Mysteries of Old Tokyo

The location? Tokyo. The year? It’s - hey, let’s come back to that. What’s happening? Well... it’s your job to find out.

In Mysteries of Old Tokyo, you’re the new researcher and investigator for the Tokyo branch of the secretive Rare Items Acquisitions Ltd. You’ll walk the streets of the Imperial Capital and use your database of facts to interrogate a host of wandering spirits, find out their histories, lies, and truths, and unlock over 40 real-life locations. Travelling through space and time, a database of hundreds of Tokyo hotspots, transit networks and people creates new stories every time you play.

Inspired by the CD-ROM "multimedia experiences" of the 1990s like Encarta '96 and Cosmology of Kyoto, as well as modern detective games like The Roottrees are Dead and the Golden Idol series, Mysteries of Old Tokyo takes a set of postcards printed in 1930s Tokyo from the author's collection and brings them, hand-scanned, to your personal computer in full 1024x768 resolution.

Start your morning at the office, using real-life facts and photographs to sort and categorise incoming data.

Who was Dai Nankō? Who built the Eitai Bridge? What became of the Rokumeikan? It’s your research skills that will uncover the fascinating stories behind over 40 postcards, covering hundreds of years of Tokyo’s history, both good and bad.

After lunch, step out- or take a train - into the streets of Tokyo, past and present.

Track down the wandering spirits plaguing the city, from flirty courtesan Kasuga-dono to the tragic Lieutenant Ando, and separate the truth from their lies.

Use the databases at your disposal to identify the inconsistencies in their stories.

How could they have been on that bridge when it was demolished in 1956? Was it really possible to get from Ueno to Tokyo in 23 minutes before the Yamanote Line was built?

When you think you know what really happened, present your case to the spirit and boost your social link.

Help them find their truth one chapter at a time, inspired by the real histories of the people of Tokyo.

Visit postcards depicting over 40 Tokyo landmarks, from present-day tourist hotspots to long-forgotten obscurities, including:

• Asakusa Senso-ji Temple

• Meiji Shrine

• Shinjuku

• Ginza

• Ueno Park

Explore a detailed database of Tokyo’s extensive train network, from Akabane to Zoshigaya, covering over 150 years.

This database used to generate unique stories for the spirits, but you can explore it yourself to get turn-by-turn public transport directions in Tokyo for any year between 1872 (the first railway in Tokyo) to 2025 - just in case you ever find yourself going back in time.

As an agent for Rare Item Acquisitions, you'll come to know Tokyo like the back of your hand. As you explore, plot the best routes using Tokyo’s historical train networks to save time and money. Your expense account is not bottomless!

As well as over 40 postcards you can visit, the game database includes hundreds of historical Tokyo hotspots and train stations that are used to generate unique stories every time you play.

As you play, you’ll unlock new postcards, uncover the personal backstories of each wandering spirit, and acquire fabulous treasures for your employer.

Brand new photography from 2025, aligned and matched with the original postcards, lets you see these postcards in a modern context. Plus, learn all about each location with the original 1930s postcard description (translated for the first time from Japanese) complemented by present-day updates covering the last 90 years of Japanese history and more.

Whenever you find a new treasure, you can head over to the 3D viewer to examine it in stunning low-poly 3D, right on your personal computer.