Mount Hikami
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Mount Hikami, known as "the mountain crowned with the sun" and "the mountain of the sun god", is the setting of Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water.
Background
Religious Site
For much of its history, Mount Hikami was the site of religious devotions, based in the worship of mountains, but syncretising with multiple other religions as it took shape.[1] The water on the mountain became an object of worship; the mountain was seen as an organism, with the water flowing through it like blood. It was associated with rebirth, since it was believed that "people are born from, and then return to, the water". To die in the water of Mount Hikami was considered a proper death, and even suicide lost its stigma. The shrine maidens on the mountain had the ability to glance into the souls of the dying, taking on their memories and regrets so that they would not die alone.
Maintaining the purity of the mountain's water was an important concern of the shrine maidens, as Mount Hikami acted as a barrier between the world of the living and the Netherworld. If the Black Water overflowed from the Shadowspring, the mountain would become Tainted and the souls of the dead would be transformed into twisted, malevolent beings, constantly reliving the pain of their last moments. In order to keep this from happening, shrine maidens who had Glanced many souls were placed in special black boxes and sunk in the water. It was believed that in the boxes, they would become Immortal Flowers, untouched by time, serving as Pillars to strengthen and preserve the mountain. When the mountain rumbled, it was a sign that more Pillars were needed, and girls from all over the Mikomori Region would be summoned as sacrifices. To make the strongest Pillars last even longer, Ghost Marriages would take place, wedding a dead shrine maiden to a living man, who would keep her company in her box and lessen her suffering.
Additionally, a sacred flame, maintained by a group of priests known as Flamekeepers, was used to light hundreds of lanterns in the Shrine of the Ephemeral near the mountain's summit. As the water passed through the shrine on its way down the mountain, the light of the Forbidden Flame would purify it.
Another practice on the mountain involved offering and enshrining dolls in the place of people who had died, especially children. Two shrines on the mountain were dedicated to this purpose.
Massacre and Downfall
Sometime in the 19th century, a man named Kyozo Kururugi came to the mountain and slaughtered many of the shrine maidens. This inadvertently brought about the failure of a ritual to create a new Great Pillar, and the Black Water overflowed. While the mountain still had enough Pillars to serve as a barrier, it became known as a cursed place, where ghosts could be seen walking the forest, and visitors were sometimes spirited away. The ghosts continued to perform the necessary rituals; local girls were still lured to become sacrifices, men were summoned to be joined in Ghost Marriages, and visitors might find themselves influenced by ghosts to re-enact previous suicides.
Attempted Tourist Revival
Sometime prior to the events of Fatal Frame V, an attempt was made to restore the mountain to its former state and add new conveniences for tourists, such as a cable car and a modern road with a tunnel. The Shrine of Dolls and Shrine of the Ephemeral were rebuilt and repaired. However, the construction of the tunnel was plagued by misfortune, including a flood that caused the deaths of many workers.[2] Finally a devastating landslide forced an end to the effort.[3] The mountain was abandoned again.
Apart from the fencing off of the Unfathomable Forest, little was done to stop people entering, and the police were reluctant to investigate disappearances. The mountain remained an infamous suicide spot, and urban legends about its supernatural history proliferated, making it a popular destination for paranormal enthusiasts.
Locations
- Black Lake
- Forbidden Valley
- Hall of Flame Preservation
- Hikami Tunnel
- House of Joining
- Kurosawa Antiques Shop
- Lake of the Departed
- Mikomori Pond
- Mikomori Hot Springs
- Mount Hikami Cable Car
- Pool of Purification
- Shrine of Dolls
- Shrine of the Ephemeral
- Shrine on the Water
- Twilit Peak
- Unfathomable Forest
- Watarai Residence
- Womb Cavern
Inspirations
Mt. Hikami was designed as an "amalgamation of various supposedly-haunted spots and hallowed grounds across Japan",[4] using the motif of water to give a coherent sense of place.[5] Some of the locations which served as inspiration are:
- Aokigahara - Unfathomable Forest
- Hashigui-Iwa - the Shadowspring
- Hitoana - Womb Cavern
- Inunaki Tunnel - Hikami Tunnel
- Itsukushima Shrine - Shrine on the Water
- Mount Osore - Twilit Peak and Lake of the Departed
- Oiran Buchi - Pool of Purification
- Okunoin Temple, Mount Koya - Shrine of the Ephemeral and Forbidden Valley
Map
A interactive map of the mountain, showing most of the major locations, was uploaded to the game's official website on 26 September 2014.
References
- ↑ BCL topic: July 17 livestream topic
- ↑ Cave-in Record, Fatal Frame V
- ↑ Mt. Hikami's Downfall, Fatal Frame V
- ↑ The Setting, Fatal Frame V Limited Edition Art Book, 2015
- ↑ 『零 ～濡鴉ノ巫女～』対談。『呪怨』の清水監督とともにホラーを語る。柴田Dの心霊体験から数多くのシステムが誕生!?, Famitsu, 23 October 2021. (Japanese)