Timeline (FF1)

This timeline covers the events of Fatal Frame and the history of Himuro Mansion. Unlike other games in the series, Fatal Frame frequently mentions specific dates, and several other events in the series can be approximated from references to the interval of time that has passed since Fatal Frame. Nevertheless, some dates are still left vague, and must be left up to guesswork. The timeline is divided into sections based on known significant events.

For a general overview of major events in the series, see Series Timeline.

Early History

An unknown time before the events described in Fatal Frame. The sequence is also unknown.

• First Rope Shrine Maiden participates in the first Strangling Ritual. Her mummified remains are enshrined in the Moon Shrine Well.
• Kizuna Himuro participates in the Strangling Ritual. (Mentioned in Fatal Frame III.)

Forty years before the Calamity (1797?)

These events are described in the Xbox version of Fatal Frame.

• December 13

Tokitada Kyuki tries to stop the Strangling Ritual but is restrained.

The shrine maiden loved by Tokitada Kyuki participates in the Strangling Ritual.

• Unknown date after the ritual

Tokitada Kyuki is ordered to kill himself as punishment.

Ten years before the Calamity (1827?)

November

• November 26

Demon Tag and Blinding Rituals take place.

Kirie is chosen as the next Rope Shrine Maiden, and begins her ten years of isolation.

The Blinded Maiden is also chosen.

December

• December 13

The Former Rope Shrine Maiden participates in the Strangling Ritual.

Year of the Calamity (1837?)

Although official translations list the date of the Calamity as 13 December 1837, the Japanese documents say it took place on the 13th day of the 12th month in the 8th year of Tenpo. Tenpo was a lunisolar calendar in use in Japan between 1830 and 1844, and its months do not align with the Gregorian calendar currently used in most of the world. The 13th of the 12th, Tenpo 8, was 8 January 1838 according to the modern calendar. However, the term of the Rope Shrine Maiden's confinement is exactly ten Gregorian years and nineteen days (allowing for two leap years and the 17 days between the Blinding Ritual and the Strangling Ritual), so it is possible the mention of Tenpo was intended as historical flavour and not meant to be taken literally. Regardless, for the sake of simplicity, this wiki will continue to use the dates given in the official translation.

Unknown dates prior to December 13th

Kirie's meeting with her lover appears to take place in spring, as the cherry tree is shown to be in full bloom, and Kirie mentions him teaching her the names of flowers.

• Kirie's Lover comes to stay as a guest at Himuro Mansion. He meets Kirie in the Cherry Atrium, and the two fall in love. The priests forbid him to see her, and when he attempts to sneak into her room, he is killed on the orders of the family master.
• The priests tell Kirie that the man has gone home, but she guesses the truth after dreaming of him.

November

• November 26

The last Demon Tag and Blinding Rituals take place.

December

• December 12

Kirie is visited in her dreams by Tokitada Kyuki, who urges her to break the Holy Mirror.

• December 13

Kirie Himuro's Strangling Ritual fails, causing the Calamity.

The Himuro Family Master is driven insane by the Malice and slaughters survivors.

1347 people lose their lives.

Himuro Mansion is abandoned.

After the Calamity

These events take place late in the lifetime of Dr. Kunihiko Asou, so presumably during the mid-to-late Meiji Period (1868-1912).

• Dr. Kunihiko Asou hears about the Holy Mirror and writes in his diary that he plans to visit Himuro Mansion. While he is there, he finds a piece of the Holy Mirror and uses it to complete the Camera Obscura, but vanishes under unknown circumstances and is never seen again. The Camera remains in Himuro Mansion.

Munakata Residence

The exact year is unknown, but these events probably take place early in the 20th century. Prior to the release of Fatal Frame II, some promotional material stated that its story was set 30 years before the events of Fatal Frame. (See Timeline (FF2) for more information.) The events of Fatal Frame III later showed that this could not be referring to Mio and Mayu Amakura, so it may have been referring to Ryozo and Yae Munakata, who appear as teenagers during Fatal Frame II and adults during Fatal Frame. As the events that destroyed Minakami Village took place in the years after the Twin Law of 1874, we can say that the Munakata family could not have moved into Himuro Mansion before 1905, and most likely arrived a few years later.

Prior to moving in

• Ryozo Munakata visits the Himuro area and writes about the Rope Priestess rituals.

May

• May 20

The Munakata family moves into Himuro Mansion. Ryozo is glad that he will be able to continue his work while staying close to Yae. Mikoto has already made friends in the area.

• May 20th - June 2nd

Ryozo finds documents left by the Himuro Family Master.

June

• Unknown date in June

Mikoto turns seven, the same age at which shrine maidens were selected for the Himuro family's rituals.

• June 2

Ryozo writes in his diary about his research, devices in the mansion, and hidden rooms.

• June 5

Ryozo writes about having difficulty with talking to the locals about the history of the mansion.

• June 10

Yae writes in her diary about Mikoto playing Demon Tag with her friends in the big mansion.

• June 13

White Kimono gives Mikoto a Camera Obscura. Mikoto shows it to her father.

• June 14

Ryozo examines the camera but doesn't think much of it.

• June 15

Yae is feeling much better. The Munakata family take a walk in the mountains, and Yae starts taking pictures with the camera.

• June 15-18th

Yae continues to take pictures with the camera all over the entire mansion, mumbling, "I see them."

Yae starts to feel ill.

• June 18

Yae realizes the camera Mikoto found takes pictures of things that aren't there.

Mikoto wants the camera back, but Yae refuses; she is worried something terrible will happen and wishes to protect her daughter.

• June 19

Yae is very ill and put in bed.

---

There are conflicting notes concerning the following dates. According to Yae's diary, the disappearance of the children occurred on June 24th. According to a news clipping, their disappearance occurred on the 3rd (presumably of July, though the month isn't stated). There is also mention of Yae and Ryozo disappearing the day after Mikoto's disappearance, but Yae makes a diary entry on June 27th. While the exact dates are unclear, these events did occur between June 24th and July 6th.

---

• June 24

Mikoto's friends are taken by Long Arms. Mikoto disappears as well, taking the camera with her. Yae is distraught.

• June 27

Yae writes in her diary that she can see the ghosts without the camera now.

• Unknown date after June 27

Yae commits suicide.

Ryozo opens the Demon Mouth and is killed by Kirie.

July

• July 3

Mikoto's friends fail to return home after 9pm, and the police are contacted.

• July 6

Mikoto Munakata is found by a local man. She has no memory of what happened.

• Unknown date

Mikoto is adopted by Mr. Hinasaki, a friend of Ryozo's.

Mid-20th Century

During this period, Himuro Mansion fell into disrepair, and began to gain a sinister reputation. Visitors to the mansion reported ghostly figures and mysterious voices; some of these legends were recorded by an unnamed person who wrote a report of their investigation. In the 1970s, a dismembered corpse was found in the mountains nearby. Local residents continued to be wary of the house, closing their windows on the date of the old ritual, and warning travellers not to go there.

Meanwhile, Mikoto Munakata grew up and had a daughter, Miyuki. Miyuki studied archaeology under Masato Hinasaki, and used her mother's old camera to aid in his work. Miyuki and Masato married and had two children, Mafuyu and Miku, but Masato spent little time with his family, and died on a research trip when his children were still very young.

Miyuki raised Miku and Mafuyu alone, but she finally fell victim to the power of the camera, as her grandmother Yae had done. By that time, Mikoto had also died. With no other family to look after them, Mafuyu took care of Miku, and she came to depend on him.

1986 - Events of Fatal Frame

Unknown month

Another mutilated body is found in the Himuro Mountain region.

July

• July 24

Junsei Takamine writes in his journal about Himuro Mansion.

August

• Unknown date

Earthquakes destroy all five holy mirrors used in the Five Gods Festival. Junsei Takamine reads about the incident, and it gives him an idea for a new novel.

• August 20

Tomoe Hirasaka writes in her diary about Ryozo Munakata's research about rituals at Himuro.

Koji Ogata writes about Ryozo Munakata's book on Himuro Mansion's rituals.

• August 22

Koji continues to investigate Ryozo Munakata. He cannot find the book, but does discover a news clipping about the disappearance of the Munakata family.

• August 27

Tomoe writes that she has a bad feeling about the Himuro Mansion assignment, but will still work on the project for the chance to work with Mr. Takamine.

• August 30

Tomoe still cannot find the book containing Ryozo's research.

September

• September 8

Junsei Takamine makes a phone call to his publishers regarding his research trip.

• September 9

5:40pm

Takamine and his group have to ask locals for directions to the Himuro Mansion. The group are warned not to go further.

9:40pm

The group decide to spend the night at Himuro Mansion. Koji sees a white shadowy figure of a woman in the Rope Hallway.

Tomoe takes a picture of Koji, and ropes appear in the photograph.

• September 10

10:20am

Group discover old photographs showing Mikoto and her friends, including a young girl in a white kimono.

11:00am

Koji Ogata mentions that the earthquakes and unsolved murders are somehow connected with Himuro Mansion.

1:10pm

Koji makes a note about the numbers/symbols on door devices found within the mansion.

4:00pm

The entrance door to Himuro Mansion is broken and will not open.

8:00pm

Tomoe sees Kirie in front of the mirror in the Rope Hallway.

• September 11

6:30am

Tomoe sees Kirie again, and learns her name.

Unknown time

Koji notes that he has been feeling unwell ever since Tomoe took his picture.

8:16pm

Koji becomes separated from the group. Junsei and Tomoe search the mansion, but cannot find him.

• September 12

Before 9:00am

Koji Ogata notices more rope marks appearing on his body. Soon afterwards, Kirie appears and pursues him. Koji attempts to hide in a closet in the Library, but Kirie kills him.

9:00am

Tomoe discovers Koji's body; his hands and limbs are severed like the murdered bodies.

1:45pm

Tomoe senses children playing in the mansion.

3:20pm

Takamine sees Kirie for the first time.

4:30pm

Tomoe encounters the heads of the Himuro Family Master's victims. She says they were trying to tell her something.

• September 13

9:30am

Junsei Takamine writes about finding Koji's rope-marked body.

12:10pm

Tomoe starts acting strangely, mumbling about ropes and mirrors.

Tomoe and Takamine become separated. Tomoe wanders the mansion in a daze, tormented by the howling of the spirits. At last she ends up in the Abyss, where Kirie kills. Takamine arrives in time to witness her death, but Kirie leaves him alive.

• September 14

10:00am

Takamine notes that Kirie looks just like the Rope Shrine Maidens in folklore.

8:00pm

Takamine makes a note about the five pieces of the Holy Mirror, used to seal off the Hell Gate.

• Between September 14th - 15th

Takamine notices that rope marks are beginning to appear on his photograph.

• September 15

Takamine heads for the Narukami Shrine, hoping to find the Holy Mirror and lift the curse. Before he can obtain the last Buddha Statue and retrieve the mirror piece, Kirie catches up with him and he, too, is killed.

• September 22

A newspaper article is published concerning Junsei Takamine's disappearance.

• September 24

Mafuyu Hinasaki arrives at Himuro Mansion in search of his mentor.

Soon after arriving, Mafuyu encounters Kirie in the Rope Hallway. Struck by his resemblance to her dead beloved, she does not curse him, but keeps him with her in the mansion.

October

• October 3

When Mafuyu fails to return, Miku Hinasaki goes to Himuro Mansion in search of him.

Miku runs into White Kimono, who points the way.

Miku finds her mother's camera, which Mafuyu dropped in the Rope Hallway. She uses it to protect herself from ghosts and progress through the mansion.

Miku learns the fates of Junsei Takamine, Koji Ogata and Tomoe Hirasaka, and finds the first mirror piece.

Kirie attacks and grabs Miku.

• October 4

Miku wakes up in the Doll Room, noticing rope marks on her wrists.

One of the child ghosts steals her mirror piece.

Miku meets the Blinded Maiden, and learns about the Blinding and Demon Tag rituals.

Miku learns about the disappearance of Mikoto Munakata and her friends.

Miku retrieves the stolen mirror piece.

Miku learns the fates of Ryozo and Yae Munakata.

Miku fights the Blinded Maiden and gains access to the Demon Mouth.

Kirie finds Miku and catches her again, leaving behind more rope marks on her ankles.

• October 5

Miku wakes up in the Banned Path, and sees a mirror piece lying on the ground.

Miku encounters and fights the Himuro Family Master, learning of the slaughter that followed the Calamity.

Miku gains access to the Moon Shrine and Moon Well, coming face to face with the mummified corpse of the first Rope Shrine Maiden.

Miku discovers another mirror piece.

Kirie comes after Miku to complete the curse, but White Kimono intervenes and saves Miku just in time.

• October 6

Miku wakes up in the Koto Room.

Miku discovers Kirie's prison and learns about Kirie's past, her connection with White Kimono, and the man she loved, who looks exactly like Mafuyu.

Miku finds another mirror piece in Kirie's room.

Armed with four pieces of the Holy Mirror, Miku makes her way to the Rope Altar where the Strangling Ritual was carried out. She finds a note from Mafuyu, revealing that their grandmother Mikoto was the folklorist's daughter, and the camera handed down in their family is connected to Himuro Mansion's curse.

At the Hell Gate, she battles Kirie and defeats her. The camera breaks, revealing the final piece of the mirror.

Miku uses the Holy Mirror on Kirie to purify her of the Malice. Kirie fulfils her duty as the Rope Shrine Maiden, and Mafuyu stays behind to comfort her.

Miku escapes Himuro Mansion, and the restless spirits are freed.

Aftermath

See Timeline (FF3) for Miku's time living with Rei Kurosawa and Yuu Asou.