Moon Shrine
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The Moon Shrine is the small Shinto shrine located in the Cherry Atrium of Himuro Mansion. It was built to serve as a shrine to the Rope Shrine Maidens that were sacrificed in the Strangling Ritual.[1] In order to unlock the Moon Shrine you will need to obtain the Teal Carving.
In the center of the Moon Shrine lies a cabinet. This cabinet covers the entrance to an empty well below it. This well is also known as the Moon Well. To access the Moon Well, the cabinet first had to be displaced. The bottom of the well was then accessed through use of a ladder.
The back wall inside of the Moon Well contains the enshrined mummy of the first Rope Shrine Maiden. On the left side of the Moon Well there is a door. This door opens to a path called the Hell Bridge which leads to the Rope Altar. Before anyone could use this doorway, they would have to unlock it by inserting a hairpin into a slot near the mummy.
Ceremonial Importance
The cabinet in the Moon Shrine acts as a trick mechanism that requires a certain routine to be performed. This routine required the symbols carried by the four priests participating in the ceremony to be placed on each of the four sides of the cabinet. After that the Himuro Family Master's seal was placed into the recess of the cabinet that faced the entrance.[2] The cabinet would then move from its place to reveal a ladder and moonlight would shine down into the well.
This routine was performed prior to the Strangling Ritual. The Rope Shrine Maiden would then descend the ladder into the well and purify herself in the moonlight.[1] Next she would unlock the door with the hairpin and then go through the doorway leading to the Hell Bridge. Only the Rope Shrine Maiden was allowed to use this path.[1] The rest of the Himuro family was required to enter using the path leading from the Demon Mouth.
Ghosts Encountered
- Kirie Himuro - chases Miku during a cutscene.
- White Kimono - saves Miku from Kirie during a cutscene.