Fatal Frame 3
In-Depth / Plot Analysis
Platform: Playstation 2
Genre: Survival Horror
Producer: Tecmo
Players: 1
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© Copyright 2008 Reika_Kurosawa
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MANY, MANY THANKS TO LAUREAN AND EMI,
OWNERS OF www.cameraslens.com
FOR LETTING ME USE SOME OF THEIR SITE'S INFO!! :D
Before I start let me warn you that
this FAQ contains SPOILERS.
You've been warned. Read at your own risk.
Contents:
00. Introduction
01. Prologue
02. Characters (analysis and theories)
03. Main Spirits
04. In-Game information
- Data
- Texts
- Other
- Photos
05. Notes
- Incidents
- Location
- People
- Articles
06. Ghost List
07. Cultural Influences
08. Extras
09. In-game Tapes
10. Fan Theories
(Yes, YOUR theories.
feel free to e-mail them to me and I'll post them :D)
Let's begin, shall we?
00. *Introduction*
Hi! I'm Alexandra (Reika_Kurosawa in this FAQ XD).
I've been a fan of Project Zero/Fatal Frame since the first game was released.
I decided to write this FAQ since after so much research I did trying
to find the in-game documents and information and not finding them,
I thought I could write my own FAQ about it.
It's my first time doing this, so please take it easy on me :P.
Hope you enjoy my FAQ and participate on the theories ^_^.
01. *Prologue*
“Why did I survive?”
This thought has haunted Rei ever since that day…
The day she lost her fiancé in a car accident -
- while she was at the wheel.
One day, freelance photographer Rei Kurosawa
receives an assignment
to shoot pictures at an old Japanese manor.
Rumour has it that the manor,
situated deep in the mountains and miles from anywhere,
is haunted.
During her work that day, Rei sees something inexplicable:
her fiancé, Yuu Asou.
As far as she knows, he is dead.
Setting off in pursuit of her dead lover,
Rei finds herself wandering deeper and deeper into
the ruins of the abandoned mansion.
At the end of a crumbling passageway
she turns a corner,
and suddenly the scene around her changes.
Snow is falling heavily,
and reaching out ahead of her
are rows and rows of countless gravestones.
The scene bears no resemblance to the abandoned house
where she has been taking pictures.
“Where am I? What is this place?”
Afraid and confused, Rei begins her search for Yuu.
(Quoted from game booklet)
02. *Characters* (analysis and theories)
(credit to website www.cameraslens.com)
(Please refer to the Extras section if you want to know
more about certain characters (marked with *))
Rei Kurosawa (Heroine/ Photographer)
Rei is a 23 year old freelance journalist.
After the death of her boyfriend/fiancé in a car accident,
Rei is given a photographing assignment to take pictures
of a reportedly 'haunted house'.
Upon taking a photograph, the photograph
revealed the image of her deceased boyfriend.
As she searches through the mansion,
Rei is discovering a weird snake-like
tattoo appearing on her body.
What is also unnerving is that several
of the spirits she sees in the house have it too.
*Miku Hinasaki (Camera Assistant)
After getting over the disappearance of her brother Mafuyu,
Miku Hinasaki continued on with her
life and now work's as a photographer's assistant.
Yes, this is Miku from the first fatal frame.
Don't ask me how, but her powers are back,
and she actually has the strongest spiritual
sense of the three characters in the game.
Miku is Rei's assistant,
introduced to Rei by Rei's fiancé Yuu,
and lives with Rei at her house after Yuu Asou's death.
In Fatal Frame III she is 19 years old.
*Kei Amakura (Non-fiction Writer)
Rei recruits the help of Kei to investigate the mansion.
Kei was a close friend of Rei's boyfriend.
Kei also made a promise to him about something (what we don't know).
He himself is also searching for a 'missing person'
(his niece, Mio Amakura).
Kei is 26 years old and the younger brother of Shizu Amakura,
thus Mio & Mayu's uncle.
Not much Kei is a non fiction writer, he was close with Rei's fiancé,
and that he has no sixth sense ability.
Kei Amakura worked with Mafuyu Hinasaki
under Junsei Takamine.
*Yuu Asou (Rei's boyfriend/fiancé)
Died in a car accident in which Rei was driving when he was 24.
His image has mysteriously appeared
in photographs Rei took at a haunted mansion.
Yuu Asou was good friends with Mafuyu Hinasaki (Miku's brother).
Miku was left in Yuu's care after the disappearance of her brother,
and Yuu introduced her to his fiancé Rei.
Before Yuu's death, he was researching and trying
to find out more information concerning
the Camera Obscura and an urban legend called
'The Manor of Sleep'.
*Mafuyu Hinasaki (Miku's older brother)
Thought to be 'lost' 2 years ago, Miku begins to see
glimpses of her brother in the 'House of Sleep'.
Is there possibly a way she can get him back?
Mafuyu is 21 (23 according to the Japanese website?)
at the time of the Himuro incident,
and was good friends with Yuu Asou.
Mafuyu asked Yuu to take care of Miku
if anything would ever happen to him.
He also worked with Kei Amakura.
*Mio Amakura (Kei's Niece/ Mayu's Twin Sister)
Kei Amakura's neice.
She is 15 years old.
Soon after the Minakami incident, Mio began to display strange symptoms.
Kei, her uncle, has been researching
to try to find out what happened to Mio and her lost twin sister.
She is also bears the sinister tattoo on her body.
She is the one Kei is searching for in the house of sleep...
but will he find her, and what happened to her twin sister?
Mio was a heroine of Fatal Frame II.
Mayu Amakura (Kei's Niece/ Mio's Twin Sister)
Kei Amakura's neice.
She is 15 years old.
She disappeared in the forest near
the Minakami dam and hasn't been seen since.
Kei, her uncle, began researching
into Urban legends of the area
looking for clues as to her whereabouts.
Mayu was a heroine of Fatal Frame II.
Ruri (Miku's Cat)
Ruri is Miku's black and white cat
(apparently a 'gift' from her dead parents).
When not at Miku's side, Ruri is wandering around the house.
She is also a slight 'ghost detector' noticing things aren't
quite right before Rei or Miku can.
Yoshino Takigawa (Victim/ Plane crash sole survivor)
Rei, Miku, and Kei aren't the only ones
who have fallen victim to the curse.
This woman is very ill/in a coma at the Katsuragi hospital,
trapped in the nightmare world.
When Rei first falls asleep, she encounters the woman,
who begs her that if she finds
a way back to please wake her up.
She is the lone survivor of a horrible plane crash,
and fell pray to the
Manor of Sleep curse soon after.
She is 26 years old.
*Naoya (Yoshino's Boyfriend)
Yoshino's boyfriend who was with her and died in the plane crash.
All Yoshino has left of him now is a photograph of the two of them together.
That is, until Naoya begins to appear in Yoshino's dreams.
Dr. Kunihiko Asou (Occultist/Paranormal researcher)
A brilliant scientist and philosopher who lived
from the late 19th century to the early 20th century.
He was a student of both folklore, philosophy, and the occult.
He is the creator of the Camera Obscura (more than one),
the spirit radio, & the projector you see in FF2 & FF3.
(It is unknown whether or not Dr. Asou
created the camera that Miku uses in Fatal Frame).
He is also directly related to Mio & Mayu
(either as a great grandfather or grandfather)
Amakura and Yuu Asou.
His work primarily focused on proving the existence of the 'Other World'
(spiritual world).
Ozawa (Reporter)
A reporter who covered the recent deadly plane crash
in which only one person survived.
Junsei Takamine (Novelist/Mentor)
A famous novelist who has been missing
in the Himuro mountain region for some time.
Kei Amakura & Mafuyu Hinasaki worked under him.
People claim he has been 'spirited away'.
When last seen 2 years ago, he was 42 years old.
Shizu Amakura (Kei's Sister/Mio and Mayu's Mother)
Mio & Mayu's mother, who is currently ill in the hospital and left the girls
under the care of her younger brother Kei.
(In the US version of the game,
there is a slight translation error with one of the documents,
and the text mentioning Shizu claims she was 'spirited away'.)
Shizu is 35 years old, and is Kei's older sister.
Masumi Makimura (Surveyor/ Miyako's Boyfriend)
Masumi is the boyfriend of Miyako.
While surveying the Minakami area
for the dam that is to be built,
he mysteriously disappears.
He and his girlfriend are missing and
have been rumoured to be 'spirited away'.
That is, until Kei runs into Masumi in his dreams.
Miyako Sudo (Masumi's Girlfriend)
Miyako goes after Masumi once the
search parties have been called up.
Not giving up hope, she goes in search of him,
and goes missing as well.
She's rumoured to have become a 'spirited away'.
Kei Amakura then finds traces of the notes
she left behind in his dreams...
03. *Main Spirits*
(also credit to ww.cameraslens.com)
Reika Yakishiro/Kuze (Tattooed Shrine Maiden) (Main Villainess)
Reika is the main villain and ghost of the game.
When living in her village,
she cared for a boy named Kaname Ototsuki.
However, while he was away the village
was completely destroyed (by unknown forces)
killing her mother, father, and brother.
After this, she was approached by Yashuu Kuze and decided to become
a Tattooed Shrine Maiden to help others
who had experienced pain and loss similar to hers.
She completed her task, but her ritual failed
when she witnessed the brutal murder of her lover,
Kaname Ototsuki right before her very eyes.
Kaname Kuze/Ototsuki (Reika's lover/Amane's brother)
Not much is known about him.
He's the half-brother of Amane, and was in love with Reika.
He was born to Akito Kashiwagi & Kouyka Kuze.
His mum helped him escape the female populated
mansion before he was to be killed.
He ended up in a nearby village and was
adopted to the Ototsuki family.
In his village he falls in love with a girl called Reika.
However, while he was away the village was completely destroyed,
and Reika had gone to the Kuze Shrine to become
the next Tattooed Shrine Maiden.
After speaking about an usual dream to Dr Kunihiko Asou,
Kaname heads to the shrine to see Reika.
Tragically, Kaname is killed by Yashuu Kuze for sneaking
into the Chamber of Thorns to see Reika one last time.
*Amane Kuze (Kaname's Little Sister/Pacifier/Handmaiden)
A handmaiden Miku meets in her dreams who is looking for her brother.
she is Kaname's sister, and is also looking for her brother
(so she especially feels a kinship to Miku Hinasaki!).
He hair is tied in pigtails,
and she is one of the four 'pacifiers'.
The Pacifiers are miko-like girls
with hammers and mallets who each
represent a cardinal direction
and nail the tattooed maiden
in place during the ceremony.
Amane has two pigtails and represents South.
She is a Kuze family member by birth.
Due to her part in helping her brother
enter into the Chamber of Thorns,
Amane is killed by the other three handmaidens.
*Hisame Kuze (Pacifier/Handmaiden)
One of the four girls who is assigned to nail
the tattooed shrine maiden in place.
Each represents a cardinal direction
and has her own room filled of dolls.
Hisame has long hair that reaches her back,
and represents North.
She was adopted as a Kuze member
to serve as a handmaiden under Reika.
Hisame is also the oldest
and was the last chosen.
Shigure Kuze (Pacifier/Handmaiden)
One of the four girls who is assigned
to nail the tattooed shrine maiden in place.
Each represents a cardinal direction
and has her own room filled of dolls.
Shigure has short hair that is half
tied up, and represents East.
She was adopted as a Kuze member
to serve as a handmaiden under Reika.
Minamo Kuze (Pacifier/Handmaiden)
One of the four girls who is assigned
to nail the tattooed shrine maiden in place.
Each represents a cardinal direction
and has her own room filled of dolls.
Minamo has short hair with hairclips
on both sides, and represents West.
She was adopted as a Kuze member
to serve as a handmaiden under Reika.
Yashuu Kuze (Kuze family master)
The Ceremony Mistress of the Kuze Shrine.
She is Kyouka's mother and Aname's grandmother
and is in charge of running the
shrine as well as overseeing the Tattooed Maiden Ritual.
She is the one who approaches Reika a
bout becoming the next tattooed shrine maiden,
as well as killing Kaname Ototsuki
(her grandson) when he enters the Chamber of thorns.
Akito Kashiwagi (Kaname's father)
Investigating the local area folklore,
Akito is invited to stay at the Kuze mansion
for the purpose of producing a female heir with Kyouka.
He falls in love with Kyouka, but their union
produced a boy (Kaname Ototsuki) instead.
Akito wanted to take the still pregnant Kyouka
away with him, but tragically disappears.
Kyouka Kuze (Kaname & Amane's mother)
One of the Kuze family,
she fell in love with Akito,
sadly, their union
bore a son (which is forbidden).
Akito promised to come back for her
so they could run away together,
but he never returned.
Kyouka was able to send her son to
a nearby village where he could live and be safe.
Later on she bore a daughter by another man
who she called Amane.
She still continues to wait
for Akito to return, as he promised.
Makie Kuzuhara (Kozue's Mother/Curse Victim)
Revealed to be a missing person by news clips in game.
She is searching for her husband...
but does she have something to do with his disappearance?
She died by turning to ash because of the curse.
Kozue Kuzuhara (Makie's Child/Curse Victim)
Also missing and searching for her father...
even though she knows she is responsible
for his disappearance.
She died by turning to ash because of the curse.
Asanuma Kiriko (Crawling girl/Curse Victim)
This is our long armed crawling ghost
that haunts and chases after Miku a lot.
Her family was killed at their house by robbers;
however she survived because her parents
forced her to hide in a cabinet.
She then listened as her mother,
father, and brother were killed.
She remained in the cabinet for a
few days before finally being rescued,
but the ordeal left her so traumatized
she was sent to a mental hospital.
She turned to ash (through the curse)
merely days later.
The Engravers (Tattoo Artists)
Tattoo artists who tattoo
the shrine maiden during the ritual.
They also serve as a sort
of personal guard for Yashuu Kuze.
Engravers are tattoo artists
who have been tattooed
to understand the priestess' pain.
They are then blinded so
they can see the priestess'
dreams even when they are awake.
Their arms are pierced with needles
which they use to create the tattoos
over the shrine maiden's body.
After the ritual is completed,
the engravers' arms are then cut off.
Kizuna Himuro (Rope Shrine Maiden)
The Shrine maiden a lot of fans mistook as Kirie,
but she was a previous rope shrine maiden
in the Himuro mansion ritual.
She is the one who haunts Miku's dreams,
her purpose for doing so,
still unknown.
The Kusabi (Kusabi)
The Kusabi that torments
and hunts for Kei in his dreams.
Given that Masumi is nearby
when he first appears,
this Kusabi is quite possible
Seijiro Makabe from FF2 and
not another Kusabi
(as previously thought).
Tsuzuke & Musubi Osaka (Twin Shrine Maidens *not named in game*)
Twin shrine maidens who tell Kei
about the Crimson ritual in his dreams.
The two are held to
the Manor of Sleep by the curse.
Tengai Narumi (Head carpenter)
The head carpenter employed
to build and construct another shrine over
the Kuze house to keep the Rift from spreading.
After slaughtering the house builders,
he kills himself in order to have enough
sacrifices to properly contain the Rift.
Shigeomi Moriya (house builder leader)
One of the four men carrying swords.
He worked under the head carpenter
with the other three men.
It is unknown whether
the four were related by blood or were
(like the Kuze family) 'given' the
last name Moriya as a title of honour.
After the Rift Shrine was complete,
he (along with the three other leaders)
was ordered to kill their workers.
He was then killed by the Head Carpenter
as a sacrifice to contain the Rift.
Nirei Moriya (house builder leader)
One of the four men carrying swords.
He worked under the head carpenter
with the other three men.
It is unknown whether
the four were related by blood or were
(like the Kuze family) 'given' the
last name Moriya as a title of honour.
After the Rift Shrine was complete,
he (along with the three other leaders)
was ordered to kill their workers.
He was then killed by the Head Carpenter
as a sacrifice to contain the Rift.
Tatsumi Moriya (house building leader)
One of the four men carrying swords.
He worked under the head carpenter
with the other three men.
It is unknown whether
the four were related by blood or were
(like the Kuze family) 'given' the
last name Moriya as a title of honour.
After the Rift Shrine was complete,
he (along with the three other leaders)
was ordered to kill their workers.
He was then killed by the Head Carpenter
as a sacrifice to contain the Rift.
Inui Moriya (house builder leader)
One of the four men carrying swords.
He worked under the head carpenter
with the other three men.
It is unknown whether
the four were related by blood or
were (like the Kuze family) 'given' the
last name Moriya as a title of honour.
After the Rift Shrine was complete, he
(along with the three other leaders)
were ordered to kill their workers.
He was then killed by the Head Carpenter
as a sacrifice to contain the Rift.
04. In-Game Information
- Data
*Legend of Song 1
In the mountains of the Mutsu region,
There is an old lullaby that was
Only passed on to certain villages
The Sleeping Priestess: Verse One
Sleep, child, Go to sleep.
Sleep, child, Go to sleep.
If you cry, the boat you'll ride
The boat to the other side
Once you get there
The bib you shall wear
And you will be punished
Should you fail to lie still.
Within the same mountain chain, the
Song “the Sleeping Priestess” was
Only transmitted to a certain number
Of villages.
The dissemination is thought
to be dependent
On elements such as the village's roads
And locations.
As the usage of the word “priestess”
Implies, this song is thought to have
Its origins in indigenous folk rites,
Given its method of transmission.
As for the lyrics themselves, the
Opening line “Sleep, child, Go to sleep”
Calls the child into sleep.
The next part, “If you cry,
The boat you'll ride,
The boat to the other side” uses
Words like “boat” and “the other side”,
Which is suggestive of banishment.
It can be taken as a stanza of a
“threatening song” which is to
Frighten the child into sleep.
“the bib you shall wear” can be
Understood to depict,
“you will be dressed up to go”.
After “should you fail to lie still”
The inclusion of the frightening
Words “you will be punished”
Impresses admonition upon the child.
Perhaps as the once ceremonial song
Changed into a lullaby, it
Metamorphosed into the “threatening
Song” so common in the Mutsu area.
“The Sleeping Priestess: Verse Two”
Sleep, child, Go to sleep.
Sleep, child, Go to sleep.
If you should wake
From your slumber at night
Great wooden stakes
Shall pin you down tight
Lest the doors open wide
And the others that sleep wake too.
The second verse develops in a very
Similar way, and makes use of
The same elements.
“If you should wake” threatens that
“if the priestess should wake during
A ceremony (in the lullaby, this means
Sleep)” the woken priestess,
Or child, will have her limbs
Pinned down by stakes. These
“great wooden stakes” may be a
Remnant of a religious phrase.
At the las part, “Lest the doors
Open wide/ And the others that sleep
Wake too”, there is a shift from a
Familiar story centring on the
Priestess (child) to an uneasy end,
Both vague and large in scale.
It is thought that this expresses
Religious fear, such as
The dread of the underworld.
*Legend of Song 2
After extensive research on the Mutsu
Lullaby “The Sleeping Priestess”,
Lyrics were discovered that appear
To be even closer to the original.
The following includes thoughts on
How the song came about,
As well as its meaning.
“The Sleeping Priestess: Verse One”
Sleep, child, Lie in peace
Sleep, child, Lie in peace
If you cry, the boat you'll ride
The last trip to the other side
Once you get there
Sacred marks you'll bear
They shall be peeled off
Should you fail to lie still
The words “Lie in peace” in this
Version of the song seem to
Connote death rather than sleep.
The words “sacred marks” may be
Related to the area's legend
Of the “Tattoo Master”.
Perhaps in the original religious
Song, it expressed a meaning
Of “engraving a tattoo”
“The Sleeping Priestess: Verse Two”
Sleep, child, Lie in peace
Sleep, child, Lie in peace
If the priestess wakes from her dream,
Perform the rite of stakes
Her limbs pinned tight
Lest the doors open wide
And suffering unleashed on all
After researching various oral
Traditions, there was found to remain
Here the vestiges of a spirit world
Faith of sending the spirits of the
Dead to the “sea” - despite the fact
That this is in the mountains. This
“sea” may signify the “underworld”
If the “doors” are taken as the doors
To the Other World, then “Lest the
Doors open wide/ And suffering
Unleashed on all” seems to connote
That if the doors to the Other World
Open, some disaster will occur.
This song may have originally related
To a ceremony that protected the
Gate to the Other World.
The combinations of elements such as
The title “The sleeping Priestess”,
The priestess “waking”, sleep, and
Laying to sleep, juxtaposed with the
Word “to pin”, lends the meaning of
Priestess being “aided to sleep”;
In other words, “to be put to sleep”.
A sacrificial property can thus
Be read into the song.
Following is a diagram found in
Regional documents, combined
With the legend that seems to be
Based on ceremony and religion.
In the center of this illustration,
There is a small shrine where
“Engraving Shrine” is written. The
Part of the song about “tattoo”
Lends credence to the theory that the
Song may have been sung here.
Deep in the “Engraving Shrine” there
Is a vast sea (the underworld),
And the shrine is drawn as
The boundary between
This Shore and The Other Shore.
The lore accompanying the diagram
is as follow.
Break fresh skin, Engrave the Holly
Impale the tattoo stake
Subdue for Eternity,
To sleep in the rift.
Like the song lyrics, the lore can
Also be read as having the same
Human sacrifice-like aspect of
“Impale, subdue, and Sleep”.
*Legend of Song 3
A remote, closed village centred
On the so-called “Kuze Shrine” still
Holds a “ceremony” based on oral
tradition. It has been passed down
to the present by the “Kuze Family”.
While collecting information,
I was allowed in as a visitor
to the Kuze Village.
Following is a story I heard there.
Just as I thought, they hold a
Shrine ceremony here related to
the “Tattoo”.
“The Sleeping Priestess” is a song
they sing during this ceremony.
Here the song is called
“The Handmaiden's song” and at the
Tattoo engraving ceremony, it is sung
to subdue the priestess when she
receives the “Holly”.
The “Holly” comes from the tree of
the same name. The word is thought
to derive from the word “ache”.
I asked to see the actual ceremony,
but I was refused as males are
prohibited from the “Kuze Shrine”,
where the ceremony is held.
“The Handmaiden's Song” has
A hidden verse not in
“The Sleeping Priestess”.
But the person who knew the meaning
Has already passed away, and even
Within the Kuze family an explicit
Meaning has not been passed down.
It is mere hypothesis, but I will
Attempt to interpret these lyrics.
“The Sleeping Priestess: Verse Three”
Go to the other side
Go to the other side
Cast the boat, Take a ride
Cross the rift to the other side
Further and further to the other side
it must sail bearing your tattoos
And our offering of tears.
The opening “Sleep, child” changes to
“Be off to the other side”, and the
Song develops from there.
In fact, this verse does not once
Mention the word “sleep”, but focuses
Only on the travelling to the
Allegorical “other side”
Perhaps this implies the Priestess
will be sent away somewhere.
The “rift” to “the other side” seems
To signify some sort of passageway
Between this world and the other
World - the so-called “spirit world”.
If the line “bearing your tattoos”
Refers to the “sacred marks”
In Verse 1, then the tears are an
Offering in this rite.
These words signal a final farewell.
Was this last verse sung when
The priestess wearing the bib
Was sent off to “the other side”?
Does this song signify human
Sacrifice, or is it a song of
Gratitude to the priestess, who
Bares the tattoos and passes away?
I cannot determine which
Until I see the actual ceremony.
*Tattoo Folklore
This connotation of “snake and holly”
In this tattoo is primarily found
In North-eastern Japan.
This design is chronicled in the
Old North-eastern Japanese folktale,
“Tattoo Maiden”
“Tattoo Maiden”
A girl loses her lover,
and before he fades
from her memory completely,
she takes the pain
of her remaining love and
imbues it in a
holly tattoo.
Yet the girl falls
in love once more.
Again she loses her lover.
She engraves a tattoo
of her love
Into her body again.
This time she engraves
a divine snake
So her lover's spirit
will arrive safely
At the place of the gods.
As the girl repeats love and loss,
Her skin grows filled with tattoos.
She cannot tolerate the pain of the
Tattoos and it takes its toll on her
sanity. Meanwhile, her heart is eaten
by the snake engraved in her soul.
This legend is widely known on the plains,
but depending on the region, slight
differences appear. In the mountains,
the following changes can be found in the
story.
This is called “The Tattoo Master”
“The Tattoo Master”
The girl who lost her lover goes to
The mountain Master to relieve her pain
(to confide in her).
On hearing of the girl's pains,
the Master
Engraves the snake and holly
on her own body
And assumes the pain. The villagers,
hearing
Of this, visit the Master
one after another
To relieve their pains as well.
Eventually, the Master's entire body
Is covered with tattoos. She who took
On so many pains gets trapped in
Sleep from the pain of the engraved
Tattoos, and cannot wake. Finally,
She is eaten by the tattooed snake.
The story has one more version,
This with an even more tragic ending.
It is likely a story designed
to teach a lesson.
“The Tattoo Master: Verse Two”
The Master covered in tattoos goes as
Far as to tattoo holly in her eyes.
Then her tattooed eyes turn to mirror
And the pains engraved on the Master
Are repelled back to the people who
Engraved them. In the end, every last
Person is eaten by the snake.
The part about “turning to mirror”
may come
From how snake's eyes were traditionally
Thought to resemble mirrors.
Given the change in the story. It appears
that when “The Tattoo Master” legend of the
mountains spread to the plains,
$it became more fable-like.
The story with its Priestess-like
Element of the Master, was corrupted into
A city girl's foolish love story.
As far as the meaning of the
“snake and holly”
Tattoo in this folktale, the “holly” tree
Represents the pain of love
for the dead
And the pains of the heart.
The “snake” is employed here in the divine
Sense, and its import seems to be tied into
Love and pathos for the dead that devours
Those including the girl and the Master.
*Master and Snake
The following is deeper speculation
On the meaning of the tattoo design,
“Holly and Snake” as in the
North-eastern Japanese folktale
“The Tattoo Master”.
Based on new research,
a further
Change in the story was confirmed.
“The Tattoo Master (2)”
The girl who lost her lover goes to
The mountain to confide
in the Master about
The pains of her heart.
Upon hearing the girl's story,
the Master
Engraves a tattoo on the girl.
After that day,
the girl dreams of the man.
But then she falls
in love with someone else.
The tattooed dream
becomes a nightmare,
And the tattoo aches severely.
The suffering girl
goes to visit the Master
Again to see if she cannot remove
The tattoos.
The Master washes off
the tattoos with water
That gushes forth from
a mountain spring.
As she does this,
the snake swims into
The water and disappears
deep into the spring.
The meaning of the
tattoo is essentially
The same here, but
the end of the story
Is very different:
neither the girl who has
Her tattoo washed off,
nor the Master, dies.
Here the mountain and water
spirit properties
Of the “snake” are
clearly expressed,
And it is likely
a popularized version of
The story that
incorporates a happy ending.
This is a very
interesting legend in which
All the properties of the
“snake” appear
including “mountain and water
spirit, envy,
and pathos”.
*Rituals and Statues
This statue is from
a derelict temple in the
Akita Mountains.
It is standing upright,
but seems to be holding
Something like
reins in its hands,
Making it a very
unusual Buddhist statue.
The temple appears to
have been neglected
For many years,
and both the ceiling
And the floor fell in.
The books were
completely decomposed.
Upon investigation,
a small amount of
Blood was found
on the statue, and
There were also
traces of the same
Blood on the
floor of the temple.
It appears some kind
of folk ritual or
Sacrifice may have
taken place here.
No oral tradition
or documents related
To the temple are
left in the surrounding
Mountain villages,
so the details remain
a mystery.
*Skewered Dolls
In many regions,
particularly in the mountain
Areas, there remains
a folk practice of
Dressing up dolls
they make from straw,
Earth, or cloth,
and worshipping them
as idols.
The doll in the picture
was reported by an
Iwate resident.
It is called Kushimi,
and when someone dies
in the village, they weave
The hair of the deceased
into the straw and
Have it wear his or
her kimono.
The doll is fixed
onto skewers,
And put before a
shrine at the edge
Of the mountain.
The doll is enshrined
for up to one month
After the death, and
after that period passes,
It is cast into
the river behind
The shrine together
with various offerings.
In this region's
tradition, there is
Said to be a cave
in the mountain
Connecting to the
land of the gods.
The dead who become
Kushimi stand
Between the village
and the mountain.
They take upon the
village's evil
And head to the
land of the gods.
In a neighboring
village, there is
Said to be a
similar doll called
Igushi, but this
one is the spirit of
A person who died young
and is deified in
the mountains.
In one interpretation,
both village and mountain
have a protective deity
Standing in the border
between people and gods.
In another sense,
burdening the dead with
evil, or deifying the
Spirit of the young
in a mountain,
connotes human sacrifice.
*Many Bones Found
“Many Bones Found in Ruins”
On the 8th, a survey of
an ancient castle ruins
in the northern part of
The prefecture, a
large number of
Human bones were
discovered in the ground.
Stacked tombstones
were excavated from
The center of the castle,
an area thought
To be the courtyard.
Bone after bone
Was discovered
beneath them.
All the bones are
thought to be from the time
The castle was built.
The burial clothes
Seem to indicate they
are from laborers
Who built the castle.
It is believed they
were buried after the
Castle's completion
to protect the plan of
The castle o the
location of treasure,
Or perhaps those who
built the castle
Were killed as
a sacrifice.
*Buried Mummies
“Buried Mummies”
It has been
reported that in process
Of rebuilding Kukaiji Temple,
which commenced
Last month, many mummies
have been found
In the walls
of the hallway.
In the walls of
the area called the
Shadow Hallway in
Kukaiji Temple,
There were stains
in the shape of humans,
But when that hallway
was restored,
Someone noticed
there was something
Like the root of
a tree coming out
Of the wall.
Digging it out,
it turned out to
Be a mummy.
In the other
stained areas,
Many more mummies
were found,
And quiet a commotion
was raised.
The Kukai Temple
insists they are
Enshrined saints
but certain
Observers argue that
t$hey may have
Been killed in sacrifice.
*Shrine Carpenters
A “Shrine Carpenter” is a carpenter
Who specializes in building temples
And shrines.
They were formerly called
“Temple and Shrine
Carpenters”, but when
Shinto and Buddhism
Were separated in the
Meiji Period (1860s)
And the anti-Buddhist
movement began,
“Temple” was removed
from the name,
And they became
“Shrine Carpenters”.
Amongst themselves they said,
“Building a house degrades one”,
and When they did not have
a building contract
They would work in
farming or the like,
And with only limited
site experiences re-fired
Their technique and skill.
There were carpenters
who only served
One shrine, and special
techniques, methods,
And ways of mystic
construction were passed
On to that Master Builder.
This photograph is
of the framework,
With the carpenters
lined up and the
Master Builder at
the center.
As in the picture, they
wore white clothing
And a court hat for
the framework-raising
Ceremony, but in old times,
they would wear
White clothes during
work as well as
It was said that
“A Carpenter must worship
The gods and Buddha”.
While this dress expressed piety,
It may have also been a way for
Shrine Carpenters to assert their
Pride and skill before others.
*Carpenters Spirited Away
“Shrine Carpenters: Spirited Away”
There have been incidents of Shrine
Carpenters disappearing across the region.
This month alone 10 Shrine Carpenters
Have gone missing, and it is rumored that
They may be so-called “Spirited Aways”
All 10 Shrine Carpenters were young
And well-respected, and it is said
Several “had been summoned to
Rebuild a secret shrine somewhere”.
*Missing in Minakami
“People Go Missing in Minakami”
By last month, two people had gone
Missing in the Minakami dam area.
Now yet another case
has been reported.
The police have been called in.
The missing people
are Tokyo resident
Shizu Amakura (35) and her eldest
Daughter Mayu (15).
On summer vacation,
Mayu visited the
Village near the dam with her
Sister Mio (15)
The two went missing one week earlier,
But recently Mio was found alone,
Collapsed in the middle of the forest.
Mio was taken to the hospital, and
Though there was nothing wrong with
Her physically, due to extreme fatigue
She is not in a condition to talk.
The police are waiting for her to recover
Before questioning her.
*Land Surveyors Missing
“Land Surveyors Go Missing”
While conducting a geological survey
For the planned Minakami dam site,
Masumi Makimura (26) entered the
Minakami mountains and then disappeared.
Makimura's fiancé Miyako Sudo (25) went
Looking for him and disappeared similarly.
As of yesterday the search for them
Was called off, and construction
Of the Minakami dam resumed.
The Minakami mountain area has historically
had many cases of missing persons.
As myths of “Spirited Aways”
Are popular in the area, this incident
Is also rumored to be one such
“Spirited Aways.”
The police continue to call for
Provision of any information related
To the disappearance of the two.
After consultation with the relatives
On both sides, they announced that
They would be terminating the search.
*Twin Deification
Some of the villages in the mountain region
Practice a folk religion rite that deifies
Twins born in the villages as priestesses.
It is called the “Twins' Ceremony”.
When twins born in the village reach
A certain age (most commonly 15 years),
They are dressed in white.
Then as priestesses, they are joined
By a red cord and conduct a séance.
This “red cord” is said to represent the twins
An one person, and in the region it is a custom
To believe that “when the twins become one,
They have the power of the Gods”.
This rite is supposed to protect the village
From calamity, and it is also supposed to
Bless them with a bountiful harvest.
*The Rope Priestess
In my visit to the Himuro area and the
Five-Pedestal Shrine that protects
The Five-Deity Mirror, I was able to
Peruse fascinating old texts
On the Himuro-area legend
About the gates to the underworld.
From these texts it was clear the
Apocryphal “Gates of the Underworld”
Ceremony was held in this area.
Following is vocabulary I garnered
Through my research this time.
“Ceremony of the Ropes”
The Ceremony of the Ropes is held to
Close the “gates”, i.e. the “Gates of
The Underworld” and a special rope,
The “Laceration Rope”, is used.
“The Laceration Rope”
A special rope used to close the
Gates. It was also written that it is
Used to “stay the Priestess' power”.
The “Rope Priestess”
In a certain document, there is a
Diagram of a female with arms, legs,
And neck bound by rope. Perhaps she is
The “Rope Priestess”, and the five
“Ropes” are the “laceration rope”.
The “Strangling Ritual”
“Bind the Priestess with Ropes. Pull them
To the Five Gods. Create thereby
The Laceration Rope to perform the rite”
Here, the “Five Gods” may signify the
Directions of the five shrines on
which the Himuro Mansion is centered.
“Pulling” the “Rope” that binds
The Priestess in five directions must
“create the Laceration Rope”.
If the rope binding the priestess
Is truly used as a “laceration rope”,
Is the “Rope Priestess” then
A sort of human sacrifice?
I hope to visit the Himuro Mansion in
The near future and unravel the tale
Of the “Gates of the Underworld” as
Well as that of the “Rope Priestess”.
*Rescued Woman, Gone
Before daybreak on the 13th, a woman
Who was hospitalized last month after
A robbery went missing from the hospital,
And a search party has been dispatched.
The missing person is Kiriko Asanuma (23).
After the robbery, Ms. Asanuma was
Admitted for psychological trauma,
But on the morning of the 13th,
When the doctor went to see her, she had
Disappeared from the hospital room.
Ms. Asanuma was in family home
Last month when two robbers broke in
And murdered her parents and brother.
Ms. Asanuma herself was hidden in the
Closet by her parents and escaped unhurt.
Yet four days after the incident,
She had to be rescued, as a neighbor
Reported she was not able to leave
The house.
The hospital admitted to administrative
Incompetence, and is pouring all resources
Into her search and protection.
*Patient Disappears
“Patient Disappears”
On the night of the 9th, a patient
Disappeared from her ward in
Katsuragi Hospital and the police
Are currently searching for her.
The missing person is the sole
Survivor of the August plane crash,
Yoshino Takigawa (26).
Ms. Takigawa became emotionally
Unstable after the accident. She was
Diagnosed with post-traumatic stress
Disorder and hospitalized long-term.
The hospital's response to her
Disappearance went no further than
“We are investigating the details.”
Ms. Takigawa lost all her family in
The accident and concerns have been
Raised about her current whereabouts.
*Vanishings
“Series of Vanishings across Region”
According to sources, before dawn
Yesterday, a mother and daughter who
Live in Myojin Village went Missing.
The missing are Makie Kuzuhara
And her daughter, Kozue.
Since last year, the two have been
Searching for Kuzuhara's missing
husband. The two reportedly wandered
the mountains nearly every each day.
The informant says “I hadn't seen them
For several days, so I went to visit
Them. There was no answer, so I went
Inside, but they were gone. I only
Saw some black soot-like marks.”
Similar disappearances are being
Reported across the area, and some
Are calling them “spirited aways”.
*Radio Transmissions
As mentioned previously, “Occultist”
Kunihiko Asou has actively appropriated
Western culture with the goal of
Explicating ancient Japanese belief
In and legends of the “Other World”.
It is said he finally was able to
Establish communication
With the Other World.
The first example of this is the
“Other World Crystal Radio Signal
Receiver” otherwise known as
The “Spirit Stone Radio”,
The Spirit Stone Radio's “Spirit
Stone” was a name his colleagues
Used later - in Dr. Asou's research
Materials it is usually simply
Referred to as the “Crystal”.
The principle of the crystal radio is that
It utilizes the special wave detection
Property of crystal to pick up the appropriate
Band of wave length. Asou focused on that fact
That “stones” have been known from ancient
Times to carry occult properties.
If he could find a special “Crystal”,
He thought perhaps he could capture
Signals from the Other World.
It is said his experiment was a success,
And the records note that he was able to
Capture sound at a range outside that
Of normal broadcasting.
The documentation of the sounds have
Been lost, but Asou's associates left behind
Several testimonials saying they heard
“words of the past” and “words of ghosts”.
*The Spirit World
The device shown here was left by
Kunihiko Asou. He used it to substantiate
The existence of, and communication with,
The Spirit World.
He was a brilliant scientist and philosopher,
And by appropriating Western culture
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries,
He combined new technology with his theory
On the “Spirit World” to prove its existence.
It's said a few of his devices were
Able to capture an “unbelievable”
Existence from the Spirit World,
But posthumously, from that singular
Beginning, his devices became a
Fashion item among dilettantes, and
Were scattered about the country.
One such device is the projector.
Having completed the experimental
Stage of the “Camera Obscura”
(a camera that photographs the other
World; see above) he created a
Screen upon which to project the
Special images captured on the film.
The records say that images were
Projected that could not be seen
When they were photographed.
*The Camera Obscura
The “Camera Obscura” is a device used
To capture the “Other World”, made by
“Occultist” Kunihiko Asou. From the
Late 19th to the early 20th century,
He tried to communicate with
And get proof of this “Other World”.
The term “Occultist” refers to people
Involved in the movement to verify
Eastern thought using contemporary
Western technology. Kunihiko Asou is a
Prime example of such an “occultist”.
The “Camera Obscura” was one of his
Quintessential experiments. He
Modified the at the time still rare
“camera”, by adding a special lens and
Film. It was supposed to capture
“unbelievable things” normally
Invisible to the naked eye, like a
So-called “different phase interval”
And “spirits and ghosts”.
They are very rare nowadays, but
Apparently these cameras are still
Traded among curio dealers. Most have
Been broken, and we have lost the chance
To “see the Other World”, as well as
Asou's achievements, for eternity.
- Texts
*Commandment Tome
The chosen maiden is put onto
The Boat of Passing.
The boat sways as it is sent to
The Kuze Shrine
The Living flesh is cut,
The tattoos etched in.
Pain of the Holly shall be
Sealed within her.
All her love shall be interred into a mirror.
This she must break, shatter herself.
Her attachments to this world
Must be broken.
The Piercing of the Soul thus concludes.
Impale her with the stake of tattoos.
The Rite of Commandment must be conducted.
Sleeping undisturbed for eternity.
Dreaming the endless dream of the Rift.
Enclosed, entombed in her Chamber
Of Thorns.
She shall continue to feel the
Pain of the Holly for all time.
*The Unleashing Tome
The priestess' pain is reflect
In the Mirror of Loss.
The commandment must be placed
Upon the priestess' empty eyes.
If tattoos should enter her eyes,
The empty eyes will become mirrors,
And all her pain shall be unleashed.
If the commandments break, and
The priestess awakes, the gates will
Open, and the Rift shall spill forth
From the Chamber of Thorns.
The Rift which spills forth will pass
Through dreams into the world, and
Love shall be consumed by torment.
*Mirror of Loss Tome
Once the tattooed priestess' ritual
Duty has finished, the door to the
Other shore must be opened with the
Mirror which can reflect her pain.
The Mirror of Loss which reflects
This pain shall be placed in the
Shrine of Loss”.
She must break it with her own hands
And cast her love away.
The tattooed priestess
Casts away her love and takes the
Last Passage deep into the Abyss,
Where she will be hidden in the
Chamber of Thorns to sleep for
All eternity.
*Purifying Light Tome
When the Last Passage is opened, the
Rift is filled with a miasma.
The darkness filled with the miasma
Casts the world into eternal night.
In this eternal night, the souls of the
Living shine brightly, and
Attract all manner of
Unspeakable things.
Use the purifying light to light
The darkness.
The blue flame glimmers faintly in
The darkness,
And purifies the miasma.
*Rite of Purple Ink Tome
Those who would offer their pain to
The priestess must allow the red and
Indigo of living and dead blood to
Mix together to become the ink of
The soul, which is then used to
Tattoo their pain into the priestess.
The pain etched in with the ink of
The soul appeases that memory, while
The pain flows into the priestess.
After the pain has matured, the ink
Of the soul must be rinsed away with
The running water of the other shore.
*The Tearing Tome
That tattooed priestess who cannot
Enter the sleep of no regrets must be
Stripped of her tattoos and sent to
The other shore.
The removed tattoos must then be
Enshrined in the tranquility of the
Stone shrine, and the lullaby must be
Sung to pray for an end to the pain.
The tattooed priestess who will not
Sleep, who cannot endure the pain,
Will be enshrouded in misery
And cast into the Rift.
*Piercing of the Soul Tome
If feelings of loss for those who
Crossed to the other side begin
To spill into dreams, they shall
Bring great trouble into this world.
Those feelings of loss must be etched
Into the priestess as tattoos in
The Piercing of Soul.
The tattooed priestess who has been
Engraved with the pain shall then
Bear that pain into her sleep
And calm the troubles of this world.
*Impalement Tome
The pain engraved into the tattooed
Priestess becomes a dream and eats
Away her soul.
The pain, or the attachment to this
World, is impaled as a doll dyed in
Soul ink and enshrined, and then
The handmaiden's song must be sung
And prayers must be said for the
Priestess to lay in peace.
This impalement is the duty of the
Handmaidens.
*Taboo Tome
The tattooed priestess must lose all
Of her attachments to this world
During the Rite of Commandment.
For this reason, those who enter the
Kuze Shrine must be sure to cover
Their faces with masks and carry out
The ceremony without feeling.
It is especially forbidden for
Men to enter the Kuze Shrine without
Concealing their faces in order to
Keep the priestess' heart from stirring.
*Crimson Sacrifice
The “forbidden ritual” passed on in
This region is called the “Crimson
Sacrifice Ritual”, and is apparently
A ceremony where the “gates of hell”
Are sealed by sacrificing twin shrine
Maidens.
There are two parts to the ritual:
A periodic “Visible Ritual”, and in the
Event of its failure, a “Hidden Ritual”.
Should all the rituals fail, the
“gates of hell” will open, the dead
Will pour out, and the skies will go
Dark. This disaster is called
“The Repentance”.
*Twin Shrine Maidens
The Twin Shrine Maidens
Twin Shrine Maidens are sacrificed in
The Crimson Sacrifice Ritual.
Boys are sometimes used as well.
In this case, they are called Altar Twins.
The people of this region believe
That twins were once a single being,
Which was split into two at birth.
The ceremony is based on the belief
That when the two bodies are reunited
As one, the Shrine Maiden will gain
The power of a deity.
The text says:
“the older sister must ## the
Younger, and throw her into the #”.
The ## part must refer to the most
Horrible part of the ritual,
Probably some kind of “sacrifice”.
*“The Other World”
I'm soliciting test subjects for my research
On dreams as the border between life
And death. It was difficult to find someone
Who could speak clearly about their dreams,
But I found someone who seemed to know
Of the “Other World”.
The man has had the same dream
For several months in a row.
The dream is as I describe below.
1. He first notices he is standing
before a small snow-covered shrine.
2. He has seen the shrine before,
But only vaguely remembers it.
He has, however, heard of
A shrine like it in his hometown.
3. From deep in the shrine he hears
The voice of the girl he left behind.
4. Beckoned by the voice,
Each day he goes a little further
Into his dream shrine.
Up to this point, this is a plausible
Dream generated from the desire for
Home and love. Next is where
His statement becomes interesting.
5. An ancient ceremony is held there,
And one can meet the deceased.
6. There is a huge cave deep in the
Shrine, and a river flows there.
There is a large pit,
And the base of it is the sea.
This statement is clearly about the
“Other World”, particularly the
“Underworld”. According to his story,
There is a legend on his hometown
About the Other World and dreams, and
Much of his dream congrues with it.
I recorded his talk on his dreams
For four days, compiled below.
He is from the Mutsu region, where they have
An ancient legend about a sea called the
“Sea of Endless Night” that exists in
The mountains.
There they have many legends related to dreams.
For example, dreams are called “the Rift”
And traverse “the border between the Other
World and the real world”. If you continue
To have nightmares, the deceased apparently
Return from the underworld.
The shrine exists in order to prevent
The nightmares. There resides
A priestess who sleeps in the Rift
And will take on the nightmare.
The voice he hears may be that of the
Priestess that sleeps in the shrine
Of the Other World, communicating
The existence of “the Rift”.
The morning after the day I recorded
His testimonial on the gramophone, he
Suddenly disappeared, leaving behind
All his luggage. Did he go to see the
Woman from his hometown?
The earring he left is made of
“Echo Stone” and since ancient times
Has been said to communicate thought.
Perhaps I can use it to modify the
Crystal receiver.
*Folklore Notes 1
While continuing my research, I
Stumbled upon the existence of the
Shrine that is perhaps the origin of
The sleeping priestess.
The shrine is very small, and hidden
Away within the depths of a mountain.
It appeared just as in the drawing.
There are normally no worshippers,
And according to stories from the
Small village nearby, it is a shrine
Where you could “offer your pain”.
When I called upon the head of the
Family, she said they allow visitors
Until the snow melts.
They carry out a rite here to protect
A sacred area in the mountain. Men are
Not allowed in the rite, but it seems
Every few years they invite men
In order to continue the bloodline.
They call them “outsiders”. I think
That I've heard of a similar custom.
The guests who come in winter while
The snow falls all hide their faces
And pull large bundles on wagons.
It resembles a funeral procession.
The rite carried out on their behalf
Must be connected to the song of the
“sleeping priestess”.
*Folklore Notes 2
Everything on the grounds is presided
Over by a group of shrine maidens
Called the “handmaidens”.
As a man, I'm only allowed to enter
Certain rooms. During the day, I'm
Confined to my assigned chambers, nut
During the night I'm invited into the
Chambers of a woman named Kyouka.
There isn't much contact with the
Outside world in the manor, and
Guest are a rarity, so Kyouka
Always listens to my stories raptly.
The sound of her plucking her koto
Is as fine and delicate as her hair.
When I told her
I was collecting
Songs, she let me hear a few of the
Folk songs passed on this region.
It seems the “Sleeping Priestess”
Song has something to do with the
Shrine after all, but it is used in
Rituals and called the “Handmaiden's
Song” here.
According to Kyouka. There are four
Handmaidens in the manor, who are
Girls of roughly five to nine years
Old chosen from nearby villages and
Then made to serve a term of duty.
They also apparently play a crucial
Role in the rite of the “Handmaiden's
Song”, but Kyouka wouldn't tell me
About the rite itself.
Guessing from the lyrics, I would
Think the rite involves a priestess
And tattoos, but it would be
Rude of me to pry too much.
*Folklore Notes 3
It's been nearly half a month since
I entered this mansion. It's still
Snowing outside. Once this snow melts
I'll be parted from Kyouka, and most
Likely never be able to return.
Men are not needed in the manor.
If necessary, I could run away, but if
Possible, I would like to take Kyouka with
Me. That feeling is what keeps me here.
Sometimes, worshippers from nearby
Villages come here. All of them cover
Their faces, and head into the shrine.
Today's worshipper seemed like a
Woman. She was holding a child-sized
Bundle, and it looked as if she was crying.
I can also hear that “Lullaby”.
I wonder if the “Ceremony” is like
Some sort of funeral.
*Crimson Diary
Snow is falling. It's a quiet night.
This could be the last snow of the
ten years of changing seasons I have
watched from this window.
As I watch the snow, I get the
Feeling that something has passed.
Finally, I have served all of my
Attachments.
I'll give my body over to the ropes
And seal the gates.
Kizuna Himuro
*Tattooed Diary 1
My father, my mother, my brother…
Everyone has gone to the other side.
I have been left all by myself.
Just like that time when
I couldn't go with Kaname.
An escort came from the Kuze Shrine.
Those who know the pain of the loss
Of loved ones become priestesses, and
By surrendering their flesh can save
Many people who know the same pain.
But, once you become a priestess and
Have the pain of the holly engraved
Into you, you can't leave the shrine.
The entire village is gone.
Father, Mother, my brother, everyone.
I am the sole survivor.
There is nothing left for me.
If it's decided that I can never see
Them again, then that means that
I can sleep for all eternity.
I can save other with the same pain.
*Tattooed Diary 2
I endure the Piercing of Soul so
People can wash away their feelings.
The pain of the holly engraved on me
Shows me many dreams.
Many kinds of pain, and love.
I take on the pain of
Being left alone, the pain of living.
But these pains, these pains I bear,
They do not fade, but are engraved
Somewhere hidden, and remain.
Of the various pains, the more
Vivid ones ache more intensely.
Nobody will take my Holly.
It is mine alone.
I engrave my feelings, my holly, in
These mirrors and break them here.
Because they are my feelings alone.
But if it were in my power.
I would see him one more time.
*Tattooed Diary 3
I had a dream about him.
In the Rift, that hell of Holly,
He came before me, as I was to be
Lowered into the Abyss.
The mistress does not notice.
It's my dream, after all.
He extends his hand. I do too. Just
As our fingers are about to touch,
The Holly abates, just a bit.
I didn't lose myself.
But we couldn't touch.
Even I, who have been engraved with
The Holly of so many people, even I
Might still be able to dream of him.
In my eternal sleep.
*Calico Notebook 1
One of the handmaidens led a man who
Came to offer his pain into the Kuze
Shrine, and so tattoos have entered
The priestess' eyes, and the doors to
The Chamber of thorns have opened.
We should never have let a man enter
The shrine. No matter who it
Was, we should never have engraved
The priestess' empty eyes.
Now that I have felt the pain of the holly
As well, even I am not allowed outside.
Before the Rift that has spilled
Forth from the Kuze Shrine spreads
Any further, we must find a way to
Shut the shrine within the Rift.
We must summon shrine carpenters, and
Seal the Kuze Shrine.
Many sacrificial pillars will be required.
We should have cast that man away.
Just as we did that male scholar
Who wandered here.
*Calico Notebook 2
The pain etched into the priestess
Must have been very deep. The spread
Of the Rift continues. We may not be
Able to stop it even with the Shrine
of Sleep.
My body has been halfway engulfed by
The Rift, and misery surrounds me.
It's not clear how many days have
Passed since the Unleashing.
The only ones left are the young
Handmaidens. I feel pity in doing so,
But I will instruct Hisame to conduct
The final impalement.
We must not allow the Rift to spread.
Now that I recall, there was an Echo
Stone Earring in that man's ear.
He could have been Kyouka's forbidden
Child. Perhaps he came back from the
Village down below?
If so, then he would be Amane's older
Brother. How sorrowful…
*Moriya Tome 1
Top shrine carpenters have been
Gathered together to seal the Kuze
Shrine into the depths of a great
Cavern so that not even a single ray
Of light can enter into the darkness.
Then, we must erect a Shrine of the
Rift in front of the great cavern using
Spirit Trees as the core pillars, and
With sacrificial pillars arranged so
That the darkness is purified and the
Rift cannot leak into the world.
*Moriya Tome 2
When building or repairing the Kuze
Shrine and the Last Passage, all the
Carpenters of the Moriya family
Except for their leader must be
Prepared to stay behind, never to return.
Excluding one who exceeds in their
Craft, all the carpenters must
Fulfill their duty to protect the
Secrets of the shrine by being buried
As the sacrificial pillars lining it.
The remaining Moriya carpenter must
Become the Master Builder and ensure
That the craft is carried on to the
Next generation.
*Moriya Tome 3
After the “Unleashing” happened, the
Priestess who had wandered loose from
The Chamber of Thorns roamed about
The manor as if in a dream.
Those passages the priestess entered
Were engulfed by the Rift, and fell
Into darkness.
The “Rift Shrine” is a hidden shrine
That ensures that the priestess
Wanders forever and never escapes,
And the Rift does not spill forth.
*Moriya Tome 4
The “Rift Shrine” makes the priestess
Wander for eternity, and stakes must
Be used to impale her limbs while
Praying for her peaceful rest.
When the priestess is restless, it is
Necessary to build on to “The Shrine of
Sleep” and pray for her to slumber.
The Shrine of Sleep is sealed within
A dream to prevent the priestess from
Escaping and the spreading of the Rift.
To keep the Rift from spreading, we
Must ensure that she stays staked
Down, and pray for her eternal sleep.
*Red Diary 1
Amane led a man into the Kuze Shrine.
The man woke the Priestess
From her dream.
The Kuze code must be followed.
She must be punished by impalement.
She must not be let go.
*Red Diary 2
The head of the family died within the Rift.
Amane has been impaled at the bottom of the abyss.
Same with Shigure and Minamo…
Everyone's been impaled.
I'm the only one left in the manor…
because I was the last chosen.
With everyone gone, the manor is so open and dark, just like a dream…
It feels so nice.
I'm going to sleep now.
Forever and ever…
*Blue Diary 1
My mother told me that I have
An older brother.
His name is Kaname, and he lives in
A house on the outside.
In the Kuze house, they throw away
Boys, so he was sent outside.
She told me many times that
This was a secret.
My brother has the same earring
As my mother.
They're beautiful earrings that she
Got from father.
Mother gave it to him so that no matter
Where he is he can hears her voice.
I wonder if he can hear my voice too.
I want to see him.
Reika was made into a priestess.
I help take care of the priestess.
She tells me about the
Outside.
She says when she talks the pain
Isn't as bad. I'm glad that I can
Be of some help.
The priestess has an earring
Just like mother's.
She says it was a present from a good
Friend, so that she can hear his voice
No matter where she is.
I think that friend is Kaname.
The priestess talks about
Him a lot.
The priestess seems kind of lonely.
*Blue Diary 2
Kaname snuck in with the people who came to
Ease their pains. He said he wants to see
The Priestess, just once.
It is against the code, but as she is going to
Have to perform the Rite of Commandment soon,
She won't be able to leave again.
I want to help them meet, just once.
Kaname went into
The shrine. To the Priestess' place.
Men cannot go into the shrine.
I'm sure the mistress will be upset.
*Green Diary
Amane led a man into the shrine.
The head of the family is so angry.
If the priestess wakes up, the
Commandment will be broken, and the
Rift will spread.
The family head teaches all the
Handmaidens so hard so that they
Won't forget their duties.
The head of the family ordered that
Amane be impaled, and that her
Brother be cast out of the manor.
Because of the duties of the
Handmaidens, and the duties of the
Kuze Shrine, there was no other
Choice.
Amane, I'm sorry.
*Gray Diary
I wonder if being impaled hurts.
I wonder which hurts worse, having
The stake go in a little bit at a
Time, or having it stabbed through
All at once.
I wonder if they die if the stake
Goes all the way through. I wonder
If it matters if they die.
I want to impale a real priestess soon.
*Purple Diary 1
How many days has it been?
How many months. How many years?
Many outsiders have been brought
Here. But none of them are like him.
He said my hair was beautiful, but no
Matter how much I arrange it, he'll
Probably never know how I feel.
All I can do is comb my hair, and
Wait for him.
That way when he comes back with his
Camera, he'll take my picture again.
*Purple Diary 2
His parting gift was a forbidden child. The
Child has handsome features just like he did.
If he stays in this place, they'll
Cast him away once he turns four.
I have to find a way to sneak him
Into the village below before then.
If I give him the earring his father
Gave me, I'm sure someday he will
Be able to come back.
He'll be able to hear my voice.
I may even be able to see his father
Again if he finds this earring.
I'll name the child “Kaname” to
Symbolize our connection.
I know this child will come back.
With his father.
*Purple Diary 3
Akito hasn't come back.
Everyone disappears from the manor,
Leaving me behind.
I'm always the one who is left here,
Combing my hair impatiently.
No matter how much I comb my hair,
No matter how much I concentrate my
Feelings, he never returns.
Could it be that the earring, the
Child, neither of them will convey
My love to him?
*Purple Diary 4
The manor has been closed off due to
The Unleashing. Yet, I'm not allowed to
Go outside. I wonder if I'm destined
To remain in solitude forever.
I can already only remember his face vaguely.
That picture he left, that last earring
He left, I left them back in the manor.
It's all so hazy now, it seems
Like it was all just a dream.
I at least wanted him to just see my hair.
- Other
*Kei's research notes
I examined the lyrics of the third
Verse of “The Sleeping Priestess”.
It may be some kind of clue.
Below are possible meanings besides
“impaling the tattoo stake”.
Maybe the lyrics in the third verse don't mean
“to make sleep” but rather “to send off”
The Priestess. These lyrics certainly fit with
The “Funeral Song” Yuu was talking about.
They practice an ancient spirit world
Religion over there. At the Kuze Family
Mountain, it's said there is a sacred area
Called the Sea of Endless Night.
On a certain map is drawn a huge
Sea-like area behind the Manor.
Maybe it represents the other world.
Could that be where the priestess
Is “relinquished”?
*Map with Mark
When the “Shrine of the Rift” fails
To stop destruction, build the “Shrine of Sleep”
And pray for the priestess to slumber.
To keep the rift from opening into
The outside world, the final command must be
Driven in where the “Shrine of the Rift”
And the “Shrine of Sleep” connect.
*Scrap of Paper
mommy
sorry
daddy was trying to get
my ball
and fell
it was scary
sorry…
*Burnt Passport
Surname
TAKIGAWA
Given Name
YOSHI…
Nationality
JAPAN
Registered Domicile
SHIZOUKA
*Yoshino Takigawa's Diary
8/10: Sunny
I heard it's good for the heart tp write
In a diary and have someone read it.
By doing this maybe I will stop seeing
That terrible dream.
I'm sad being all alone.
If I can have someone read this, in some way,
Maybe I will connect with them.
8/11: Cloudy
My family and Naoya died.
But being alone is more frightening
Than even that harsh fact.
More than the accident itself,
Being the only one living afterwards,
Waiting endlessly - that was more frightening.
Left all alone, in total darkness.
A sweltering night, but freezing cold…
8/13: Cloudy
I had a nasty dream. Snow fell on an
Old abandoned house. I'm all alone and lost,
But they might all be in the house.
I can meet. I sensed that.
If I go I can meet them.
They're calling me. But if I go in,
I may not be able to return.
But if that's what he wants…
8/18: Cloudy
Bit by bit, I go deeper in. I'm cold.
It's getting dark. I can hear a song.
Naoya's in there. Mom, Dad, everyone
Besides me - all in there.
They all left me behind, left me and went in.
Because only I survived.
8/27: Rain
It's painful. Is the pain the dream?
The tattoo spreads.
The doctor says he can't see anything.
Overseas the apparently call emotional
Trauma after an incident like this “PTSD”.
But I can see it.
/ : Rainy
After sleeping several days, I'm only
Half-awake. Gradually I come not to
Know whether I'm awake or asleep.
The doctor seemed interested when he
Listened to my story. Maybe he is
Becoming more sympathetic.
But that dream and the pain are mine alone.
The pain is spreading.
/ :Rainy? Not sure…
Am I to blame…
Since I'm the only one who survived.
But it's not like I chose to survive.
/ :
It hurts. It hurts. It hurts
What should I do? What? Forgive me…
That woman is coming after me.
I can see her even when I'm awake.
/ :
I can't take being touched again.
I don't want to see anymore…
*The Crawling Woman
Associated with disappearances and spirited
Aways, there is an urban legend called
“The Woman Who Crawls on All Fours”.
“In close, dark spaces like under the floor,
Or in the ceiling or closet, lurks a woman
That crawls out every night, cursing bitterly.”
That's the gist of it.
Many urban legends of this type are based
In fiction (novels, etc.) and real incidents.
As the story spreads, images people
Fear are added, and it becomes
All the more “legendized”.
For example, the story “The Woman who
Crawls on All Fours” is said to be based on
The following disaster that actually
Occurred years ago.
“One month after the disaster, a woman's
Corpse was found in a ditch several miles
From the disaster site.
Evidence showed she was alive up to
A few hours before she was found.”
It is thought to an exaggeration since
The story became “legendized”,
But several people who lived where the
Woman was found and along the route to
The disaster site say they heard a knocking
Sound in the night.
There is also another version of this story
That has been passed on.
The part about the woman lurking in the floor
Or the ceiling, seeking help every night,
Is the same.
But in this one, the ending is that if
You peer into the ceiling or floor,
She will attack you.
*Yoshino Takigawa
The woman in the photograph.
Name: Yoshino Takigawa (26)
She was the only survivor of a planer crash
That occurred in August.
Following is a comment from a reporter
Named Ozawa who covered it.
When the plane crashed. Ms. Takigawa was
Thrown out of the aircraft and was mostly
Untouched by the fire.
Also, the arbor where she was thrown
Became a cushion, and she was thus
Miraculously saved.
When rescued, her external injuries
Were mild burns, bruises, and scrapes,
And it was determined there was no threat
To her life, but as it took 4 days to find
Her she was very dehydrated, weak,
And distressed, and she seemed to be
Suffering mentally.
During those 4 days, she was surrounded
By other victim's, her relative's,
And her lover's corpses.
Next is what I heard from someone
At hospital admissions.
After hospitalization, she was extremely
Frightened of being alone or sleeping.
She apparently had frightening dreams,
And would even hurts herself to stay awake.
But over time, the amount she slept grew longer,
Until she spent most of the day sleeping.
At first it was thought she was sleeping
Due to psychological trauma she experienced,
But her condition gradually grew worse,
And she would sleep for 3 days straight.
When she woke she would complain of
Hallucinations, saying, “Pain” or
“There are bruises all over my body”.
As her hallucinations grew worse,
She became less responsive to outside
Stimulus during her waking hours,
And would sometimes mutter deliriously,
Or sing lullabies.
The past several days she hasn't woken,
And the rest is as Rei saw.
This is also just a hospital rumor,
But the staff has a long-standing urban legend
Amongst themselves about patients like
Takigawa, or who they call “Lost patients”.
*Abandoned House
Coverage of the abandoned house.
Below is a summary of what a
Newspaper reporter told me about
The coverage of the abandoned house.
I didn't have time before, so please
Take this as a reference.
1. History of the Manor
They say there were several villages around
The manor until the 1900s, but today
Only the abandoned house remains.
Even the land owner does not know
When or why it was built.
Now only the are around the entrance
Is left, but originally it was a huge
Manor - deep and strangely shaped.
It seems on old maps, a shrine is
Occasionally drawn in, but now there
Exists not so much as a trace of it,
And not much is known about it.
But on the outlying mountains, it seems
A myth-like story is told that is connected
To the other world.
2. The rumor of the ghost manor
May be due to the myth, but since
Long ago the abandoned house has been
Called a ghost manor. Many people visit
It just because of the rumor.
The rumor is that “you can meet the
Dead at the Manor”, and further, that
“the dead you meet will summon you
To the other world”.
The rumor's origins are said to be in
Séances that were held in a shrine there
But that's merely a rumor too.
In any case, I think the story of the
Mountain “connected to the other world”
Is the source of the rumor.
*Letter from Kei 1
Dear Yuu,
Sorry for not writing for so long.
How are things with you fiancée?
I'm continuing my investigation of
The urban legend.
Like I thought, my niece's symptoms bear
Many similarities to the strange disease
Associated with the urban legend.
I think most of the story is groundless
Rumor, but I've heard there was a psychiatric
Study done.
If you have it, I'd like to see it.
Maybe it will provide a clue.
I'm taking a break from all my other work
To devote myself to studying the urban legend.
I'd like your help.
According to the documents I've studied,
That camera I sent you is apparently
A rare “Camera Obscura”.
Given where I found it, it may have
Some connection to the missing people
And the urban legend.
If you hear anything, please tell me.
Regards,
Kei Amakura
*Letter from Kei 2
Dear Yuu,
During my research on “The Manor of Sleep”
Urban legend, I finally made it to a certain
Deserted village lost even from the map.
I found this camera in a huge abandoned
House near the village.
My niece Mio (when Mayu disappeared
She caused a lot of trouble, so
You probably remember her) saw this camera,
And she was sacred stiff.
I wonder if it reminded her of
That unspeakable incident?
For now, I'd like you to take care of
The camera. You know about antiques,
So could you look it over for me?
I don't think you'll be able to reach
Me for a bit, but I'll contact you,
So let me know what you find then.
Regards,
Kei Amakura
*Letter from Kei 3
Dear Yuu,
I'm sending you a testimony tape I just found
About the urban legend.
If I give it to you,
I know you'll take good care of it.
I found several other tapes, but as they're
Quiet old, having been dubbed by a gramophone,
They're damaged.
I'm trying to get them restored now.
I'll send them to you when they're done.
Lately, I've solely been reaching
Folklore - legends, folk tales, and folk religion.
That was both your and Mafuyu's field,
Wasn't it?
It's an interesting world, but I don't want
To get too deep into it.
How's Mafuyu's sister…
Her name was Miku, right?
I'm searching everywhere I can,
But I still don't know Jusnsei Takamine's
Whereabouts.
Maybe he was “spirited away” too?
If you've got anything, let me know.
Mio's health is not good, so I put her
In the hospital. She only wakes once
Every two days, and then for only a couple
Hours at a time.
I've got to hurry with my research.
Regards,
Kei Amakura
*Letter from Kei 4
Dear Yuu,
Have you listened to the 3 tapes I sent before?
I'd like you to listen to them before
You read the rest.
Maybe you won't believe it, but I've had
“The Manor of Sleep” dream.
First I thought I was just thinking about
The manor too much, but after listening to
Those tapes and to Mio, I'm displaying
The same symptoms.
In the dream, I'm in a snowy manor.
I don't remember it well, but it resembles
The house I got the “Camera Obscura” from.
I get a bad sense from the manor.
Just like the testimonies.
The only difference is, I was pursuing
“Mio” in the manor, and Mio “wasn't dead”.
If the urban legend of “The Manor of Sleep”
Is true, and I can wake Mio from her dream,
Maybe I can save her.
Even if it makes little sense, I feel
I'm getting closer to the truth.
Regards,
Kei Amakura
*Letter from Kei 5
Dear Yuu,
I got a tape on “The Manor of Sleep”
Urban legend from a source at the hospital.
A psychiatrist had recorded the medical
Condition of a patient.
There is a lot of background noise as
It was originally recorded on a gramophone,
But the content is great.
It's not quite anthropology, but I think
You'll be interested too.
It's a lot to ask, but I'd like you
To find out about legends or cases of
Missing people similar to this one.
Regards,
Kei Amakura
*Letter from Kei 6
Dear Yuu,
The cassette tapes I had restored are
Finished now, so I'm sending them
My tape player broke so I can't listen to them,
But apparently they were in pretty bad shape,
So even though they've been restored,
They may be hard to hear.
In the dream I had the other day, I saw Mio
Deep in the Manor. It looked like she was
After her missing sister Mayu.
I guess it has weighed on me.
When I wake the pain and the tattoo spread,
Just like the story says.
If I don't hurry, I may also go missing,
Like the urban legend says.
This may be it for my investigation.
Once I get off the mountain
I'll give you a call.
Regards,
Kei Amakura
*Memo in Shaky hand
It's not my fault.
I didn't choose to survive.
*On the Urban Legend
Many of the urban legends classified as
“Lost Village” are modeled on real incidents,
Such as: “A village was ruined when
One villager massacred the others”.
They are often an amalgamation of well-known
Actual incidents, legend and oral tradition.
Settings such as the “isolated mountain
Village” or “bygone customs” like night
Trysts or ceremonies often act to trigger
The incidents themselves,
And these in turn become the motif
For urban legends.
The reason for the popularity of urban legends
May lie in the notion of “the view of
The country from the city, or the modern
Bias toward the ancient”.
To people in the modern city, the “village”
Is the wilderness, and those who live
There are “different”.
Perhaps that scorn, or fear, finds expression
In the urban legend.
For that reason, the setting of the legend
Must be the “isolated mountain village”.
Further, “bygone customs” are attractive
Elements that end up acting to provoke
The incident.
As a case in point, there is the story about
The area around the Minakami dam
Where Mayu went missing.
In the mountains of the Minakami area,
There was once a massacre in the so-called
“Lost Village”.
Years ago, on the night of a certain festival,
There was a great massacre, and the village
Disappeared from the map.
Only one woman survived.
If you walk in the forest where the village
Once layd, there is a small guardian statue,
And if you continue, you will come to
The shrine gate that forms the entrance
To the village. If you should pass through
The gate, you will never return.
The night of the massacre continues in this
Village where day will never again break,
And a woman's horrific laugh rings
Throughout the village.
Next we have the “manor of bizarre
Murders, where the same tragedy recurs”.
Its scale is smaller, but generally speaking
It resembles the pattern of the village
As it is made up of elements based on
True incidents.
Below is an example of this.
It has to do with Mafuyu's disappearance.
“The House of Mutilation”
In the mountain area of Himuro, there remains
A manor where years ago there was said to be
A massacre. There have always been vanishings
In the nearby forest, and many of the
Spirited away are said to end up in the manor.
Their corpses have been found with both
Hands, legs, and head severed off.
One more example is the seemingly-related
“Manor of Sleep” urban legend that
I'm researching now.
“The Manor of Sleep” legend was picked up
In various magazines in the 1960s,
But incidents with very similar characteristics
Can be found here and there in older media.
This newspaper is from early 1900s,
And is of no relation to when “The
Manor of Sleep” legend was taken up,
But the background of the “spirited aways”
And those people's later
Conditions bear many similarities to
“The Manor of Sleep” urban legend.
I'm still investigating, but these incidents
May trace back to the 19th century,
And I have seen legends in several folklore
Books that may have become the basis for
“The Manor of Sleep”.
*“The Manor of Sleep”
“The Manor of Sleep” urban legend.
“The Manor of Sleep” is an urban legend
That was whispered among those in psychiatry,
About hospitalized patients suddenly
disappearing.
There are several stages to it, and
It progresses like a sickness.
1. Having the same dream
The patients (who later go missing)
First see the same dream every day,
Usually about dead lovers or family.
2. Dreaming of the Manor
Next the patients dream about wandering
Into a large manor.
It is huge, snowy, Japanese-style house.
It is laid out haphazardly,
As though many extensions were added.
The, deep in the manor, one discovers
Their dearly departed.
3. Proceeding deeper into the Manor
Patients follow the dead deeper into
The Manor. Most patients find the
Same scenes and phenomena along the way.
For example, “hearing a lullaby”,
“seeing a masked funeral march” or
“being pursued by a tattooed woman”.
4. Hallucinations while awake
At this stage, the patient complains
Of abnormalities of the body while awake.
The symptoms are common to all patients,
And when they wake they feel a sharp pain
And see a growing blue bruise or
Snake-like tattoo.
5. Decrease in waking hours
At this stage, the patients response
To external stimulation grows weaker.
The time spent in sleep also slowly increases.
From a medical viewpoint,
This is a “defensive reaction to pain”,
So if the patients are usually in pain,
It is a normal response.
6.*Missing, vanishing
Then, 1 to 2 months after the first stage,
the patient goes “missing”.
“Missing” is the official term. It is
Said the patient actually “vanishes,
Leaving only a black soot-like mark”.
The above-mentioned is the original
“The Manor of Sleep” urban legend but
The popular legend is more story-like
And includes the following elements:
1. Strong feelings for the dead summon
The first nightmare.
2. Once you follow the deceased in the dream,
You can no longer return.
3. If the sleeping person dreams of a lover or
Friend, it will beckon the person into sleep.
The Manor of Sleep “disease” spreads thusly.
4. Deep in the Manor of Sleep is the
World of the dead, and if make it
You can meet the deceased there.
*“The Sleeping Priestess”
This song is thought to be the original
Of Northeastern Japan's lullaby,
“The Sleeping Priestess”.
It was found in a gramophone at a local
University, and I had it sent to me.
I listened to it, but the first and second
Verses are slightly different from today's
“Sleeping Priestess”.
This is thought to be due to differences in
The period and area where the song
Was transmitted.
Further, a major difference is that
There is also a “Third Verse”.
I have to look into it more, but
It seems that the mood changes from
The first two verses to the third.
I wrote the Lyrics as I heard them.
“The Sleeping Priestess: Third Verse”
“Go to other side
Go to the other side
Cast the boat, Take a ride
Cross the rift to the other side
Further and further to the other side
It must sail bearing your tattoos
And our offering of tears”
The first and second verses are
Littered with frightening words, but
The third verse is more melancholy.
In particular, the ending of the song
Seems less like a lullaby than something
Sung at a funeral.
*Red Notebook Part 1
Masumi, it's Miyako.
I came to find you.
Let's go back together.
If we're two, maybe we can leave.
If you read this shout for me.
*Red Notebook Part 2
How much time has passed
Since I came into this village?
Dawn never breaks.
I'm sick of the dark…
I'm going crazy. I want to leave.
I want to see Masumi.
**The rest are tutorial texts concerning the Camera's
basic operation and functions, which I'm not going to quote here,
for I assume they are not necessary to the plot contents.**
- Photos
*Kei Look-alike
A photo left on the mirror stand in the room where
the woman was combing her hairs.
I looks like Kei.
*Hiding Girl
An image that came out on a photograph I took
of the bookshelf on the second floor of the red screen room.
*Hiding Girl
This came out when I developed the photo I took
behind the partition on the third floor of the library.
*Yoshino's Photo
The photo Yoshino Takigawa left behind.
It shows her with a man who looks like her love.
*The Closet Woman
A photo of a woman who was hiding inside the closet.
What was that she said? “Let me out!”
*Crouching Woman
Yoshino Takigawa is crouching.
People are standing over her, apparently
rebuking her for something.
*Wounded Man
This image appeared on a photo taken inside a closet.
A wounded man is lying on his side, gushing blood.
*Standing Girl
A picture I took of Mio in the cell.
A girl stands watching over her
where the butterfly was flying.
*Seated Twins
Two people who look like twins in the altar room.
The sashes round their waist are joined by a red cord.
*Ceremony Room Buddha
A picture of the Buddha statue in the ceremony room.
Maybe I can find something out about this.
*The altar Tattoo
The tattooed skin that was displayed on the altar.
The pattern is still clearly discernable.
*Woman at Well
A photo of the well hidden deep within the Manor.
An image has appeared of a woman gazing into the well.
*Crawling Woman
The woman who attacked me in the crawlspace.
Is she someone who went missing in real life too?
*Peephole
This photo shows a place seen through a hole.
*Skewered Dolls
The skewered dolls set up in the courtyard
with the sacred tree.
What could they possibly mean?
*Blood-stained platform
A photo of the platform with the rope-winding
device deep within the Mansion in Miku's dream.
*Man in Corridor
A photo I took of the seal left on the door.
There is a shimmering form at the end of a corridor.
*Four Shadows
An image that appeared on my photo
of the door with multiple seals.
Four people loom up out of the shadows.
*Men in White
Men dressed in white lined up behind the sacred tree.
It could almost be some kind of commemorative photo.
*Mirror Stand
An image that appeared when I photographed the door.
A shadowy form sits in front of a mirror stand.
*Photo of Mio
The photo of someone who looks like Mio that
was enclosed with Kei's letter.
*Photo of Kei
The photo of Kei that was in Miku's brother's album.
On the back it says: “Recent author's photo (Unused)”.
*Babe in arms?
A woman is holding a baby-or-something in her arms.
*Mother and Daughter
A picture I took of the mother and
daughter in kimonos in the Manor.
They were looking for someone…
*Shrine Maiden
The girl dressed as a shrine maiden who
tried to hammer me in the vision I saw…
Who could she be…?
*Hammering Girl
Hammering girl who emerged in the picture
when I photographed the door.
Who-or-what could she be?
*Old Projector
The old projector left inside the Manor.
Maybe I can find something out about this…
*Miku with Man
The picture Miku keeps on her desk.
Is that her brother standing next to her in the photo?
*Courtyard Graves
This must have been taken in the dream Manor.
It looks like a grave mound in a courtyard.
*Stains on Wall
Narrow corridor walls lined with human-shaped stains…
*Yoshino Takigawa
A photo I took in my dreams.
Since that day, traces of a tattoo-like pattern
have started to appear on my body.
*Under the stairs
There is an image of something under the stairs…
*Camera Obscura
The photo of the camera Obscura
that was in Kei's letter.
It looks like the one I saw in my dream…
*Picture of Yuu
The picture of Yuu I took on my
work assignment to that abandoned house.
Was Yuu there inside that Manor?
05. Notes
- Incidents
- Location
- People
- Articles
- Incidents
*The Tattoo Bruise
Every time I dream of the house,
the bruise – the tattoo- gets bigger…
I found a picture of a similar tattoo
in a book of folklore.
A Snake and Holly Pattern.
According to an old folktale,
the tattoo represents the pain (holly)
and longing of a girl whose lover has died.
Like my longing for Yuu…
*Disappearances
According to Miku’s research,
Yoshino Takigawa was
asleep almost all the time
just before she “disappeared”.
After the accident she slept
longer and longer hours,
and whenever she woke up,
she would hum what sounded like a lullaby.
Apparently the medical community
is abuzz with rumors of
similar occurrences:
hospital patients who disappeared.
Is this another of those urban legends?
*The Lullaby
The lullaby in the manor,
the Handmaiden’s Song.
According to a book left in the manor,
the song is meant to
soothe the pain (or holly) of the Priestess
and prays for her repose.
The last verse sends the Shrine Maiden
off to the “Other Shore”
once the etching of Holly
has been completed.
“Go to the other side.
Go to the other side…”
Letting go her pain she crosses
over to the Other Shore.
The Gate is opened,
and countless souls
attain peace at her passing.
*Human Columns
The old book tells how a family
named Moriya marked by the tattoo
killed the shrine carpenters
after they had built the manor,
then ended by making
themselves into Taboo Pillars
or Sacrificial Pillars.
All except one,
the new Master Builder.
- Location
*The Abandoned House
Miku tells me the house I went to
is famous for being haunted.
They say it’s a place
where people can meet the dead.
And that the dead lure
people into the “Other World”.
The words have stayed in my mind.
What if Yuu really is there inside
that manor, calling out to me…
What will I do?
*The Manor of Sleep
Inside the house
was a courtyard.
It was snowing.
There was a line
of greaves and an
even older house
looming up behind.
*The Hidden Shrine
The area around the sealed
shrine was full of evil air.
Now that the door is
open, the air has
escaped and entered the manor.
The seal has been broken,
and there is no turning back now.
Carved into the altar inside
the shrine are the words
“Offer up the Mirror Etched
with the Holly of the Priestess”.
*Human-shaped stains
Sacred rope was hung
along the narrow corridor
behind the door where I
heard the moaning,
and the walls were covered in
black human-shaped stains.
There was a similar
stain left behind
after Yoshino T
akigawa went missing.
I read in one of the
papers about mummified bodies
being discovered behind
the same kinds of stain.
*The Skewered Dolls
Inside the manor in a courtyard
surrounded by a corridor,
was a tree wrapped
with sacred rope.
Around it stood straw
dolls skewered on stakes.
According to an old
book on folklore the
practice belongs to
an old folk cult.
The dolls stood at the border
between the mountains (divine)
and the village (human),
functioning as protective
deities or amulets.
What is there in that courtyard,
beyond that door?
*The Doll Altar
A room full of red dolls
nailed to the walls with stakes
This is not the only one of
these rooms inside the manor.
What is the meaning behind
those rooms, behind those dolls?
*The Hanging Prison
In the room with the
hanging prison was an altar
where a human skin hung,
covered in a tattoo.
Before the altar was a pedestal
with four round objects in it,
inscribed with writing:
“Obtain the 4 Purity Stones,
By the Handmaiden’s Song subdue
the waking of the priestess in
the Chamber of Needles”.
Is this connected to
the Hanging Prison?
Is there a shrine maiden
inside there?
*The Ceremony Room
I found a Buddha image similar
to the one on the blood-stained
altar in an old book of folklore.
The book suggested the
image was a kind of memorial,
used for offering live sacrifices.
Is the image in the book the
same as the one in the house?
What is happening in there?
*The Library Altar
On the second floor of
the red screen room was
a library full of old books.
There was one shelf
with an altar on it.
Something must once
have been displayed there.
Carved into the shelf were the words:
“Offer up the Commandment
Tome Written in the Ink of Tattoo.”
*The Himuro Mansion
The house in Miku’s dream
was different from mine.
In a folklore book in Yuu’s
room I found an article
about the room that
came out in the photo.
“The Himuro Mansion”
According to a folklorist named
Ryozou Munakata, a ritual took place
there to seal the
Gates of the Underworld.
Using shrine maidens
called Rope Priestesses.
*Missing in Minakami
The man who appeared in
the photo is Masumi Makimura,
who went missing three months
ago near the Minakami Dam site.
His fiancée went to look for him,
and never came back.
Many people have gone
missing like this in the Minakami
area and there are rumors that
they have been spirited away.
- People
*Yuu Asou
My fiancé.
He was an editor who worked on
books of folklore,
philosophy and anthropology.
We met as students.
He was the opposite of me in
every way: quiet and kind,
like gently falling rain.
Like a soft shower that washes
everything clean.
He passed away two months ago
in an accident caused
by my careless driving.
*Miku Hinasaki
Miku has gone.
Has she gone to the one
she longs for, her brother?
Is her decision… the right one?
And for me too…?
*Kei Amakura
Yuu’s friend, who is
researching the “Manor of Sleep”.
His conclusion is that to get rid
of the curse someone has to
“Impale the Woken Maiden, and Soothe Her.”
And so he is going inside the shrine.
And once he is there…
*Mafuyu Hinasaki
Written in Kei’s letter was the name
of Miku’s brother: Mafuyu.
He was a friend of Kei and Yuu
who disappeared
while on the trail of missing
writer Junsei Takamine.
People say he was “spirited away”.
I knew Miku had lost a relative,
but I thought he had died.
She never spoke about her brother.
That photo…
is Miku still longing for
the brother she lost?
*Mio Amakura
Mio Amakura went missing about
two months ago with her sister Mayu.
Only Mio was rescued.
She has never spoken about
what happened.
Her sister has still not been found.
Feeling guilty for being the only one
rescued, she went in search of her
sister, and followed her till she
ended up trapped in dreams.
*Reika Kuze
The woman whose body has
been etched with pain.
She is etched with the longing and
pain of those who have survived,
and continues to carry and feel that pain.
And then, in the end, what was carved into
the mirror eas the pain of her own holly.
Her longing to see Kaname again.
I want to be with him again…
*Kaname Kuze
The voice on the tape left behind by
Professor Asou introduced itself as Kaname.
He must have set out for the manor
in response to Reika’s voice,
heard in a dream, and made his
way to the Kuze Shrine.
Did he find her… Reika,
the Tattooed Priestess?
Is there really a place inside the
manor where people can go to meet the dead?
*Amane
The girl with plaited hair who
begged Miku for help.
She was waiting for her
brother to come back…
She must have gone into the shrine
to try and help him.
And then…
*Mother and Daughter
The mother and child who appeared
in my dream in old-fashioned kimonos.
The daughter dropped a scrap of paper.
On it was an apology she
had written to her mother.
The child’s father
went to fetch her ball, when…
She must have felt
responsible for what happened.
*Woman with Comb
The woman who pinned her hair
to the wall and awaited someone’s return.
The man she was longing for,
Akito was a folklorist
doing research into lullabies.
He was invited into
the house as an outsider.
He met her here and then disappeared.
She must have been
waiting for him ever since.
All alone, combing her hair…
*Shrine Maiden Girl
The girls dressed as
shrine maidens who
tried to skewer me
in my daydream at
the deserted house.
They were abandoned
in the Manor,
in the end, confined
within the walls
of those rooms
to carry out
the Final Ceremony.
*Yoshino Takigawa
Yoshino Takigawa.
The only survivor of a plane crash.
The photo she left shows her with a man
who seems to be her boyfriend.
The photo is creased where
she has clutched it tight.
In another photo,
I caught a glimpse of him
lurking in the shadows around her.
Surrounded by her boyfriend
and family she is trapped
in her dreams, tortured
by her feelings of guilt
about what happened…
Guilty of the sin of having survived…
*The Carpenters
The men in ragged white
robes and tall court hats.
In an old newspaper I found
in Yuu’s room was an article
about shrine carpenters
who had gone missing –
- about the same number as in the photo.
*Woman On All Fours
The woman on all fours who
attacked me inside the dream manor.
Miku used her photo to
track down a newspaper report about her.
The story concerned a woman
who disappeared after getting
caught up in a murder
and being locked away.
Kiriko Asanuma.
Could that be her?
*Kunihiko Asou
A scholar of the "occult" who lived
in the second half of the 19th century.
His research, known as “Mystical Science”,
attempted to use modern Western technology
to explain old Japanese folk
beliefs about the Other World.
The first of his experiments to bear fruits
was the Spirit Stone Radio.
This used crystal radio technology and
was able to receive supernatural sounds
that normally could not be detected.
The products of his research
– the Camera Obscura,
The Spirit Stone Radio, and
the Projector- were much
sought after by enthusiasts
after his death
and were soon scattered
all over the country.
- Articles
*Camera Obscura
An old camera called
the Camera Obscura.
It was designed by a man
with the same surname
as Yuu-Asou, to photograph
images of spirits
and ghosts.
But what was the camera
doing inside the manor?
*The Projector
The old projector from
the house I saw in my dream.
It was developed by
Kunihiko Asou, who lived
in the second half of
the 19th century.
It uses the technology of
the Camera Obscura to show
supernatural images from
another plane that can’t
be played on normal equipment.
*The Old Radio
An old radio that was in
the loft above Yuu’s room.
According to an old book
left in the same place,
it’s a crystal radio made
by Professor Kunihiko Asou
for communicating with
the Other World.
A reaction with a special
crystal makes it possible
to hear words spoken in the past
and the voices of ghosts…
Asou… could there be some
connection with Yuu’s family?
06. Ghost List
#001 Makie Kuzuhara/Kozue –
A mother and daughter
searching for husband and dad.
The child knows the truth.
#002 Kyoka Kuze –
Facing her dresser the
woman brushes the hair her lover
praised – he who will never return.
#003 Woman In Closet –
The perpetually tormented sole
survivor of a plane crash.
#004 Yashu Kuze –
The head of the Kuze Family.
She is in pain from taking the
holly from the priestess.
#005 Inverted Woman –
After being called into a dream,
a woman who threw herself off a roof.
#006Handmaiden (Hisame) –
The oldest of the Handmaidens.
Always devoted to her work,
she still keeps vigil.
#007Reika Yakishiro –
After losing her family, she was
brought in as the Tattoed Priestess.
#008 Handmaiden (Minamo) –
After her death she still wanders
the Manor looking for someone to attack.
#009 Hidden Carpenters –
Shrine Carpenters who were made into
Sacrificial Pillars after the Manor was built.
#010 Child in the Snow –
A girl who loved snow.
After her mother died in the snow
she buried herself too.
#011 Tengai Narumi –
A Master Builder, he is
pursuing the Sacrificial pillar carpenters.
#012 Handmaiden (Amane) –
Born in the Manor and having worked as a
handmaiden, she waits on the priestess Reika.
#013 Reika Kuze –
Brought in as a Priestess she is
locked up in an effort to temper the Holly.
#014 Man Under Floor –
To escape the Master Builder he
hid in the floor and would not come out.
#015 Unengraved Woman –
At the Etching of the Soul, her
unrequited love was disclosed by the Engraver.
#016 Projector Woman –
A woman who lost her lover when she
was late to meet him for a motion picture.
#017 Crushed Woman –
While reaching for an old book she
got crushed under collapsed stairs.
#018 Binding Man –
He lived in the same village as
Reika, and had strong feelings for her.
#019 Wedge Man –
Wandering into All God’s Village,
taken for a wedge and drawn
into the Manor of Sleep.
#020 Handmaiden (Shigure) –
After impaling Amane by the Code of
the Kuze Family she has
since been tortured by guilt.
#021 Summoned Men –
Shrine Carpenters. All were made into
Sacrificial Pillars after the Manor was built.
#022 Beam Woman –
A former Rope Priestess deified in the
Rope Hallway in the Himuro Mansion.
#023 Kizuna Himuro –
A Rope Priestess trapped in one part
of the Manor in Miku’s dream,
a violent ghost now.
#024 Battered Man –
Involved in the building of the Manor.
He got trapped in the shrine.
#025 Burdened Man –
Former Master Builder. His love for Yashu
was one-sided.
He dies in the shrine.
#026 Kaname Ototsuki –
The Tattooed Priestess’s lover.
He came to rescue Reika,
but died at Yashu’s hand.
#027 Funeral Procession –
The dead who were to pass through
to the Last Passage, but got trapped
in the shrine.
#028 Abyss Dead –
The dead who were to pass through the
Last Passage to the Horizon,
but now stagnate.
#029 Drowned Man –
A Shrine Carpenter who came to fix the
Abyss bridge. He drowned himself
due to the miasma.
#030 Impaled Priestesses –
Priestesses who were impaled in the
Chamber of Needles, now forever sleeping.
#031 Flowing Souls –
Many dead souls turn to lanterns and float
down the river under the Kuze Shrine.
#032 Child in Window –
A young girl who used to live in this Manor.
She liked to climb on the roof to play.
#033 Kiriko Asanuma –
The crawling woman.
She came through the Rift in
Rei’s dream into Rei’s real house.
#034 Turned Back Man –
The last Master Builder. He became a
Sacrificial Pillar,
but now he kills carpenters.
#035 Wandering Mother -
Sensing her child's guilt and
tormented by her own sadness,
she keeps searching.
#036 Wandering Daughter –
Brought here to find her missing father.
She cannot tell her mother about his death.
#037 Beckoning Yuu –
Yuu’s shadow that beckons deep into the Manor.
Can it merely be borne of Rei’s own remorse?
#038 Lattice Woman –
To simulate the feeling of the Holly she
pierced her arms with countless needles.
#039 Disappearing Yuu –
Yuu's beckoning shadow.
Perhaps borne of Rei's own remorse,
it leads one to the shrine.
#040 Girl in Hallway –
A shrine maiden who had to impale
the Priestess.
She thinks Rei is the new Priestess.
#041 Girl in Hallway -
A shrine maiden who had to impale
the Priestess.
She thinks Rei is the new Priestess.
#042 Wandering Mother –
In her search for her husband
she will ask anyone about his whereabouts.
#043 Wandering Daughter –
Brought here by her mother, she
blames anyone else to keep
her mother from suffering.
#044 2nd Floor Woman –
A plane crash survivor fleeing from
a reproachful shadow and a tattooed woman.
#045 Impaling Girl –
Though the Manor sank into the Rift a
shrine maiden who continues
to impale her dolls.
#046 Girl in Study -
A Tattooed Priestess who wanders the
Manor seeking those trapped in dreams.
#047 Crouching Woman –
A plane crash survivor
too tired even to flee.
She merely quivers in a corner.
#048 Mother Downstairs –
In her search for her husband,
she asks Rei
for help, as rarely anyone visits the Manor.
#049 Daughter Downstairs –
Brought here by her mother, she is ready
to blame the crime on Rei
for her mother’s sake.
#050 Crouching Woman –
A plane crash survivor who came here
to escape from Rei,
but the exit was locked.
#051 Daughter at Door –
Brought here by her mother, she is
waiting alone for Rei to escape
her mother’s pain.
#052 Lattice Woman –
A Tattooed Priestess who turned violent so
others could know her own pain.
#053 Escaping Woman –
A plane crash survivor who thinks
everyone blames her and so tries to escape.
#054 Screaming Woman -
A plane crash survivor who begins to
believe others as they blame her.
#055 Woman in Corner -
A plane crash survivor who knows there
is nowhere to go, yet still tries to escape.
#056 Crouching woman –
A plane crash survivor with no place left
to run. She was left crouching there.
#057 Downstairs Daughter –
Brought here by her mother, she is
waiting alone for Rei to
escape her mother's grief.
#058 Man Stopped Dead –
A Shrine Carpenter slaughtered into a
Sacrificial Pillar and now
motionless in his murder.
#059 Bending Shadow –
Pursuing survivor, a black shadow
that reproaches and blames.
#060 Tormented Woman –
A plane crash survivor who is distressed
by a reproachful shadow encircling her.
#061 Encircling Shadow -
Pursuing survivor, a black shadow
that reproaches and blames Yoshino.
#062 Man Upstairs –
A slaughtered Shrine Carpenter.
He had hid in the closet, but he
was found downstairs.
#063 Escaping Man –
A slaughtered Shrine Carpenter.
He has nowhere to go, but still
tries to escape.
#064 Girl in Back –
Hisame, a Shrine Maiden.
She thinks Rei is the new
Priestess and watches over her.
#065 Girl in Back -
Minamo, a shrine maiden.
She is waiting, ready
to impale Rei
as the new priestess.
#066 Hallway Girl –
Minamo, a Shrine Maiden.
She beckons Rei into the room
so she can impale her.
#067 Impaling Girl –
Though the Manor sank into the Rift,
Shrine Maiden Hisame continues
impaling dolls.
#068 Doll Altar Girl –
Minamo, a shrine maiden.
She watches Rei, ready to
impale her as the new priestess.
#069 Woman Past Bars –
An Engraver who gouged out her eyes
and pierced her hands.
She sees Rei’s thoughts.
#070 2nd Floor Woman –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover.
She feels someone downstairs and takes a look.
#071 Hand Sucked into Floor –
The woman crawling beneath the floor searches
for an exit, and her hand emerges.
#072 Beckoning Girl –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code for her brother.
She seeks help from Miku.
#073 Beckoning Girl –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code.
She hopes to save her brother and the Priestess.
#074 Girl at Door –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code.
She wants Miku to help her save her
brother’s lover.
#075 Imprisoned Woman –
A priestess who takes on people’s pains as tattoos,
Reika prior to turning violent.
#076 Woman Before Koto –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover.
She plays the song her lover wanted to hear.
#077 Secretive Old Woman –
The head of the Kuze Family, Yashu Kuze.
She conceals visitor’s presence from Kyoka.
#078 Woman Brushing –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover.
She tacks up her hair for her lover to see.
#079 Disappearing Man –
The Master Builder going to report on roof,
which needs many Sacrificial Pillars.
#080
#081 Mio Amakura –
Kei’s niece Mio.
She is trapped in sleep and shut
in a room of crimson butterflies.
#082 Woman in Dark -
An Engraver who gouged her eyes and
pierced her hands.
She watches over the prison.
#083 Man in Screen -
A slaughtered Shrine Carpenter.
He is hiding from the Master Builder.
#084 Man at the Spirit Tree –
The Master Builder who knows it
is the code and
his duty, but resents having to murder.
#085 Peeking Girl –
Shigure, a shrine maiden.
She makes sure the Shrine Carpenters
do not escape.
#086 Girl atop Ladder –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
She watches Rei, ready to
impale her as the new priestess.
#087 Man in Dresser –
A slaughtered Shrine Carpenter.
He came here to hide from
the Master Builder…
#088 Ceremony Woman –
An Engraver who gouged out her eyes and
pierced her hands.
She takes ink from the dead.
#089 Ceremony Woman -
An Engraver who gouged out her eyes and
pierced her hands.
She takes ink from the dead.
#090 Girl in the Blind –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
To protect the ceremony, she
must catch Sacrifice.
#091 Girl in the Blind –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
She is told to “drai” Amane and
her brother Kaname.
#092 Twins at Hearth –
Twin maidens who were part of the
ceremony at the lost village
and Mio’s dream.
#093 Twins at Hearth -
Twin maidens who were part of the
ceremony at the lost village and Mio’s dream.
#094 2nd Floor Twins –
Twin maidens who were part of
the lost village’s ceremony.
They try to tell Kei of it.
#095 2nd Floor Twins -
Twin maidens who were part of the
lost village’s ceremony.
They try to tell Kei of it.
#096 Woman Beyond Bars –
A Tattooed Priestess who turned violent.
She pursues Kei to thwart his escape.
#097 Twin Maidens –
Twin maidens who were part of the
lost village ceremony.
They try to show it to Kei.
#098 Twin Maidens -
Twin maidens who were part of the
lost village ceremony.
They try to show it to Kei.
#099 Girl Beyond Bars –
Amane who broke the Manor's code.
She watches Kei, thinking he
might be pursuing her.
#100 Peering Girl –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code.
She heard Kei make a noise,
and she watches him.
#101 Worn-out Man –
Masumi Makimura who was spirited away
and died bathed in blood in the closet.
#102 Bowing Girl –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
She bows before Miku, who glimpses
the Priestess’ dreams.
#103 Bowing Girl -
Minamo, a shrine maiden.
She bows before Miku, who glimpses
the Priestess’ dreams.
#104 Disappearing Man –
The Master Builder who after
doing his part,
heads toward where the
last Pillar should be.
#105 Determined Man –
The Master Builder who fulfilled
all his duties and so gives
his life as the last pillar.
#106 Woman at Shrine –
An Engraver who gouged out her eyes and
pierced her hands.
She welcomes Rei.
#107 Woman at Shrine -
An Engraver who gouged out her eyes and
pierced her hands.
She welcomes Rei.
#108 Door Woman –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover.
Now she wanders the manor looking for him.
#109 Crying Woman –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover.
She spends her days in tears and sorrow.
#110 Corridor Woman-
Trapped in a dream after her
parents were killed.
She tries in vain to get out.
#111 Man on Roof –
The Tattooed Priestess Reika’s lover,
Kaname.
He came in from the roof to see her.
#112 Peering Girl –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code.
She showed herself to invite
Kei and Miku up.
#113 2nd Floor Twins -
Twin maidens of the lost village ceremony.
They try to tell wayfarers of it.
#114 2nd Floor Twins –
Twin maidens of the lost village ceremony.
They try to tell wayfarers of it.
#115 Twins' Ceremony -
Twin maidens who were part of the
lost village ceremony.
They try to show it to Kei.
#116 Twins' Ceremony -
Twin maidens who were part of the
lost village ceremony.
They try to show it to Kei.
#117 Attic Woman –
Trapped in a dream after her
parents were killed.
She cannot escape from the narrow area.
#118 Man on Roof –
The Tattooed Priestess Reika’s lover, Kaname.
To see her, he jumped onto the roof.
#119 Screen Girl –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code.
She cries behind the screen for her brother.
#120 2nd Floor Man –
The Tattooed Priestess Reika’s lover, Kaname.
He was searching for a way to meet her.
#121 Screen Girl –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code.
While waiting she sings a Handmaiden’s Song.
#122 Courtyard Girl –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
She laughs at the fate of Miku (Amane).
#123 Courtyard Girl –
Minamo, a shrine maiden.
She laughs at the impaling of Miku (Amane).
#124 Courtyard Girl –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
She laughs at the fate of Miku (Amane).
#125 Courtyard Girl –
Minamo, a shrine maiden.
She laughs at the impaling of Miku (Amane).
#126 Woman in Dark –
An Engraver who gouged out her eyes and
pierced her hands. She watches over the prison.
#127 Girl Near Prison –
Amane who broke the Manor’s code
wants Miku to help the Priestess and her brother.
#128 Girl in Back –
Shigure, a shrine maiden.
She remonstrates Amane like a little sister.
#129 Praying Senior –
Yashu, the head of the Kuze family.
She is waiting for Amane (Miku) to come for the man.
#130 Receding woman –
A priestess taking on people's pains
as tattoos, she now heads toward the Final Site.
#131 Girl in Abyss –
Amane, who worried about her brother,
heads into the shrine, is struck in the Abyss.
#132 Beckoning Mafuyu –
Miku’s brother who disappeared in the Himuro
Mansion, Mafuyu. Miku goes inside after him.
#133 Attic Woman –
Reika who appeared in Miku’s attic.
The ghost was her residues left
in Kaname’s earring.
#134 Beckoning Woman –
A woman of pierced hand.
In the dream, she beckoned the
Priestess to the Abyss basket.
#135 Beckoning Woman -
A woman of pierced hand.
In the dream, she beckoned the
Priestess to the Abyss basket.
#136 Shrine Woman –
A Tattooed Priestess
who turned violent.
She wants to share her pain with Rei.
#137 Woman in Blind –
The head of the Kuze family.
She has borne the Holly on
the whole of her body.
#138 Woman in Shrine –
A priestess who takes on people’s pains,
she crushes her dreams before the shrine.
#139 Hiding Daughter –
Brought here by her mother,
she cries to escape her mother’s grief.
#140 Hiding Daughter -
Brought here by her mother,
she cries to escape her mother’s grief.
#141 Hiding Daughter -
Brought here by her mother,
she cries to escape her mother’s grief.
#142 Wandering Mother –
Aware of her child’s distress, she
still searches half-crazed after
her disappearance.
#143 Wandering Mother -
Aware of her child’s distress, she still
searches half-crazed after
her disappearance.
#144 Waiting Mother –
Aware of her child’s distress, she waits
for her after seeing her letter.
#145 Distressed Woman –
A plane crash survivor who, even after
leaving reality, continues to be tormented.
#146 Falling Woman -
A Rope Priestess at "The Strangling Ritual"
at the Himuro Mansion and in Miku's dream.
#147 Trapped Woman –
Trapped in a dream after her parents were killed.
She continues to look for an exit.
#148 Girl on Roof –
Shigure, a shrine maiden.
She walks on the roof to care for
Kyoka who is locked in.
#149 Peeping Woman –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover,
though falling evermore into despair.
#150 Crying Woman -
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover,
though falling evermore into despair.
#151 Ceremony –
The Ceremony was held by the Handmaidens
to close the Rift after the Unleashing.
#152 Ceremony –
The Ceremony was held by the Handmaidens
to close the Rift after the Unleashing.
#153 Handmaiden's Last -
After the Unleashing, Hisame conducted the
ceremony to seal the Rift.
#154 Handmaiden's Last -
After the Unleashing, Hisame conducted
the ceremony to seal the Rift.
#155 Peeping Girl –
If you meet the girl’s look, you switch places
with her and you must wait in the hole.
#156 Lurking Woman –
If you look into the well, a woman suddenly
appears and draws you inside.
#157 Crashing Woman –
Even if a doll peeps out of a closet,
you must not look in, lest you become a doll.
#158 Girl Beyond Bars –
Even if you see a girl
in prison you must not feel
bad, because you may be
behind the bars.
#159 Hand from Hole –
If there is any sort of crack, the
hand will come creeping through.
#160 Woman in Floor –
Rustle, rustle.
The noise repeats every night.
You come closer but notice nothing.
#161 Woman Beyond Bars –
Do not look into the darkness between the
bars, because you’re being looked at.
#162 Mirror Woman –
You must not take your eyes off the
Mirror Woman, at least until
she loses interest.
#163 Dangling Hand –
A hand dangles limply from the window.
Sometimes it beckons.
See that?
#164 Closet Child –
It was supposed to be a game of
hide and seek, but no one came seeking.
#165 – Book Girl -
Sometimes books come falling down.
Fix the books, but do not meet her gaze.
#166 Girl Under Desk –
Do you ever feel something under the desk?
You ought to check once in a while.
#167 Hand Under Bed –
Every night that hand is
searching for something…
Perhaps a foot to come down.
#168 Stroller Grandma –
A Grandma who approaches
pushing a stroller.
Hide your face.
What is that inside …?
#169 Woman on Feet –
Feet are more of a blind
spot than most realize.
Look down – someone
is sitting on them.
#170 Closet Child –
Someone is in the closet,
you can feel it -- crying.
Most of the time, no one is there.
#171 Female Survivor –
The perpetually tormented sole survivor
of a plane crash, Takigawa Yoshino.
#172 Black Shadow –
The thought of the dead that
torment survivors.
Jealous, they hang onto the living.
#173 Wandering Mother –
She searches for her husband, but she
knows where he went and why he cannot return.
#174 Wandering Daughter –
She inadvertently caused her father’s
death and is tormented by guilt.
#175 Crawling Woman –
Trapped in a dream after her
parents were killed.
She wants somebody rescue her.
#176 Stroller Grandma –
Not able to accept her grandchild’s death,
she secretly digs it up from the grave.
#177 Man in White –
A Shrine Carpenter who built the Manor
to help defend against the Unleashing.
#178 Man in White -
A Shrine Carpenter who built the Manor
to help defend against the Unleashing.
#179 Engraved Man –
A Moriya Family Shrine Carpenter who
served the Kuze Family, fixing the Manor.
#180 Engraved Man –
A Shrine Carpenter who went to
close the door to the Chamber,
but got tattooed.
#181 Engraved Man –
A Shrine Carpenter who after killing all
the carpenters was made into a
Pillar as well.
#182 Engraved Man –
A Shrine Carpenter who waited for
carpenters to flee to make
them into Pillars.
#183 Hidden Face Man –
The Master Builder.
He sacrificed all carpenters,
including himself.
#184 Priestess Girl –
Hisame, a shrine maiden.
She was the oldest of the 4 handmaidens,
and the most dutiful.
#185 Priestess Girl –
Shigure, a shrine maiden.
She began to feel guilty but still
followed the code.
#186 Priestess Girl –
Minamo, a shrine maiden.
She enjoyed not having a
guilty conscience.
#187 Priestess Girl -
Amane, a Shrine Maiden.
She was impaled by the other handmaidens.
#188 Needle Woman –
The other half of the two Engravers.
She hurts herself to know the
Priestess’ pain.
#189 Needle Woman -
The other half of the two Engravers.
She hurts herself to know the
Priestess’ pain.
#190 Woman Brushing –
Brushing her hair, she waits for her lover.
With such thoughts, she is
taken in the Rift.
#191 Kuze Family Head –
The head of the Kuze family.
She was taken in the Rift
and turned bad.
#192 Tattooed Priestess –
The Tattooed Priestess.
She bore the “Holly”, but in the
end her spirit turned bad.
#193 Rope Priestess –
A Rope Priestess at
“The Strangling Ritual” at the
Himuro Mansion and in Miku’s dream.
#194 Rope man –
A person who was a sacrifice at the ceremony
at the Lost Village.
His spirit turned bad.
** [FATAL FRAME SHOT LISTINGS] **
#195 Female Survivor –
Yoshino Takigawa
#196 Wandering Mother –
Makie Kuzuhara
#197 Wandering Daughter –
Kozue Kuzuhara
#198 Crawling Woman –
Kiriko Asanuma
#199 Stroller Grandma –
Stroller Grandma
#200 Man in White –
Pillar Carpenter
#201 Man in White –
Killed Carpenter
#202 Engraved Man –
Master Builder Shigeomi Moriya
#203 Engraved Man –
Master Builder Nirei Moriya
#204 Engraved Man –
Master Builder Tatsumi Moriya
#205 Engraved Man –
Master Builder Inui Moriya
#206 Head Builder –
Tengai Narumi
#207 Priestess Girl –
Hisame Kuze
#208 Priestess Girl –
Shigure Kuze
#209 Priestess Girl –
Minamo Kuze
#210 Priestess Girl -
Amane Kuze
#211 The Engraver –
The Engraver
#212 The Engraver –
The Engraver
#213 Woman Brushing –
Kyoka Kuze
#214 Head of Kuze Family –
Yashu Kuze
#215 Tattooed Priestess -
Reika Kuze
#216 Rope Priestess –
Kizuna Himuro
#217 Kusabi –
Kusabi
07. Cultural Influences
(once again, thanks to
www.cameraslens.com for letting me quote their info. ;D)
(Again, if you want me to add something
to this section, feel free to email me =))
Concernig the lanterns we see
at the last cenario of the game:
*Toro-Nagashi
“The term 'Toro-Nagashi' is actually in
reference to the lantern floating
ceremony that occurs at the end of Obon.
(three day Japanese festival of the dead)
These lanterns are sometimes called
'soul ships' or the practice is
called 'soul floating'.”
“The lanterns can have a wooden or bamboo
base and range from a single candle or
paper lantern to huge massive rafts carrying
dozens of lanterns strung together.
Usually the lanterns have the name of the
deceased on them, as
well as the name of the person offering the lantern.
This ceremony is meant to guide the spirits of
the dead back to the spiritual
world after the Obon celebration is over.
Although the ceremony itself
has connections to Buddhist
ceremonies and has been
celebrated for some time,
Toro-Nagashi became
commonplace in modern Japan
(and a symbol of the need
and struggle for world peace & unity)
after the Atmoic Bomb hit Hiroshima.
Many survivors of the initial blast
threw themselves into the river since they
could not stand the painful radiation
burns and scorchmarks
on their bodies.
Sadly, most of these survivors
drowned as a result.
Around the year 1948, the first
formal ceremony for these
victims was done by floating
lanterns on the waters of the river,
so the victims
could finally rest in peace.”
“In Fatal Frame 3, we see the
lanterns playing a part
in both artwork and in the
ending scene of the game.
Just like the obon ceremony,
Rei watches as spirits start to
follow the lanterns out into the sea.
One Toro-Nagashi celebration
website I visited, had this to say
about the Toro Nagashi tradition:
"Japanese tradition says that
we come from water,
so when a person dies,
he is sent back to the water."”
“Very different from the
western concept of a
person being born
of ashes isn't it?
Another Toro Nagashi website
had this to say:
"There is the concept of carrying
away impurities, so sending these
ancestors back also has the aspect
of a fresh start for the living,"
“Toro-Nagashi ceremonies are not
limited to Japan anymore,
in fact there are many areas
that celebrate the Toro Nagashi
ceremony in the US and in Europe.
In fact, recently the tragic deaths
of the victims of the 9-11 attacks
were honored with a Toro Nagashi
ceremony in 2002.
And more recent account of the
lantern floating last year.
Fatal Frame 3 actually isn't
the first survival horror
game to use the concept
of Toro Nagashi.
In fact, the recent video game
Kuon by Agetec used the Toro Nagashi
concept as a purifying
ceremony in the gameplay.
So there you have it.
Yes, Toro-Nagashi are elements
of Japanese culture
uniquely woven into the storyline
of Fatal Frame III: The Tormented.
It is just one of many wayves the
Project Zero Team uses in
their games to create a realistic
haunted and supernatural world possible.”
*Concerning the Skewered Dolls:
- Wara Ningyo/Ushinokokumairi
Dolls made out of straw,
sometimes called 'Japanese voodoo dolls'.
Source:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/
“Wara ningyo is often assumed
to be like voodoo doll,
but it is in reality more often
for doing good than bad.
To protect people rather than
doing negative spells on them.
Shinto shaman will use the doll
as substitute
of people who are threatened
by evil spirits.”
Ushinokokumairi - Voodoo in Japan
Source:
http://www.juergenspecht.com/truestories/?number=8
“Ushinokokumairi freely
translated means something
like "Going to the Shrine
at the time of the Ox",
while the Ox refers to
the Chinese calendar
applied to a clock and further
translates into 2:00am in the morning.
The thought of going to a shrine
at 2:00am at full moon
is scary enough, but being equipped
with a straw doll (wara ningyo),
a hammer and 15 centimeter long nails
is even more.
The Ushinokokumairi ritual seem
to origin around
the year 800 at the
Kibune Shrine in Kyoto,
where a young beautiful woman
cursed her husband in
a 7 day long ritual
for cheating on her.
And to curse people who
cheat is still one of the
main uses of straw dolls today.
Based on the treatment and ritual,
the straw doll
can be used for a variety of purposes.
If you tie it up with the
supplied short rope,
the targeted person will
fall instantly in love with you.
Or you nail the doll for 7 days
and after that you daily
pierce it with the supplied
wooden stick and your enemy will be cursed.
You also can use it to prevent sickness,
diseases and
even monsters by tying it up on a
tree and hit a nail through the dolls chest.
Finally the doll can also help to get rid
of Oni, Japanese
devil-like demons with long nails,
wild hair, a fierce look
and two horns on their forehead
who wear tight tiger skins and
can fly while hunting for the
souls of those who did evil things
in their lives.
Just perform a ritual and stick
the doll on the north-east
of your house and you are saved.”
08. Extras and some theories (thanks to cameraslens.com for letting me quote ;))
- Characters in detail:
*Kei Amakura
Name: Kei Amakura
Age: 26
Family: Shizu Amakura (sister),
Misao Amakura (brother-in-law),
Mio Amakura(niece)
Mayu Amakura (niece).
Occupation: Journalist/Folklorist
Games: Fatal Frame III
Quote: "I'm sure...everything will be alright.."
Kei Amakura is the second playable male character
in the Fatal Frame series.
(Mafuyu Hinasaki being the first) Kei is the uncle of Mio
& Mayu Amakura from Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
and was a good friend of Yuu Aso(u) and Mafuyu Hinasaki.
Kei says he worked with Mafuyu under Junsei Takamine,
but he has an interest in researching folklore,
as evident in Fatal Frame III: The Tormented.
He was also good friends with Yuu Aso.
While looking into the disappearance of his niece Mayu
(who he suspects, like Takamine, has been 'spirited away'),
Kei comes across the Camera Obscura in the Minakami village.
The camera seems to have a negative impact on his niece Mio,
who appears frightened and distressed by it. Kei sends the
camera to his friend Yuu Aso(u) for safekeeping.
Soon after the discovery of the camera, Kei's niece begins to
sleep more and more, as well as complain of nightmares.
As Kei researches into the cause of Mio's affliction,
he realizes that Mio's symptoms are like similar to those
mentioned in the 'House of Sleep' urban legends.
Kei continues to write to Yuu about his findings,
as well as asking for help, unknowning that his
friend has died in a car accident.
As Kei researches more, he too
begins to show symptoms of the curse,
including having nightmares
of a strange tattooed woman.
He sees Mio in his dream where she speaks to herself,
blaming herself for her sister Mayu's disappearance.
As Kei tries to search for a cure,
both in the dreamworld and out of it,
he and Mio fall deeper and deeper under the curse's spell.
In his dreams, Kei also meets a ghost with long hair,
who keeps calling him 'Akito'.
She continues to ask him why he left
and didn't come back for her.
Looking for answers & information on the curse,
Kei finally calls Yuu's house,
only to hear from his fiancee Rei Kurosawa
that he died in a car accident.
She too has been experiencing the same dreams he has,
and he promises to visit soon
(to pay his respects to Yuu).
Mio's condition worsens, until finally
Kei places her in the hospital.
She is only up for barely 3 hours
at a time, before going back to sleep.
Kei then goes to visit Rei,
and learns that her housemate,
Miku Hinasaki, Mafuyu's younger sister,
has fallen into a deep coma due to the curse.
Putting their heads together,
Kei tells Rei he thinks
he knows of a solution to end the curse.
He tells Rei that they must go
to the Chamber of Thorns
in the House of Sleep and impale
the maiden with the sacred stakes.
This should be the reason why
she's walking around, and will end everything.
As Kei drifts asleep he wanders
through the mansion,
collecting the sacred impaling stakes
needed to complete his task, however,
when he actually gets to the
chamber of thorns he is met with
a horrifying sight.
There is the priestess Reika,
whose body is lying right next
to her fallen lover Kaname,
but her hands and feet are
already impaled with spikes!
Suddenly, the spikes of the
impaled priestess loosen,
and the body of the
priestess lurches upright.
Reika instantly goes after Kei,
and everything goes black.
Rei Kurosawa wakes up from
her disturbing dream of Kei and
rushes downstairs to where he
was sleeping on the couch.
Kei is no longer there,
only the familiar black soot
stains of where his body once lay.
The final symptom of the curse
that marks the end for the victim.
Alternative Ending:
In the alternative ending of
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented,
Kei Amakura is saved and
awakens from the curse on the couch.
His niece Mio also awakens from
her slumber and finally gets
over the disappearance
(ie death) of her sister Mayu.
Kei also introduces Mio to Rei and Miku.
Misc Info
- Shizu Amakura is Kei's older sister.
- Kei is taking care of the twins
while Shizu is sick in the hospital
(unrelated to Tattooed Curse).*
In the US version, a particular note is mistranslated,
which says that she in fact is 'missing' as well.
- Kei Amakura bares an errie resemblance to Akito Kashiwagi,
Kyouka Kuze's lover. There is no evidence the two men are related.
- Kei Amakura, while physically strong, has a very low camera ability,
thus he was also giving the 'hiding' ability in Fatal Frame III.
- Kei Amakura is not directly related to Dr. Aso(u),
(this is a common mistake because his neices Mio & Mayu are).
- Whether or not Kei meet Yuu through
his sister's marriage to Misao is uncertain.
- Originally, Kei Amakura was not going to be the third
character in Fatal Frame III, his niece Mio was.
- Kei is often mistaken for Yuu Aso(u),
(because both wear similar clothing)
the best way to tell the two apart is that Yuu has a turtleneck
shirt while Kei does not.
- In FF3, Kei's tattoo is Indigo.
* Miku Hinasaki
Name: Miku Hinasaki
Age: 17 in FF1, 19 in FF3
Family: Masato Hinasaki(father),
Miyuki Hinasaki (mother),
Mafuyu (brother).
Occupation: Student/Assistant Photographer
Pet: Ruri
Games: Fatal Frame I & Fatal Frame III
Quote: "Sometimes rumors are just...rumors."
The Heroine of Fatal Frame (Zero ~zero~/Project Zero)
and one of the three
main characters in Fatal Frame III: The Tormented
(Zero ~Shisei no Koe~/Project Zero III: The Tormented).
Miku Hinasaki is the youngest of
two children from Masato & Miyuki Hinasaki.
She wears a comb in her hair that belonged
to her grandmother Mikoto.
Miku is no stranger to tragedy,
as her father mysteriously goes missing on assignment,
and she unwillingly is
the one to discover her
mother's hanging corpse in the back of their garden.
After the death of their mother, Miku's older brother,
Mafuyu, takes care of her.
Miku has the unqiue gift of a sixth sense,
so she can see things that other people
usually cannot see.
However, this 'gift' makes her rather shy,
and she finds the only person she
can really open up to is her brother.
One fateful day (September 24th, 1986),
Mafuyu sets out to search for his
mentor Junsei Takamine, who disappeared during a
recent assignment involving
a new book he was planning to write.
After 9 days
(or 2 weeks, there's a bit of a
discrepency in US/JP versions),
Miku goes after her brother,
into the Himuro Mansion.
When Miku enters the mansion,
there is no sign of her brother,
except for their mother's old camera,
which has been carelessly
abandoned in front of a mirror
at the end of a long rope hallway.
What's worse, she finds
herself trapped and unable to
leave the terrifying house...
and as she searches for
Mafuyu, Junsei Takamine, and the rest
of his party she finds herself
succumbing to the
Strangling Ritual Curse as well.
Miku isn't alone, as she
searches she is aided by a mysterious
little girl in a white & orange kimono,
and she starts also
learns about her family's hidden
past as well as that of the mansion's.
After 4 nights of
searching for clues, evading harmful ghosts,
and searching for pieces of an
ancient Holy Mirror, Miku
finds her brother, and is
able to free the spirits trapped
within the Himuro mansion.
Sadly, her struggles to get
her brother back are in vein,
as he decides to stay
with the shrine maiden Kirie.
Miku escapes the
underground shrine under the mansion
before the cavern collapses.
As she walks into the night,
she sees the lights
of all the formally
trapped spirits float up into the sky.
After that day, her sixth sense ability
seems to have vanished.*
Miku is taken in by Yuu Aso,
who worked and was friends
with her brother Mafuyu.
Miku gets a black & white cat
(apparently a 'gift' from her deceased parents)
whom she names Ruri.
Yuu eventually introduces Miku to
his fiance Rei Kurosawa,
and Miku works as an assistant
photographer under Rei.
The three live together under
the same roof for a while,
Miku has her own room where
she keeps a photograph
of her and Mafuyu on her desk.
While Yuu knows that Miku lost her brother,
she has never spoken to Rei about it.
Miku tries to put the events of those
nights behind her,
always wearing a smile on her face.
Things go well for the trio, until tragedy strikes,
and Yuu is killed in a car accident.
After Yuu's death, Rei closes herself off
from the outside world, so Miku,
understanding what it's like to
lose someone, takes over
the cooking, chores, and runs errands.
About a month (or two) after Yuu's death
(2 years since Miku's last adventure),
Miku & Rei go on an assignment
to take photographs of a
supposedly haunted mansion.
The trip seems uneventful,
until Rei begins having trouble
sleeping, and Miku begins to have new nightmares
about the Himuro Mansion.
Miku starts by getting information
on a woman Rei presents her in
a photograph, Yoshino Tashigawa,
who was the sole
survivor of an airplane crash.
As she begins to research and
find clues for Rei on the house
of sleep, her dreams
become more and more vivid.
She dreams of the Himuro Mansion,
and a rope shrine maiden.
She also dreams about a girl called Amane,
who is also looking for her brother.
Amane tells Miku her brother is here waiting
for her which leads Miku deeper into the mansion.
Eventually, Miku lets the
curse get the better of her,
and chases after what appears to be Mafuyu.
(Ingame there is also the option not to go
after Mafuyu, so Miku instead is claimed by Reika).
Rei desperately tries to stop her,
but can only watch as Miku fades
and disappears.
When Rei wakes up from her dream,
she finds Miku fast asleep with
Engravers hovering over her.
Miku isn't dead yet though.
Rei is able to find a way to stop the curse,
and is able to free Miku as well as herself.
Miku & Rei continue to live their lives,
knowing the reason they both survived
is so the ones they
cared about who have passed
on would live on through them.
Other Family Relations:
Miku Hinasaki can actually trace her family tree
all the way back to the
Kurosawa family of Minakami village.
Here are the known characters of her extended
family mentioned in the series.
Mikoto Munakata (grandmother),
Ryozo Munakata (great-grandfather),
Yae Munakata/Kurosawa (great-grandmother),
Sae Kurosawa (great-aunt),
Ryokan Kurosawa (great-great grandfather),
Ryokan's brother (great-great uncle)
& Mr. Hinasaki (exact relation unknown).
True Story?
Contrary to the popular belief inspired by Fatal Frame's
'based on a true story' advertising, there never was,
nor is a real Miku Hinasaki or girl she is based
on who went into a haunted mansion in search of her brother.
Misc Info
- While Miku's Japanese voice actress is the same in both FF1 & FF3,
both English releases of the games she is featured in
have seperate voice actresses.
- Miku actually has long hair, it's just tied up
in the back and held up by her grandmother's haircomb.
- Miku's character design was altered slightly when
Zero ~zero~ was brought to the states and renamed 'Fatal Frame'.
When the game was brought over to the Xbox console, the Japanese
version also featured the new miku design.
- Miku is the only Fatal Frame character to be featured in another
game series besides Fatal Frame.
She is an unlockable monster in Monster Rancher 4
PS2 game as well as the Monster Farm Pop! cellphone game.
- In FF3, Miku's cursed tattoo shows up as red on her body.
- The Japanese version of Miku's default costume is
one of her unlockable costumes in FF3.
(You can get it buy beating the game in hard mode,
or beating the game 3 times in normal mode.)
*Yuu Asou
Name: Yuu Aso(u)
Age: 24
Family: Rei Kurosawa (fiance),
Dr Kunihiko Aso(u) (unknown relation),
Misao Aso(u) (unknown relation)
Occupation: Aspiring Folklorist / Editor
Games: Fatal Frame III
Quote: "As long as you go on living,
a part of me will continue to live on."
Yuu Aso(u) is Rei Kurosawa's fiance,
who has tragically died by
the beginning of Fatal Frame III due to a car
accident where Rei was at the wheel.
It is Yuu's death that sets in
motion the events that slowly
lead Rei into the House of Sleep 2 months later.
Yuu studied anthropology and folklore in college,
which is where he and Rei first met.
Rei makes note that Yuu had a very kind gentle
disposition, like gently falling rain.
Yuu Aso(u) was very good friends with both
Mafuyu Hinasaki and Kei Amakura.
The three seemed to share research material
and information whenever possible.
Mafuyu and Yuu were exceptionally close,
since Mafuyu asked Yuu to promise that if anything
ever happened to him, Yuu would
look after his younger sister Miku.
So when Mafuyu mysteriously disappeared 2 years ago,
Yuu gratiously took Miku in to live with him.
He introduced Miku to his fiance Rei Kurosawa,
but didn't speak of Miku's brother or past.
The three lived well under the same roof,
each had their own room,
and Yuu's room was at the very end of the hallway.
Besides books on folklore and religious studies,
Yuu also collected old radios.
It is one of these radios that contains one of
the two stone earrings that Dr. Kunihiko Aso(u),
Yuu's ancestor, used to create the very
first spirit stone radio.
After Yuu's death, Rei left most of Yuu's room the same,
hardly going into it.
She also set up a small memorial altar on the
first floor which had Yuu's picture on it.
Then Rei begins to experience
a dream of a huge mansion in the snow.
She see's Yuu walking into the building and chases after him.
Yuu appears several more times to Rei, continuing to lead her
deeper and deeper into the mansion.
As Rei is trying to solve the mystery behind the mansion,
she looks through Yuu's notes and letters,
and discovers his correspondence with a Kei Amakura.
Kei eventually calls, not knowing that Yuu has passed
away and later on visits to pay his respects to his friend.
After solving the mystery of the House of Sleep,
Rei runs into Yuu one last time, among the spirits
of the dead 'crossing over'.
She begs to go with him, that she can't
bear to be left alone anymore.
Yuu tells her he understands how she feels,
but that she needs to continue living on.
That as long as she's alive,
he'll live on through her.
As a final gesture,
Yuu absorbs the snake and holly tattoo that
has fully adorned Rei's body,
and crosses over with the other spirits.
Misc Info:
- In the Japanese ending of Fatal Frame III,
Yuu simply absorbs Rei's tattoos.
In the US ending, after absorbing
Rei's tattoos they end up on his skin.
- Yuu tends to get confused with Kei a lot
due to their clothing being very similar.
- Yuu is a direct descendent of Dr. Kunihiko Aso(u),
just like Misao Amakura (Asou) is, however it is unknown
if the two young men know each other or knew of their
connection to the famous occultist.
- Yuu and Rei met at college.
- Many fans believe that the silver ring
that Rei wears on her finger is her engagement ring from Yuu.
- Not only did Yuu have text in
his posession from Dr. Kunihiko Asou,
he also had an account from Seijiro Makabe and his notes,
that was saved by Ryozo Munakuta.
*Mafuyu Hinasaki
Name: Mafuyu Hinasaki
Age: 21
Family: Masato Hinasaki (father),
Miyuki Hinasaki (mother),
Miku (sister).
Occupation: Journalist/Aspiring Novelist
Games: Fatal Frame I & Fatal Frame III
Quote: "I captured a ghost...with THIS camera."
Mafuyu Hinasaki has the honor of being the first
playable character in the Fatal Frame series.
Unfortunately, he is only playable for the
introduction portion of Fatal Frame,
after that, he's simply a secondary character.
Mafuyu Hinasaki is the oldest of two children
from Masato & Miyuki Hinasaki.
After the disappearence (presumed death) of his
father and mother's suicide,
he took care of raising his younger sister Miku.
Like Miku, Mafuyu inherited a sixth sense and was
able to see things that normal people couldn't.
Like his sister, he wasn't vocal about his unique
ability to friends or coworkers.
Mafuyu Hinasaki worked under his
mentor novelist Junsei Takamine.
His fellow coworker was Kei Amakura.
Both were good friends with Yuu Aso,
an aspiring folklorist.
Mafuyu and Yuu were such good friends,
that Mafuyu asked Yuu should anything
happen to him, that his friend take
care of his younger sister Miku.
On August 20th, Junsei Takamine, his editor Koji Ogata,
and Junsei's psychic assistant Tomoe Hirasaka
traveled to the Himuro Mansion for research
on Takamine's latest novel.
After no word from the group for a month,
Mafuyu went in search of Takamine and the others.
With him, he took his mother's camera.
It's unsure if Mafuyu actually knew the camera would
come in handy or knew its unique properties.
When Mafuyu entered the mansion,
he began to retrace the steps of Takamine & the others,
while taking notes.
The first ghost he encountered was the Bound Man.
At one point Mafuyu tried to escape the mansion and was
captured by the cursed rope shrine maiden Kirie Himuro.
Kirie was under the impression that
Mafuyu was her long lost lover,
who had been killed since Mafuyu bore a
stricking resemblence to the young man.
Mafuyu is eventually rescued by his younger sister Miku,
however Mafuyu makes the choice to stay with Kirie,
so she isn't lonely
and to make sure she doesn't fail at her duty again.
As Miku escapes the Himuro Mansion,
Mafuyu and Kirie are buried in the underground caverns.
Mafuyu does make an appearance in
Fatal Frame III as an apparition which
Miku chases before slipping into a deep coma as
result of the Tattoo Maiden's curse. Some fans argue this most
likely isn't the real Mafuyu, and just
the House of Sleep's cruel
trick to ensnare those under its curse.
Mafuyu is also seen on a photograph on Miku's desk,
and mentioned in Kei & Yuu's notes/letters.
While neither friend outright says Mafuyu is dead,
both say that he has been missing
or 'lost' and Kei even suggests that
Mafuyu might be one of many
people who have been 'spirited away'.
('Just like Junsei Takamine.')
*Author's Note:
This biography follows the original
Fatal Frame Ending which is
considered the 'true' ending
in the series continuity.
In the other two endings,
Mafuyu leaves with Miku and
escapes the mansion as well.
For the alternative versions
of what happened to
Miku & her brother,
check out the FF Endings section
at www.cameraslens.com
Other Family Relations:
Mafuyu Hinasaki
can actually trace his family
tree all the way back to the
Kurosawa family of Minakami village.
Here are the known characters of
her extended family
mentioned in the series.
Mikoto Munakata (grandmother),
Ryozo Munakata (great-grandfather),
Yae Munakata/Kurosawa (great-grandmother),
Sae Kurosawa (great-aunt),
Ryokan Kurosawa (great-great grandfather),
Ryokan's brother (great-great uncle)
& Mr. Hinasaki (exact relation unknown).
Mafuyu Notes #1 - Himuro Mansion Investigation
Himuro Mansion was once that home of a large
landowner that controlled vast areas of land.
They also say that the site held some special
significance that had to do
with Shinto rituals of the region.
(I couldn't find any detailed books about
these Shinto rituals, though.)
The last master of the Himuro family
line massacred his entire household.
Later, another family that tried
to live there disappeared.
Because of incidents like these,
nobody visits the mansion today,
and it lies in ruins.
Maybe that's why there aren't
any accounts of the Shinto rituals,
and why the exact location
of the place isn't recorded anywhere.
September 24th
I've had a bad feeling ever
since I came to this mansion.
I'm leaving notes in this notebook
just in case anything happens to me.
I've got to find Mr. Takamine
and the others fast...
I hope it's not too late!
Mafuyu's Notes #2 - The Mansion's Curse
I must have been passed out.
I'm afraid it's too late
to help Mr. Takamine...
If only I had come sooner!
The spirits in this mansion
are very powerful.
The force behind this
curse must be here somewhere...
And I'm going to start
looking for it right now!
Mafuyu's Notes #3 - The Mansion is Changing
The mansion has started to change.
As far as I can figure out,
the ghosts are trying to pull me into the past.
The spirits are using
their power to make parts of the
mansion revert to
the way they were in the past.
The ghosts of that
era are beginning to stir.
Just what exactly
happened in this mansion anyway?
And just what do the
ghosts want me to do about it?
Mafuyu's Notes #4 - The woman in a white kimono
I felt some especially powerful energy
off of that woman in the white kimono.
I think she's probably the one behind
this mansion's curse.
I have to appease her
spirit somehow, before anyone
else falls victim to this mansion!
I have to find out what exactly is
keeping her drawn back to this world.
And why did she let me go when she had me, I wonder?
Maybe that has something to do with it...
Mafuyu's Notes #5 -
- Ghosts of the women with the gouged-out eyes
It looks like the ghosts of the women
with the gouged-out
eyes react strongly to sounds.
If I'm really quiet,
I can get away without being noticed.
Misc Info
- While Mafuyu does look exactly like Kirie's lover,
there is no evidence that this man is
in any way related to Mafuyu through the Kurosawa,
Munakata, or Hinasaki lines.
- Mafuyu is credited as the 'author' for the Zero Novel.
- Mafuyu wears the same outfit as Naoya,
Yoshino Takigawa's boyfriend in FF3.
*Mio Amakura
Name: Mio Amakura
Age: 15
Family: Shizu Amakura (mother),
Misao Aso(u) (father),
Kei Amakura (uncle),
Mayu Amakura (twin sister)
Occupation: Twin Sister
Games: Fatal Frame II & Fatal Frame III
Quote: Coming soon!
Mio Amakura is the main heroine of
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
and the niece of Kei Amakura,
one of the side characters from
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented.
She's an identical twin to
her sister Mayu, and was born second.
While her spiritual power
isn't as strong as Mayu's,
she still has some spiritual power.
Through her father, Misao Asou,
she and her sister are directly
descended from Dr. Kunihiko Asou.
When Mio & Mayu were little
(around 3-5 years of age)
they lived and played
in the Minakami area.
It was there that
their father, Misao Aso(u),
mysteriously disappeared.
It was also playing in the
forest that Mayu was badly injured.
Mio felt responsible for
this injury, since she was taunting
Mayu saying that if she didn't hurry up,
Mio would leave her behind.
As a result of Mayu
trying to catch Mio,
she tripped and fell
permenantly injuring her leg.
Soon after the disappearance of their father,
their mother Shizu Amakura,
moved the family away from the area.
She simply told the girls their father had died,
although it is more than likely that Shizu
had a very good idea of what
Misao's true fate had become.
Many years later (1988), Mio's mother
fell ill and had to be hospitalized.
Both of the girls fell under the
care of their uncle, Shizu's younger brother,
Kei Amakura.
Around the same time, the girls hear
that their childhood playground is
about to become buried underwater as a result of
a dam being built in the Minakami area.
So the twins decide to visit
the area one more time.
(It is unknown whether Kei
took Mio & Mayu to the Minakami
area himself or they managed
to get themselves there.)
Back once more in the forest,
Mio is reminded of her childhood
memories and guilt from the accident.
She begins to ask Mayu about what happened,
but looks up to see her twin
no longer sitting and enjoying the scenery.
Panicking, Mio looks around
just spotting Mayu wandering off
into the forest after a crimson butterfly.
Mio begins chasing after her sister,
who leads her deeper and deeper
into the forest.
As Mio chases her twin,
she notices that Mayu's form
begins changing in front of her
to a girl in a white kimono.
Mio reaches out to grab her
sister's arm, only to get hit with a
vision of her hands around Mayu's neck.
Releasing her grasp, Mio
finds herself once more alone in the forest.
Hearing voices, Mio follows
them to the sight of another girl in a kimono,
crying at a crooked torii gate.
She keeps repeating over and over again,
'I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry!'.
Before Mio can answer, she spots
a crimson butterfly flutter past her,
and goes past the torii gate
towards the top of the hill.
Mio finally finds her sister
up at the top of a hill (Misono hill),
overlooking a village in the darkness and mist.
Mayu is surrounded by crimson butterflies,
which scatter on Mio's approach.
Before Mio can ask her sister why she ran off,
Mayu simply replies "The lost village...".
Unable to find their way back from wince they came,
Mio and Mayu explore the village, hoping to find help,
shelter, or directions to get back to the forest.
In the back of Mio's mind lingers the story of
'the lost village',
a village that is trapped in endless darkness,
and those who souls who find it, never return.
As the twins explore a nearby house,
Mayu is overcome with a horrible vision
she shares with Mio, and both encounter
the lost soul of a woman,
Miyako Sudo, who up until recently
was searching for her boyfriend,
Masumi Makimura.
It is also at this time Mio discovers
an antique camera tucked
away in one of the rooms,
'The Camera Obscura'.
Becoming frightened,
Mio accidently takes a picture of Miyako's ghost,
and discovers the true potential of the camera.
After fighting back Miyako,
Mio awakens to find herself alone in the room.
Mayu has run off, leaving
only her charm (a magmatama) behind.
Mio begins her quest searching for her sister,
as well as trying to find a way out of this village.
She runs into a boy named Itsuki
who insists on calling Mio 'Yae'.
He admeantly tells Mio she needs
to find 'Sae' and both need to escape.
He offers his help, and gives
Mio vital clues to help find her sister Mayu.
As the night lingers on and on,
Mio finds her sister Mayu,
only to be seperated
from her again by ghosts,
doors, or other strange forces at work.
Each time, Mio is determined
to reunite with her sister,
keeping to her promise that
she won't ever leave Mayu behind again.
As the night goes on,
it is becoming more and more apparent
that the ghosts are trying
to use the twins as part of the
village's crimson ceremony,
and what's worse,
Mayu is possessed by the one of
the former shrine maiden's Sae!
Upon Itsuki's advice,
Mio finds the Hellish Abyss
where the Crimson Ceremony
takes place.
She fights the Kusabi,
the former folklorist
Seijiro Makabe, and exorcises him.
As if under a spell,
she finds herself in the Abyss,
where Mayu is waiting for her.
Mayu lays down on large altar stone,
and puts Mio's hands around her neck.
She tells Mio that they were
born for this purpose,
and they must complete the ritual.
Mayu tells Mio she wants
to be one with her
sister forever,
and this is the only way.
As the ghostly priests
around them strike their staffs,
Mio encloses her hands around
her sister's neck,
and strangles her to death.
Mio releases her grip
on her sister's lifeless body,
speechless at what has just occurred.
A crimson butterfly appears
from her sister's neck,
as the mourners grab
Mayu's lifeless body
and throw it into the abyss.
Mio desperately chases
after the butterfly crying,
as the crimson butterfly
leads her out of the village,
and joins the other thousands
of crimson butterflies in the sky.
Many days later
(actual time not determined,
but within that same year),
Mio is overlooking the new
Minakami Dam where the forest once was.
Now that she is a Remaining,
she has a visible glowing mark
of a crimson butterfly on her throat.
After the events of Minakami
Village (All God's Village),
Mio returns alone to her uncle Kei.
Mayu's disappearance is
immediately investigated,
but Mio seems distant and unable to
express her feelings or tell
anyone what happened.
Due to the area's legend
of the Lost Village,
it is assumed Mayu has
become another 'spirited away.'**
**In the US version
of Fatal Frame III,
there is a serious
translation error involving continuity.
In an ingame article,
it states that both Mayu
and her mother Shizu have disappeared
in the Minakami area.
The Japanese reads
"Mayu Amakura the
daughter of Shizu Amakura"
but was translated as
'Mayu Amakura and Shizu Amakura' instead.
Shizu is very much still alive,
she's just severly hospitalized.
Her hospitalization was also
mentioned in earlier pre-game articles
in Famitsu gaming magazine.
Mio is introduced to
Yuu Aso(u) by her uncle Kei,
and actually stays with
him for a period of time while Kei goes
to personally investigate
Mayu's disappearance.
Kei mentions the visit
in one of his letters.
He apologises to Yuu for
Mio causing him trouble she stayed over.
Upon investigating the Minakami area with Mio,
Kei comes across the Camera Obscura.
Upon seeing the camera,
Mio becomes frightened and very upset.
So upset in fact,
her uncle decides it is better to
send the camera to his
friend Yuu instead of keeping it around.
However, soon after
the camera's discovery,
Mio begins to suffer
from an unusal set of symptoms.
She begins to spend
more and more time sleeping,
and experiencing horrific nightmares.
She tells Kei her dreams,
which cause Kei to suspect that Mio
may be experiencing symptoms
similar to those mentioned in the
'House of Sleep' urban legends.
For Mio, the experience just worsens.
She feels guilty for surviving
from the lost village when Mayu did not.
She is tormented by the thoughts
that she should have stayed with her sister,
that they should have always been together.
As Mio dreams, she finds herself
once again trapped within the lost village,
aimlessly following crimson butterflies.
Searching for Mayu, Mio apologies
again and again for leaving her sister behind.
Unaware that her afflictions have also trapped
her uncle Kei in the House of Sleep as well.
Kei follows after Mio, trying
to get her attention in their dreams,
but Mio never answers him, and
continues to be drawn in
deeper and deeper by the curse.
As her uncle desperately searches
for a cure for both of them,
Mio soon has to be hospitalized,
only waking up for around 3 hours
at a time before falling back asleep.
Kei leaves her at the hospital
and heads for Rei Kurosawa's home,
in hopes that together they can
find a solution to the curse.
Note: This is pretty much where
Mio's story stops currently in the FF series.
It is unknown whether or not
the first ending of Fatal Frame III
is the true ending,
and even if it is, the ending
does not reveal in any way what
Mio's ultimate fate is.
Alternative Endings (FF2):
The Promise Ending - Only
available in the Xbox version of the game,
Mio is able to save Mayu by defeating
Sae and reuniting her with her sister Yae.
She reaches for her sister,
pulling her out of Sae before
Yae and Sae jump into the Hellish Abyss
together to complete the ritual.
Mio & her sister walk out
hand in hand guided by Sae and Yae's
butterfly which joins the others.
Lingering Scent Ending - In this
ending, Mio leaves the village
right before the crimson ritual
is about to start through the Kureha Shrine.
As she escapes through the tunnels,
Sae chases after her and grabs her.
Mio screams, and wakes up,
finding herself all alone in the forest.
The 'Good' PS2 Ending - In this
ending, Mio fights Sae and grabs
Mayu before she falls into the
Abyss along with the ghost.
However, as Mio pulls her sister up,
she is tempted to look down into
the hellish abyss against Itsuki's advice.
Upon looking into it, Mio
is overcome with the horrific images
of the sacrificed spirits.
Mio & Mayu make their
way out of the village.
Many days later, Mio & Mayu
are together overlooking
the completed Minakami Dam.
It is revealed that Mio
is now permenantly
blinded by the abyss,
and Mayu cracks a smile,
now happy that her
sister has to rely on her.
Alternative Ending (FF3):
In the alternative ending to
Fatal Frame III,
Mio finally awakens from her slumber,
freed from the curse and gets over
the disappearance (ie death)
of her sister Mayu.
Mio and Kei visit the
Minakami Dam together and Kei introduces
Mio to Rei Kurosawa and Miku Hinasaki.
Misc Info:
- Mio is the secondborn twin.
However, according to the twin
law practiced in Minakami village,
she is considered the 'older twin'.
- Mio was originally going to be
third character in Fatal Frame III,
but during early production
it was decided her uncle Kei would be a major character instead.
- When wearing her gothic lolita outfit in Fatal Frame II,
Mio has a butterfly tattoo.
- While Mio doesn't visibly appear to have a
tattoo in Fatal Frame III,
she is under the Tattooed Curse and probably has one.
- Mio and her sister Mayu are directly
related to Dr. Aso through their father Misao.
- It is unknown whether or not Mayu or Mio
are related to Yuu Aso or not.
- In the Xbox version of FFII,
Mio wears Kasumi's outfit (DOA)
and Layna's outfit from Deception 3 : Dark Delusion.
*Naoya
Name: Naoya (last name unknown)
Age: Unknown
Family: Yoshino Takigawa (fiance)
Occupation: Unknown
Games: Fatal Frame III
Quote: Not Available
Naoya is Yoshino Takigawa's fiance.
While traveling with Yoshino and her family,
their plane crashed killing everyone
onboard except for Yoshino.
Naoya was among the deceased
and for several days before her rescue,
Yoshino was trapped with his body beside her
(as well as those of her family members.)
All Yoshino had left of Naoya was a
photograph she held onto.
Then, while at the hospital,
Naoya began to appear in Yoshino's
dreams, and she followed him
with her family into the house of sleep.
In the game, Naoya is one of the
'shadows' that is tormenting Yoshino.
Misc Info:
- Naoya's outfit looks a
lot like Mafuyu Hinasaki's outfit.
*Spirits in Detail*
*Amane Kuze
Name: Amane Kuze
Age: (Between 8-11)
Family: Yashuu Kuze (grandmother),
Kyouka Kuze (mother),
Kaname Ototsuki (half brother),
unknown father.
Occupation: Pacifier/Handmaiden (South)
Games: Fatal Frame III
Quote: “Brother’s this way...”
Amane is one of the four Pacifiers
(known as Handmaidens in the US/UK versions)
appointed to serve in the Kuze shrine.
She served under and cared for Reika,
the woman who was to be the tattooed maiden.
Amane is the only one of the pacifiers
was an actual member of the Kuze family.
She was the daughter of Kyouka
and the half sister of Kaname,
Reika’s lover.
Kyouka had an affectionate
relationship with a
visiting folklorist
named Akito Kashiwagi.
However, this produced a
forbidden son, so Kyouka disposed
of the child in a nearby village.
Shortly before this,
Akito disappeared, even though
he had promised Kyouka he
would come back for her.
A few years later,
another man was brought to Kyouka
and this time she bore
a daughter from him,
who was Amane.
Identical to all the other pacifiers,
Amane wore a priestess attire of white and red.
She is easy to identify because her
hair is tied up in braided pig tails.
However, unlike the other pacifiers,
she isn't armed with a stake and a hammer.
Most of the time Amane helps by showing
the way and leaving clues.
Amane is by some means the
kindest of the other pacifiers.
In her diary, she talked about how
her mother told her she had a brother,
but her mother told her not to tell anyone.
She also wrote about how she was
happy that she could help diminish Reika’s pain.
It also seems that she cares about Reika.
It is also safe to assume that
both of them converse a lot.
She also wants to help Reika and Kaname,
who were lovers,
meet again although it was forbidden.
On the day of the ceremony,
Amane helped and snuck her brother,
Kaname into the shrine.
Her deeds were found out and
the Kuze family mistress,
her grandmother, was furious.
As a punishment,
Amane was impaled by the other pacifiers
at the bottom of the shrine.
When Miku Hinasaki becomes
trapped by the curse,
Amane’s ghost sympathizes
with her and aids
her in unraveling the
mystery of the house of sleep.
It's speculated Aname
is sympathetic towards Miku
specifically because both of them
are looking for/have lost their brothers.
Misc Info:
- Amane is the only pacifier that
is a blood member of the Kuze household
- She was the first pacifier to be chosen.
- Amane was the first pacifier to die,
she was impaled by the others
at the bottom of the abyss.
- While Amane is the little sister
of Kaname Ototsuki,
they have different fathers.
- A sidestory focusing on Amane &
the other pacifiers is mentioned
in the Zero 3 Comic Anthology
At the beginning of the story, Aname is already a handmaiden
and is set apart from the other pacifiers.
-In-game, she appears in short
scenes guiding the characters.
Some of the rooms she appear in are as follow:
The Tattoo Altar, The Himuro Entrance,
The Rope Hallway,
and several others.
*Hisame Kuze
Name: Hisame Kuze
Age: (Between 8-11)
Family: Real family unknown
Occupation: Pacifier/Handmaiden (North)
Games: Fatal Frame III
Quote: "You can’t get away… I won’t let you!"
Hisame is one of the four chosen Pacifiers
(known as Handmaidens in the US/UK versions)
to serve in the Kuze shrine.
Hisame's original surname was not Kuze,
however when she went into service for the
shrine she was given the adopted surname of Kuze.
Though Hisame is a part of the
story line of Fatal Frame 3,
not much is known about her.
It is known that she had a duty of
‘pacifying’ the priestess’
sleep in the Tattoo Ritual of Fatal Frame 3.
The pacifiers carry out the duty of singing the
“Sleeping Priestess Song” and
impaling the priestess in the Chamber of Thorns.
Just like all the other pacifiers,
Hisame wore a priestess attire of white and red.
As a ghost she also brings a stake and a hammer
(which she also uses for her duty as a pacifier).
She has long Japanese style hair that flows down
(approximately) to her waist.
Hisame is the oldest of the four pacifiers Amane,
Shigure and Minamo.
She is also the most dutiful of the four
(and also possibly the most brutal).
It is also safe to assume that
the Kuze family mistress trusts
her most because there was a scene in the game
when the family mistress spoke
to her behind the veil and also
because she was the one
chosen to carry out the ‘rest of the duty’.
*Hisame's final duty
The duty Hisame was chosen to do was as follow;
after the failure of the Tattoo Ritual,
the rift broke free and the whole Kuze
house suffered of it.
The Sacrificial Pillars rite was
also done and was unsuccessful.
The Kuze family mistress told her
to impale the rest of the pacifiers.
Amane had previously been impaled
because she led a man to the shrine,
which was forbidden.
After the ritual, Hisame impaled
Minamo and Shigure too.
After that, in her diary it
was written that she had a
‘peaceful sleep’.
In the Kuze family mistress’
diary it was also written that
Hisame liked the silence of the manor.
Misc Info
- Hisame is the oldest of the pacifiers.
- Hisame was also the last chosen.
- It is unknown how Hisame
died since it was only described
in her diary that she will sleep forever.
Most probably she died because of the rift.
- She can be found in game in these rooms:
Doll Altar North, Round Window Foyer,
Projection Room and other random places.
- In one of Rei Kurosawa's flashback sequences,
Rei is surrounded by four
girls who all look like Hisame.
- A sidestory concerning Hisame & the other pacifiers
is mentioned in the Zero 3 Comic Anthology
In the story, she wears a kimono with a butterfly design.
09. In-Game Tapes
*Tape “Manor of Sleep: A”
In my dream I saw… my mother…
in that manor.
Inside… there was an old shrine…
It was cold… snow was falling…
I could hear a song…
There were so many
people going into the shrine.
It was like a… funeral procession…
I could smell incense burning…
Everyone was hiding their faces…
My mother was among them.
No matter how many times I called her…
she kept going… further and further…
And just before the door shuts.
It was like I was going to
be left all alone…
I saw it… everyday…
…I went in just a little bit…
If I went any further
I wouldn’t be able to come back…
But… I thought I could meet my mother…
In there…
*Tape “Manor of Sleep: B”
Yes… that dream…
I dreamt of the manor…
Yes…
Yes… My name is… Serizawa…
It’s the same manor.
It’s a big… and quiet manor.
It was a very cold night.
It was snowing, and then…
The roof collapsed…
And the snow started coming in…
…a song?
It sounds like some sort of…
Nursemaid’s song…
…the child kept
stabbing at the doll…
When I… come to?…
It always hurt…
There was always pain…
Here, can’t you see it…?
Look… it’s right here…
It’s true!
It kept spreading…
(The woman starts screaming in
agony and the recording ends.)
*Tape “The Same Dream 1”
Huh…?
How many times do
I have to explain it…?
It was a manor…
and it was snowing…
There was blood.
Lots of people lay
collapsed all over.
In the hallway.
In the room.
Everywhere.
Yes, it was a man
on white clothes…
But he had no face…
there was a hatchet…
And blood… on the walls…
I always ran as hard
as I could…
So far…
Lots of hands came
out of the walls…
…But, when I came to,
somehow I was the one
chasing the man…
That’s right…
…that woman…
Yesterday, she touched me.
…it was painfully cold…
Even when I woke up,
my body was like ice.
This tattoo…
*Tape “The Same Dream 2”
Yes…
I don’t want to sleep…
Ever again…
There were a lot of
people in the courtyard.
The people…
they were tying this person up with ropes…
and wrapped them in white cloth.
They were burying…
But it looked like the
one being tied up
seemed to be doing
it voluntarily.
Afterwards, they
put a big rock on them…
A big log…
like a skewer…
There’s a song…
It’s coming from
inside the manor…
Children are singing…
and laughing…
At first…?
At first…
I saw my wife…
I just wanted to see her…
one more time…
I went inside…
So tired now…
So… So… tired…
This snow…
*Tape “The Same Dream 3”
I can hear it.
I can’t make out
what they’re saying,
but I can hear something…
It’s the same dream…
Wait, no it’s not the same.
It’s different somehow.
I’m going further in.
They are calling me.
I can hear their voices.
No, I can’t tell…
what they’re saying.
They’re just calling me…
It’s snowing.
There’s a big, quiet manor.
It seems like there’s a funeral…
Everyone’s face is hidden…
I’m going in deeper and deeper…
It’s almost suffocating.
I can’t breathe.
I didn’t do anything…
She did it…
no…
it can’t be…
Help…
it’s not me…
Not my…
(he can’t breathe anymore.
tape ends.)
*Old Tape “Ototsuki”
Yes, I’m Kaname.
Kaname Ototsuki.
…snow was falling,
there was a big manor,
and inside it there
was an old shrine.
I could hear singing…
She’s in there…
Reika is there…
No, further in…
It was much deeper…
darker…
like somewhere under water…
No…
I’m talking about my dream.
But it was a very
vivid dream.
It was lifelike.
I’ve heard there
was a place like this
in the village
where I was found…
A place where you
can meet the dead.
Like a rift…
to the other side…
There is a shrine there…
where you can offer up your pain…
Huh?
Yes…
that’s right.
Kuze.
The Kuze Shrine.
There, Reika accepted…
the tattoos…
the pain…
and in the end…
I must go back…
to the manor…
I’ve got to see Reika…
If I seer her…
I don’t know what I’ll do…
But if I don’t go…
she will…
*Old tape “Sleeping Priestess”
Sleep, Priestess, lie in peace.
Sleep, Priestess, lie in peace.
If you cry, The boat you’ll ride.
the last trip to the other side.
Once you get there,
Sacred marks you’ll bear.
They shall be peeled off
If you fail to lie still.
Sleep, Priestess, lie in peace.
Sleep, Priestess, lie in peace.
If the Priestess
wakes from her dream
Perform the rite of stakes,
her limbs pinned tight.
Lest the doors open wide
and suffering unleashed on all.
Go to the other side.
Go to the other side.
Cast the boat. Take a ride.
Cross the rift, to the other side.
Further, and
further to the other side.
It must sail bearing your tattoos.
And our offering of tears.
10. Fan Theories
(Still under construction.
E-mail me if you want
me to post your theories ^^)
*Kei is the reincarnation of Akito Kashiwagi.*
Like any characters that
look similar in the fatal frame series,
there is always the theory of reincarnation,
espeically since Akito himself was a folklorist
and Kei is interested in it.
*Mafuyu is the reincarnation of Kirie's lover*.
The real motivation behind
this theory is because of Mafuyu's
and the Unknown Lover's
obvious resemblence to one another.
There is no evidence that the two
are related by blood,
but fans like to speculate that Mafuyu
is the reincarnation of the lover.
The only evidence that might
say otherwise is
the xbox ending of Fatal Frame.
As Mafuyu and Miku escape
the crumbling building,
Kirie is reunited with
the soul of her dead lover.
