Mid-April 1988, Los Angeles.
California sunlight illuminated Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Palm fronds reflected the light, and the air contained scents of leather, coffee, and vehicle exhaust.
Two young Japanese girls walked along the street. One wore a wide-brimmed straw hat and dark sunglasses that obscured most of her face, along with a cream trench coat. The other wore glasses and a Chanel suit, carried a canvas tote, and held a list of model numbers. She moved between boutiques.
Four men in tailored black suits, sunglasses, and earpieces followed them. They maintained a professional posture.
The men carried various items. Fujita Tsuyoshi held a large pink flamingo specimen. Another guard carried stacked shoeboxes and a painted glass lamp. A third guard carried cardboard boxes labeled FRAGILE containing professional equipment and several plastic bags of Nintendo cartridges. The fourth guard carried a longboard, two cases of Napa Valley wine, and a cage with a green parrot.
Satsuki stopped outside an antique shop named "The Velvet Rope" and addressed Fujita without turning.
"Fujita, hold that steady. It is for Father."
"Yes, Milady," Fujita replied. He adjusted his hold on the flamingo specimen.
Emi exited a high-end electronics store holding a receipt.
"Be careful with those boxes," Emi said. "There is an oscilloscope inside. It is fragile. Latest HP model."
Satsuki removed her sunglasses and examined her reflection in the shop window.
"Too much?" Satsuki said. "This is only the beginning. As for shipping, we have our own plane. Shipping cost is zero."
She entered a shop selling Hollywood movie props.
"Since we are here, we should bring local specialties back. Souvenir shopping is a Japanese tradition. And—" Satsuki indicated an original Darth Vader helmet from the Star Wars production, priced at fifty thousand dollars. "That would be suitable for the lounge at the Akasaka Pink Building. Buy it. Fujita, you still have one hand free, correct?"
Fujita looked at his occupied left hand, then at the helmet.
"…Yes, Milady." He extended his pinky to accept the gift bag from the clerk.
4:00 PM. Santa Monica Airport.
The Gulfstream G4 "Midnight Ghost" was stationed on the tarmac, its deep-blue fuselage visible under the California sunset.
Inside the cabin, items occupied the interior. The Darth Vader helmet was on the walnut conference table beside Emi's oscilloscope and the parrot. The flamingo specimen was secured in a seat with a seatbelt. Boxes from Chanel, Hermès, and electronics stores covered the carpet.
The plane accelerated, lifted, and leveled off over the Pacific.
Emi removed her shoes and sat in a leather seat, opening a Coke and handling a prototype Game Boy.
"Shopping is exhausting, but possession is satisfying," she said.
She turned to Satsuki, who was reading a fashion magazine.
"Satsuki-chan, about that…" Emi hesitated. "We have been gone for an extended period. Will school be an issue?"
"Hmm?" Satsuki turned a page. "What was that?"
"I mean the entrance ceremony," Emi said, counting on her fingers. "Today is the 15th. Seika's opening ceremony was on the 8th. We have already missed a full week. When I called home, my family said the school sent a notice regarding our unapproved absence. My family explained it as 'important overseas family training,' but still… Freshmen who skip the entrance ceremony are unusual. When we return, we will be a topic of discussion. 'Those two arrogant freshmen who do not respect the chairman'… considering it is concerning."
She shifted position. "But we have already missed it. Nothing can be done now. Honestly, I do not want to consider problems while traveling. Now that we are returning, it is reassuring. The teachers will reprimand us, but at least I can sleep on my own tatami and obtain taiyaki near the school gate…"
After time abroad in Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Emi was ready to return to Tokyo's established routines.
"Reassuring?" Satsuki closed her magazine. She lifted her black tea and looked at Emi. "Emi, did you misunderstand something?"
"Eh?" Emi paused. "Misunderstand what?"
"Who said we are going back to Tokyo?" Satsuki's voice was quiet but clear in the cabin.
Emi stopped moving. She blinked. "Not Tokyo? But the plane is flying west. Across the Pacific is Japan, correct?"
"It is flying toward Japan," Satsuki said. She pressed the intercom on her armrest. "Captain, please confirm our current course and destination."
The captain's voice responded with static: "Current heading north-northwest. Destination: New Chitose Airport. ETA: three hours."
"New Chitose… New Chitose?!" Emi stood abruptly and looked at Satsuki. "Hokkaido?! Why Hokkaido?!"
She gestured to the shopping bags, then to her light spring clothing. "We purchased all these items. Should we not return home and store them first? And we may have taken leave, but we cannot remain absent indefinitely. I have not finished my math homework. There is a physics test next week. I thought we were going back to report and attend make-up classes, but you are taking me to continue missing school?"
"Homework?" Satsuki raised an eyebrow. "Have Fujita arrange for it to be completed. As for the physics test… do you require review?"
"It is not about review. It is about conduct," Emi said. "Saionji-san, you have not forgotten we are still students, have you?"
"I have not forgotten," Satsuki said. She stood, moved through the cabin, and retrieved a rolled map. "But Tokyo's environment is currently unsuitable."
She moved the helmet aside and spread the map on the table. "It is April. The cherry blossoms in Tokyo have already fallen. The streets contain slush from trampled petals. School has just started, so the social circles will be holding tea parties, discussing vacations and Paris custom dresses."
Satsuki's finger moved across the map. "I do not want to hear that discussion, and I do not want to smell that perfume. I want to see snow."
Her finger stopped on the northern section of the map. "Hokkaido. Niseko and Furano."
Emi leaned in and examined the contour lines. "Are we going skiing? But it is mid-April. The snow should be gone, correct?"
"Hokkaido snow does not melt that quickly," Satsuki said. She picked up a red pen and circled both locations. "And we are not going for recreation. We are going to secure land."
"'Secure land'?" Emi's voice was quiet.
"Emi, what is the most expensive thing in Tokyo right now?"
"Land? Stocks?"
"Correct. But Tokyo's land has been allocated. Yoshiaki Tsutsumi purchased some, Mitsui purchased some, and I purchased some." Satsuki tapped the map. "But when people in the city have money, what do they want?"
"Purchase more items?"
"No. They want to leave," Satsuki said. "After someone buys luxury brands in Ginza, drinks in Roppongi, and receives beauty treatments in Akasaka, they find nothing in the city that interests them. They begin wanting nature. They want extreme, pure 'wildness' that money can acquire. The best powder snow, the best hot springs, the freshest milk and sea urchin. This is the final luxury of the bubble era — 'experience.'"
Satsuki's finger rested on Niseko. "Currently, it is only wasteland known to Australian backpackers. But I am going to develop a complex there. The best ski resort in Asia. Members-only hot springs. And an integrated agricultural farm that produces high-grade domestic ingredients. An organic farm supplying The Club and all our high-end restaurants directly. We control the source."
"In the S.A. Group's holdings, 'clothing' has Uniqlo and S-Collection. 'Transportation' has this plane and our logistics company. 'Entertainment' has karaoke and our entertainment firm. Now, we are establishing 'food' and 'housing.'"
Emi listened. She looked at Satsuki. One moment they discussed school; the next, Satsuki outlined plans for an agricultural and tourism enterprise in Hokkaido.
"Saionji-san…" Emi asked, "You planned this previously, correct?"
"Of course," Satsuki said. She removed a file from her briefcase. "Three months ago, a team from Saionji Industries' real estate division was deployed to Hokkaido. They do not buy buildings or existing resorts. They buy one thing — wasteland. Abandoned farms with poor access. Mountain forests. We have already acquired nearly five thousand hectares."
Five thousand hectares. Emi considered the scale. While she was concerned with homework, Satsuki had secured territory in the north.
"Then what are we going to do?"
"Inspect," Satsuki said. She closed the file. "Observe my territory. And…" She indicated several unopened boxes. "Test new clothing. That box contains S-Collection's new winter line, using new thermal fibers. We will be the first testers."
Emi had no further objection. The clothing was already prepared. This was a planned operation.
"Attention passengers, we are beginning our descent," the captain announced. "Destination: New Chitose Airport. Ground temperature minus three degrees Celsius, moderate snow. Please fasten your seatbelts."
Satsuki turned to the window. The plane descended through cloud cover. Below, the environment had changed. California's colors and Tokyo's concrete were replaced by silver-white.
Heavy snow covered rolling mountains. Conifer forests were arranged on the snowfields. The last sunlight reflected on the frozen Chitose River.
"We are here," Satsuki said softly.
The landing gear deployed. The aircraft contacted the runway, displacing compressed snow.
The plane taxied across the snowy tarmac and stopped on the apron. The cabin door opened.
Cold air entered, carrying the scent of pine and ice.
Satsuki stood and tightened her trench coat. She walked to the door and looked down at the snow-covered ground.
Before Tokyo's economic activity could extend to this region, beneath this snowfield, another development was to begin.
"Let's go, Emi," Satsuki said, turning back to Emi, who was putting on her down jacket. "Welcome to my territory."
Snowflakes landed in her hair and melted. In the distance, Hokkaido's mountains were visible in the twilight.