Ward 24, also referred to as the 24th Ward, is the setting of The Silver Case. It is a fictional addition to the real-life 23 special wards of Tokyo, Kanto, Japan.
Geography[]
Ward 24 is divided into five Areas; Area A is in the middle, surrounded by a road called Route Circle, while the other four Areas are arranged in a quadrant-like manner. Area B is in the top-right, Area C is in the bottom-right, Area D is in the bottom-left and Area E is in the top-left.
Government[]
Ward 24's government has its roots in the big three Kanto non-governmental organizations: FSO, TRO and CCO. As the Kanto government weakened, these non-profit groups became more and more powerful, like political parties. TRO and CCO joined together as the TRO/CCO Alliance, which had a big rivalry with FSO.
Ward 24's major departments (Communications, Finance, Investment and the Environment) formed around what used to be parts of TRO and CCO, and the three parties became inherently linked to Ward 24.
During The Silver Case, the mayor of the city is officially Kaoru Hachisuka, though at some point his identity was taken over by his father, Uminosuke Hachisuka. Other administrators, linked to the former NGOs, have large influence on the city: Daizaburo Kai, the leader of the TRO/CCO Alliance, and Sundance Shot, the leader of FSO. The mysterious Nezu also seems to be in a position of control. By the time of The 25th Ward, Hachisuka has been succeeded by Tsubaki following his death.
Ward 24's law enforcement organization is known as the Administrative Inspection Office, which is made up of a police group and a security group.
History[]
Ward 24 was officially recognized by the government in January, 1980. Many of its residential facilities were designed by the architect Igor Ishizakaski. The next month, Kaoru Hachisuka was appointed the mayor. In April, residency was offered to citizens from all around the country. 80,000 residents were selected based on education, income, and lack of religious affiliation. Over the next few years, the Shelter Kids Policy is put into place in the city.
By 1999, the population reached 100,000 and there was a growing rift between the rich and the poor. This wasn't because of the expected financial reasons, but actually because the wealthier had an easier time accessing valuable information and data using technology. Crime became huge in the city, and much of it was sensationalized by the media.
Over the course of 1999, due to the events of The Silver Case, many of the Ward's administrators - specifically Hachisuka, Nezu and Enzawa - all die, as does most of the Heinous Crimes Unit. Due to this vacuum of power, the culture begins to change.
By 2005, the time of The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, the population has doubled, the class differences have disappeared and the number of violent crimes have gone down. Former yakuza boss Tsubaki has become the new mayor. Due to the lack of transmittable crime, the reformed Heinous Crimes Unit is generally seen as outdated by the populace.
Trivia[]
- Ward 24 is inconsistently translated as "Ward 24" and "24 Wards". Given that the size and population of the city shown in-game, while large, are clearly not anywhere near as enormous as the real-life 23 wards, this wiki assumes the former translation - referring to a specific ward and not all of them - to be the intended meaning.