Prefecture D

Prefecture D (陰の季節, Kage no Kisetsu; "Season of Shadows") is a 1998 novella collection by Hideo Yokoyama, published by Bungeishunju. The English translation, by Jonathan Lloyd-Davies, was published by the MCD imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux in 2020.

There are four novellas in the collection:

  • "Season of Shadows" (陰の季節)
  • "Cry of the Earth" (地の声)
  • "Black Lines" (黒い線)
  • "Briefcase" (鞄)

The novellas take place in "Prefecture D", which itself is not specified. Paul Sedan of The Christian Science Monitor argued that it would likely be "one in a mountainous location in the middle of the country." They focus more on day-to-day business of the police agency of that fictional prefecture, including personal conflicts. Kirkus Reviews stated that "politics" rather than "mayhem" is the focus.