Mikomori Hot Springs
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Mikomori Hot Springs is a location in Fatal Frame V. It is the site of an inn called Ichiru Manor. Natural hot springs, known as onsen, make popular sites for inns and public bathhouses in Japan.
History
Originally, the building on the site was a shrine known as the Grove of Shrine Maidens.[1] Anyone wishing to ascend the mountain had to pass through the grove, and the maidens would only permit the dying to enter.[2]
After the downfall of Mt. Hikami, it lay empty for a while, but was refurbished during the attempted tourist revival, and a new section was added to the old building. When the old innkeeper vanished mysteriously, his son took over the inn, and lived there with his family. However, a devastating landslide buried the old part of the building. The landslide affected a swathe of the mountain and claimed many lives, including the innkeeper's family.
The innkeeper moved to the third floor[3] and continued to live in the ruined inn for a time, grieving for his losses.[4] Eventually he set a fire that gutted part the building, then committed suicide from the third floor balcony. Uninhabited, the inn fell into a ruinous condition. Rumours that the innkeeper's ghost has been seen there have made the inn a famous ghost spot.[5]
Fatal Frame V
Hisoka Kurosawa and Yuri Kozukata visit Ichiru Manor to fetch an album of post-mortem photographs that Ren Hojo is interested in. Later, Ren goes to explore the location himself, and his assistant Rui has a brush with death when a ghost attempts to make her hang herself.
Misc. Info
- In spite of the name, there are no hot springs visible in this area during Fatal Frame V. It is possible they once existed but were buried or diverted by the landslide.
- The old and new sections of the building each have their own background music, subtly differentiating between the areas.
- Ichiru Manor appears to be the setting for one of Miu's gravure photoshoots, atlhough it may simply have been a reused environment.
References
- ↑ Messy Note 3, Fatal Frame V
- ↑ Folklorist's Notes 6, Fatal Frame V
- ↑ Rui Kagamiya dialogue, Third Drop: "According to the stories, after the landslide, the owner of the inn moved to the third floor."
- ↑ Messy Note 1, Fatal Frame V
- ↑ Mikomori Hot Springs, Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water Official Website, 2015.