The Yomiyama Police Station is a squat, two-storey concrete building constructed in 1975, situated at the main road intersection between the library and town hall. It serves as the central law enforcement hub for the village, handling minor crimes, missing persons, and community safety in a town of ~287 residents. In normal times, it was a quiet post where officers knew everyone by name. Since the blizzard hit on December 22, 1987, and the town entered its time loop, the station has become a crumbling symbol of order amid chaos.
The station is unremarkable: gray concrete walls, blue “Police” sign flickering above the entrance, Japanese flag hanging limp on a pole. Snow piles against the doors, unshoveled for days. Inside: fluorescent lights buzzing half-dead, front counter scarred from slammed fists, walls lined with faded commendations and red-ink “URGENT” stamps. Desks overflow with coffee cups, ashtrays, and reports no one has time to read. The holding cell in back is occupied by Tanaka Jirō, the door locked. At night the single blue rooftop light spins slowly, painting snow red-blue-red-blue, but the siren never sounds. The station feels like it’s holding its breath.
Before 1987, the station was understaffed but functional. Chief Morita Takayuki ran it with quiet authority, filing missing-persons reports as “lost in snow” or “runaways.” Officers Suzuki Kenji and Tanaka Yūji were the main beat cops, patrolling between Blocks A and B. Detectives Satō Keiichi and Kuroda Shin handled serious cases. The station dealt with the slow drip of disappearances—mostly kids or hikers—but never pushed hard. Locals whispered but never too loudly; the police were neighbors.
The station is overwhelmed. Phones ring nonstop with reports of missing relatives, strange lights, or “people who don’t blink.” Officers have resorted to pinning backlog reports on the bulletin board for anyone willing to read them. A sign reads: “External help welcome. Please sign in.” Morale is broken—arguments echo, coffee cold, duty roster more red X’s than names.
Key Staff & Status:
Chief Morita Takayuki (58): Sits in back office, calmly squashing inconvenient cases (anything that risks bad publicity or resources).
Detective Satō Keiichi (40, player character): Out investigating; griefing over his brother Haruto’s disappearance near the old lodge. Assumed Haruto left town and can’t return due to the blizzard.
Detective Kuroda Shin (42): Covers up cases to protect his son held hostage. Quietly sabotages anything threatening the safehouse location.
Beat Cop Suzuki Kenji (45): MIA was last known to be with Tanaka Yūji (32).
Beat Cop Tanaka Yūji (32): Maybe injured, babbling codes and nonsense. Refuses to report on Suzuki's welfare. Needs immediate assistance from a senior officer.
Clerk Kobayashi Shigeru (28, Atomic Children): Sorts reports frantically, whispers about “Yankee cover-up.”
Clerk Suzuki Hanako (52, Christmas Vigil): Ties ribbons on packages, sings carols while sorting.
Clerk Tanaka Yūki (35, Servant of the Hizume): Calm, smiling, volunteers for night shift.
Jailed – Tanaka Jirō (44): Drunk and raving; saw horrors @Dark Young Spawn near the lodge, locked up for “disturbance.” Wants investigation but cops won’t listen—society views him as a criminal (zensha 前科者), so his claims are dismissed.
The station is a pressure cooker. Officers explain anomalies as “stress” or “cold,” but cracks show. Citizens queue for updates that never come, leaving angry notes on the board. The radio loops “stay calm” messages, but no one believes them. Backup will never arrive.
Key Details & Hooks
Location: Main road intersection, west of library and town hall.
Atmosphere: Overworked, under-resourced, cracking under pressure.
Plot Hooks: Bulletin board with citizen notes, jailed Tanaka’s raving (dismissed as criminal lies), chief’s closed cases, detective files on desk. Detective Shin being blackmailed and the safety of his son, reported anomalies around the town, welfare checks on the denizens around town.