Postmortem Photography

Postmortem Photography (弔写真) is the practice of photographing the dead, used as a source of comfort for bereaved family members across the world during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Often, families couldn't afford or had no photographs taken of their loved ones alive, so postmortem photography allowed them to preserve those they lost with a precious keepsake.

Fatal Frame V

Much of the story and customs in Fatal Frame V make use of the practice, exploring the Eastern superstition that photographs can capture the soul. Kunihiko Asou, inspired by images of the dead, set out to create a device that could expose "what we can't see" and, after developing a suitable prototype, began taking postmortem photographs of his own. While on his travels, he found the people in areas around Mount Hikami to be particularly grateful for the custom, likening it to the "Pillars". Word reached of his services to the sect living on the mountain, and he was summoned to photograph the next Great Pillar, an act thought to preserve the maiden's soul as a votive picture for her Ghost Marriage.

It is likely this is where the tradition of postmortem photography stemmed from throughout the Mikomori Region.

After his death, Dr. Asou's photographs caught the attention of a folklorist, Keiji Watarai, who noted their distinct beauty compared to their Western counterparts. Befriending the owner of Ichiru Manor at the foot of Mt. Hikami, the two collected Asou's work from neighbouring areas, compiling them together in a photo album. The album would later be the only trace of Watarai after his disappearance, found abandoned by the inn owner on the mountain, who also disappeared soon after. The album was inherited by the inn owner's son, who too noted the album's beauty before destroying the inn, leaving its location unknown.

The images would only be rediscovered at the request of a writer, Ren Hojo, as part of his research for an unfinished manuscript. Upon viewing them, Ren is similarly bewitched by a particular photo, and can use it as a votive picture to summon his chosen bride in two of his endings.

Use as Tokens

Whilst containing a part of her soul, the photograph of Ose Kurosawa directly summoned numerous Outsiders as her bridegrooms for Ghost Marriage, which may have inspired local folktales in the area. Known men to be effected:

• Kunihiko Asou
• Keiji Watarai
• Mr. Harakawa
• Tomoki Harakawa
• Kazuya Sakaki
• Ren Hojo

Photographs of the living were also used throughout the game to find lost people on the mountain through the practice of Shadow Reading.

Misc. Info

• The negative effects of viewing postmortem photography taken with the Camera Obscura aren't unlike the exposure side effects of the camera itself.