Hierarchies

In the novel Six Four, blind obedience to hierarchy is exposed as dangerous despite the hierarchical favoritism of unquestionable compliance. Hierarchy plays a central role in Japanese politics, institutions, and corporations, and this is reflected in the novel Six Four. Prefecture D’s police force has a hierarchical structure; power flows from the top down based on the authoritarian chain of command. People are ranked within the force, defining individuals’ positions within the organization and dehumanizing their individuality. Yokoyama writes of “a world where hierarchy was everything” (258). When an individual does something beyond or below their ranking status, suspicion is raised, for respecting the hierarchy means obeying the boundaries assigned by such a structure. Thus, individuals within the hierarchy tend to bond with those at a similar hierarchical level.

Yokoyama uses vivid imagery to describe the sheer level of power possessed by those at the top...