residence. The episodes included in Volume 4 were written based on this fact.

Even if it doesn’t appear in the novel, he carefully researches the history of Kyoto and the lives of the people living in Kyoto before writing in order to pursue reality.

The second half of the event was held in the form of a conversation with Hidetoshi Noji of the Kyoto City Historical Museum. In response to Noji’s question, “Why did you turn the Yasaka Shrine parishioner area office of the Ayakashi Department, to which Masaru (the main character) belongs, into a coffee shop?” Tengeiji answered, “Kyoto has a lot of coffee shops. It is a place where people gather and information is exchanged. It has strong ties with the local area and functions as a community for that area.It carries out its duties in closer cooperation with the local community than other divisions in the Kyoto Prefectural Police. I thought it was a perfect place for the Ayakashi division” she answered from a unique Kyoto person’s perspective.

Tengeiji says, “When writing a novel, it’s important to do your homework.It’s important to know not just the name of the place, but what kind of people lived there and what kind of history they had.” “By writing based on what you feel, the story becomes more realistic and more persuasive. During the process of writing, if I can’t understand something even after visiting the site, I go to the Kyoto City History Museum.”

At the end of the event, Tengeiji talked about his future goals. Tengeiji discussed his future goals at the conclusion of the event. “I want to be like Tatsuzaburo Hayashiya of the novel world. Tatsuzaburo Hayashiya is a Japanese historian and cultural historian who is also famous for his book ‘Kyoto’, which is a compilation of the history of Kyoto city. History and daily life, I want to express the life and culture of Kyoto through my novels like Tatsuzaburo Hayashiya.” she passionately said.

There are many charms of “The Case Files of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division”, such as the detailed psychological depiction of the characters and the mysterious events caused by non-human beings. Another appeal is that you can learn about Kyoto’s regional characteristics. This is a work recommended for Kyoto lovers, history buffs, and those living in Kyoto.

Sayaka　Tengeiji

Born and raised in Kyoto. “Kyoto Shinbutsu Gensouki”, which she published in the novel posting site ‘Every star’, was well received, and she made her debut with “The Case Files of the Kyoto Prefectural Police Ayakashi Division” (PHP Bungei Bunko), which she added to and retitled the same work. This work won the 7th Kyoto Book Award. It was ranked 3rd in a survey conducted by the information site ‘Anime! Anime!’ of “Which light novels/novels would you like to see made into an anime?”

Twitter: @Tengeiji_Sayaka

翻訳者：Mei G.