It's been two weeks since I last heard from my brother, but he left a note that led me to this place. I felt as though something was calling me here...

Miku, innocent college girl and misunderstood medium, has come to Himuro Mansion in search of her missing brother. On entering, she gets flashes of mental images.

My brother was here!

Confused and afraid, her heart beats hard in her chest. Suddenly she freezes, sensing the presence of the woman in white behind her. On turning, she sees nothing there.

Did... someone just...?

Entrance

Mafuyu still has the camera, so Miku is armed with just a torch. The front door is being held closed by a mysterious force, so your only choice is onward into the mansion. Take the Herbal Medicine from where the film was earlier, and save. Opening the door to the Rope Hallway summons a spirit near the save camera. If this is Miku's second time through the mansion, turn to photograph ManAtPartition. Approach him to hear Junsei's editor, Ogata.

The ropes... There are more ropes now...

When he disappears, collect Editor Ogata's Notes 4 to record his delirious rantings in your file.

Rope Hallway

The Camera is lying at the end of the hallway, where Mafuyu must have dropped it last time we saw him. On picking it up, Miku has a vision of her brother running down the hallway, infested with reaching arms, before being caught by the white woman.

Did... did something happen to my brother?

Miku sees the reflection of the woman behind her, but only for a brief moment. Once all is quiet, she collects the camera and a variety of notes for her file. Quickly head back down the hallway a little way to photograph the Man On A Beam. Read the notes to fill in some Correlation details.

Fireplace

There's some medicine among the antiques now, but be prepared for another quick snap once you've collected it. Your Bro's Shadow will climb the stairs as you approach. Collect the Type-14 film from the bottom of the broken staircase, and follow your bro.

Unusual sounds emenate from behind the locked door, but there's nothing you can do about that now. Cross over to the top of the broken stairs to find more medicine and another ghost, Hallway Man. He will appear on the ground floor, requiring you to aim down. Return to the ground floor, but descend the stairs very, very slowly. On about the third or fourth step, the filament will light and you'll have a brief moment to turn and capture the Man At Screen for lots of bonus points.

Near the antiques are a news clipping about Holy Mirrors, and Novelist Takamine's Notes 1, about his next work. Approach the screen into which the man disappeared, and Miku will become aware that she is being watched by a woman in white... Fortunately, this appears to be a different woman, a shorter one who silently indicates the camera and then the screen.

Sh-should I take a photo?

But she is gone. Take a picture of the screen, and notice that it swims faintly in the viewfinder. Once the photo develops, you'll see that the screen has been replaced by a door. Push it to one side to reveal that the camera never lies.

Lamp Hallyway

Some of the votive lamps in this hall are lit, and some are not. Don't worry why, and instead listen to Ogata's spirit.

I can't find the key... Where is it?

The cupboard at the end is being held shut, but there's some medicine in the little alcove to its right. Head through the only open door to the Library.

Library

An undated news clipping tells of a mutilated body found in the area, and links it to a similar body found 15 years previously. Be careful not to let that distract you from the Wandering Man heading towards the partition. Head to the window to find some Type-37 Film, the photographic equivalent of shotgun shells.

An unusual, distorted voice leads you to the closet in the corner. Slide open the door to find a rather old dictaphone device, stuck on play. keep your wits about you as you examine it, for the DeadMan's Body will slump over it for a very brief amount of time. Reach for it to have the unfortunate ghost of Ogata recount his final moments, hiding in the cupboard from the (many) hands of the Woman in White. This causes the screen door on the other side of the room to open, but first take White Tape 1 and the all-important Tape Recorder. Listen to the tape to discover that the locals warned the group about going to the mansion...

Kimono Room

The kimono in this room are faded and dusty, but the red linings are still vivid. Head south a little until Miku senses another ghost nearby. Turn to look between the hanging kimono and snap the Man at Window now, because there's not enough time to go around. Now collect the herbal medicine near the entrance, and head to the blocked-off corner of the room. The Woman inKimono (1500pts) is behind the obstruction at a difficult angle, but she can be seen with patience. Something about the nearby mirror stand attracts your attention, but is useless for now. Direct your attention instead to the window.

Hey...

Miku's heart skips a beat. Is someone here? She turns to see nothing but the dusty garments hanging in the still air. She turns back to the item under the window, but is again distracted by the creaking of floorboards. There is someone else here, but who? Panic rising, she frantically searches the room, her torch casting distorted shadows on the walls. Rounding the corner, she comes face to face with her pursuer.

Help me...

Editor Ogata advances, crying out for help and ranting about ropes. Miku backtracks to the window and lines him up in her sights. The Editor's ghost is weakened by insanity, and so shouldn't prove difficult to drive. Doing so breaks the seal on the camera, allowing it to be upgraded in exchange for spirit points. White Tape 2 reveals that Ogata thinks he saw an apparition of a woman in white.

On the way back past the mirror stand, take a picture to be shown the ornamental mask from the fireplace. Ogata's ghost further disturbs Miku as she leaves the library, sneaking up on her from behind as she opens the door. Again, he is too weak to be much of a hinderance, but he does have the tactical advantage of a rear attack. On disposing of him for a second time, take the Red Handmirror from the mask and return to the corner of the lamp hallway. The once-sealed door at the end is now open, and the Man in Closet waits for a moment before disappearing. The door closes as she approaches, but can be opened again if she is brave enough to do so.

On opening the door to the library, Miku comes face to face once again with Ogata (Standing Man) for a terrifying half a second, so be sure to have the camera at the ready. His previous encounters have taken their toll, however, and he will fade to nothingness without having the power to attack.

Placing the Red Handmirror in the slot unlocks the drawer, containing a Brass Key and the Editor's Photo. This must be the picture Ogata was rambling about in his reasearch notes; his wrists, and ankles are tied to four ethereal ropes, and a fifth is knotted around his neck. The ends of the ropes are out of the scene, but they clearly hang from some sort of supports. Uncovering this evidence gives the poor man his last lease of life, and he materialises one final time directly behind Miku as Man Behind. This incarnation is the strongest yet, and poses a very real threat to Miku's health and sanity. His teleportation ability is also improved. On being rid of him once and for all, he leaves behind some Spirit Stones for the camera's auxilliary functions.

Fireplace

As Miku returns to the fireplace, a mysterious figure rushes up the staircase to her left. It moves far too fast for a spirit, and unfortunately cannot be captured for further examination. Follow it to the locked door from before, and use the brass key.

Tatami Room

Just to the left of the entrance is an old urn, under which is one of Ryozo Munakata's research documents. It describes an ancient ritual of the Himuro family, one shrouded in secret and legend. All that is known is that as a result of it, the locals consider it bad luck to leave the windows open on December the 13th.

Also in the room is another herbal medicine, near a large screen. Step through the adjacent doors to a balcony Observatory, on which is another medicine. More worrying is the presence of a shadow in the window to the left, a shadow which fades after a moment. Return to the Tatami room to find the window behind a boarded-up screen. It appears to be some sort of library. But who was that in the window? And why has it been sealed so?

Anteroom

The anteroom is to the east, containing a much-needed save camera and some extra Type-17 film. On the drawers are two dolls, one large and one small, and a Red Tape 1. The tape appears to belong to Hirasaka, Takamine's assistant. It tells of a photo they found depicting some children playing, with a young ghost pointing toward the camera. This, plus the young doll and the collection of small kimono in the room, suggests that perhaps the ghost is a young version of the woman who captured Mafuyu...

Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 1 may also be found in this room, in which she refers to sending Ogata to search for Munakata's book on Himuro rituals. The small door in the corner is nailed shut, so there's no choice but to continue through the Tatami room and into the corridor beyond.

Walkway

The closet immediately to the left contains some more Type-37 film. Hirasaka stands waiting as the Woman at Mirror at the junction of this walkway, so take her picture and find that she has been developing rope marks just like Ogata. Her second collection of notes lie on the floor nearby, in which she confesses her sixth sense and an unease about visiting the mansion. Medicine awaits near the lit candle at the far end, but the adjacent door is locked leaving Miku to descend the stairs.

Mafuyu...?

At the bottom of the stairs, Miku happens to see Mafuyu walk around a nearby corner, away from her. The walls are marked with long streaks of blood in the form of clawmarks. Slowly, a shadow advances from the corridor down which Mafuyu disappeared. As more of it is revealed, it sends a chill down her spine. It's not her brother. The Man w/Long Arms finally leers from around the corner, calling for the return of his child. He isn't particularly troublesome, but Miku is unable to leave the area until he is driven.

An old news article is embedded in the small crack in the wall. It describes how four children went missing one night, and the superstitious villagers suspect they were kidnapped by ghosts.

The door on the western side is locked by an unusual circular device engraved with ten symbols. The key to this combination lock is the date on which the Strangling Ritual used to be held. According to Munakata, this was likely the 13th of December, or 1213. Ogata decyphered the number system in his notes, revealing that the top symbol is 0 and it counts anticlockwise through to 9.

Storehouse

The chest to the right contains another spirit stone, and the one to the left contains medicine and some Sacred Water. An old news clipping nearby reports the finding of a weakened girl who had been thought captured by ghosts three days earlier. Another spirit stone lies in the boxes near the stepladder, and yet another may be found on the upper level. Also here is another of Munakata's research scraps, this one about "The Calamity." Some disaster struck, breaking five sacred mirrors and causing the dead to return from hell.

Grand Hall

This segmented room is further south, and contains Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 3. In them, she recounts how both she and Ogata have seen a woman in a white kimono, bound by ropes which drag along the floor as she walks. Another of Munakata's research documents lies on the other side of the partitions. This scrap ties everything together, describing how the "Rope Shrine Maiden" was bound by five ropes and used somehow in the ritual. Exactly how is unknown, though.

Another vial of sacred water and some spare Type-14 film can be found in this room. The door to the entrance hallway is held closed by some sort of hair, and cannot be opened. On returning to the first part of the room, Miku is confronted by a Floating Woman. Although this spectre is weak, she is fast and can use her airborne status to circle around Miku. Once she has been disposed of, head north.

Burial Room

On the desk are a small red box and a scroll. The box remains locked tight, but the scroll reveals the extent of the Strangling Ritual:

On the 13th day of the 12th month, a maiden, cut off from the outside world for 3669 long days, shall be torn apart to provide power to the rope.

Among the candles are a spirit stone and Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 4. The woman in the white kimono was apparently trying to tell Hirasaka her name: Kirie. Hirasaka herself is the Wandering Woman heading towards the nearby door, which is sealed by a mysterious talisman. Take a picture to see a scene from the Storeroom.

The adjacent room is partially collapsed, buried under a pile of wood and earth. Herbal medicine and a save camera are here, along with Novelist Takamine's Notes 2 and the Five Stones Document. The former is an account of he and Hirasaka finding Ogata's body torn to pieces by a mysterious force, and of Hirasaka's subsequent mumbling about ropes and mirrors. The latter refers to the Himuro family crest, present on the other door to this room.

On returning to the storeroom, there is a young Girl Pointing towards the Seductress (500pts) that breaks the talisman once photographed. Return and go through the now unlocked door.

Cherry-Atrium

This is the small garden visible from the observatory. A disturbingly fresh-looking trail of blood begins at the doorway, continuing on before pausing just around the corner. Hirasaka appears again here as Woman on Porch, walking off and leaving behind another trail. A photograph of the nearby sealed door develops as a picture of a waterwheel of some sort. Hirasaka's spirit waits near the steps.

What are you trying to say...?

Takamine's third notebook scrap also lies here, describing Hirasaka's worsening condition and stating that they must leave immediately. Another sealed door reveals rows of dolls when photographed, leaving only one direction in which to head.

The small building in the garden is locked by another Himuro crest, but there's the head of a Woman in Pain (750pts) to its left and a red taped marked Research - 2 on the steps. This tape of Hirasaka's describes Ogata's disappearance following his strange behaviour the previous day. Also recorded on the tape, probably unknown to Hirasaka, is an unusual ghostly message which I have been unable to interpret.

Follow the Woman inAtrium through the gate to the Abyss.

Abyss

Miku carefully stalks her way out into the open, accompanied by the gentle lapping of the nearby water. For a brief moment we see, tied to the waterwheel, the body of Hirasaka circle up from the depths. Collecting the third red cassette from the floor shows Miku a flashback of Hirasaka's demise:

Hirasaka explains on Red Tape 3 that she found Ogata torn apart just like the victim in the mountain village. Taking a picture of her spirit, Woman Pulled In (500pts) unlocks one of the doors back in the cherry atrium.

On the ruined walkway leading out to the water is another stone mirror, but more interesting is the unlit lantern next to it. When a photograph of it is developed, the lamp is lit...

Doll Room

Inside is another image of Hirasaka (Woman Turning), who leaves behind a spirit chanting, Kirie.... She is standing before a doll resembling the ghost, which appears to have been worshipped. Around the room are two spirit stones and Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 5, in which she writes of seeing human heads in a photograph of a room in which she sensed children playing. The evidence suggests this is that room...

A photograph of the one side of the doll shelf reveals a Child Onlooker (500pts), and awakens the spirits in the room. The air is suddenly filled with the sound of childish laughter, as another onlooker approaches Miku from an unseen vantage point. On making herself known, the Crawling Girl takes Miku as her new playmate. Although slow, the childish apparition is difficult to find due to her keeping low, and has the ability to emit a banshee-like scream that paralyzes Miku for a short period of time.

On returning to the cherry atrium, a WomanWhoJumps from the balcony becomes Broken Neck. The falling woman flashes past for only the briefest amount of time, so it may take a few attempts to capture her. In camera mode, face just east of north and sidestep out along the blooded pathway until she is triggered. Then, immediately switch back to the camera and pull the trigger. The vengeful spirit she leaves behind has her head hanging back between her shoulderblades. This means she can only be attacked when her back to you, as that's where her head is.

Stairway

Photographing the onlooking children opened the door to the east of the atrium, in which Takamine stands as the Man Turning in front of another one of those large mirrors. His Lighter and fourth notebook scrap lie with his spirit. He has come to the conclusion that Kirie is the Rope Shrine Maiden.

On the upper level is another of Munakata's research scraps, describing the legend of the five holy mirrors. Five gods of the village created these mirrors as a means of protection, and these mirrors were used in a ritual to ward off disaster. There is also legend of a single Holy Mirror, but little is known about it.

Another news article may also be found there, about the missing girl mentioned in other articles. She is to be adopted by a friend of Munakata: Mr. Hinasaki.

Back on the lower level, Hirasaka makes another appearance as Woman atCorner, heading towards the north door. Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 6 appears to be delirious nonsense about a breaking mirror and people crawling all over the mansion as something evil approaches...

First, return to the unlit lantern in the Abyss and find the Black Carving by lighting it. On the way back through the atrium, be sure to snap the Woman Hanging from the tree. Also, head to the locked door in the rubble room to see the Blinded Woman.

The children... Where have the children gone?

Back in the stairway, an incredibly freaky Female Head now lurks. This floating limb is incredibly fast, and nearly always flies straight at Miku. This is actually an advantage, meaning close-up shots are much easier to accomplish.

Fish-TankRoom

This dank and dripping room contains a herbal medicine, for one thing. As Miku crosses the creaking wooden planks, she becomes aware of being watched by someone... or something. The lack of light in the room only helps to make the murky depths more foreboding, and her flashlight has difficulty penetrating its surface. Her heart beats faster and faster, until it skips and she stands rooted to the spot. Slowly, a pair of hands move in from behind her, closing around her neck.

The Assistant's ghost has drifted here from her resting place at the waterwheel, and combat is made difficult by the layout of the room. That said, she proves no match for Miku as long as she stays on the move. Her banishment results in gaining the Red Tape 4 and the next in the series of red notebook scraps. They describe the way the young girl keeps pestering Hirasaka, pleading with her to "break the curse" somehow.

The other door in this room is locked by another combination dial, this one concerning the purification of the maiden. The Rope Shrine Maiden was kept alone for 3669 days before the sacrifice in a purification ritual, so enter this code and proceed to the back yard.

Return to this room after leaving to find the Monk into Dark (1000pts). He's difficult to find, but lurks in the rafters and can be seen from the second solid platform to the north.

Backyard

Another much-needed save camera and spirit stone wait in a little shed, along with Man inBackyard and the still Girl Turning (750pts). About half way through the yard, turn and look up at the small window to see a young Girl Pleading inside. The spirit of Takamine reveals that he is starting to develop the rope marks too. Be wary of the covered well, as someone is trapped within and will call out for help when you approach. There's nothing that can be done for this poor soul now, so take the Blue Tape from the lid. On this recording, Takamine admits having seen Kirie.

Have we unknowingly awakened something? Or perhaps we have been lured here to die...

Half way along the path, a small shower of leaves falls from the treetops above, alerting Miku to the presence of an otherworldly being. It is Hirasaka again, in her final form. Much like Ogata from before, this version is much tougher than her previous incarnations. She has a somewhat random attack style which makes it difficult to hold or plan close-ups, so it is better just to snap as soon as the camera is charged.

On top of a nearby gravestone is Novelist Takamine's Notes 5. According to Himuro legend, there are five pieces of a mirror which was used to seal off the Hell Gate. This is the True Holy Mirror mentioned in Munakata's work. The five holy mirrors held in shrines around the area all shattered simultaneously, perhaps to warn the people that the True Mirror had lost its power...

Forest Path

The dirt crunches underfoot as Miku creeps along the path. All around are large trees tied with ceremonial rope, but beyond those is nothing but darkness. Bats screech overhead. She reaches the base of a set of steps leading up to a small shrine. She catches a glimpse of a figure entering the shrine.

The head of a Warped Man (1250pts) is among the trees on the right of the steps. Make sure to climb them steps on the left-hand side, however, as Takamine appears as the Standing Man behind the right pillar of the Shinto gate.

Just one more... Just mone more Buddha statue, and the Holy Mirror will be...

Take the stone mirror from the side of the door, then use the carving to unlock the Himuro crest and enter the building.

Narukami-Shrine

Inside the building are two guardian gods with mutilated limbs, and two mirrors. The unusual-looking hole on the floor is not a hole at all, but actually a deep red stain... In front of the small shrine are four Buddha statues and another of Takamine's tapes. Miku doesn't yet have time to listen to it, however, as the familiar feeling of being watched creeps up on her once more...

Quickly turning, she sees nothing there. Confused, she looks around, unable to see any signs of physical or spiritual activity. That is, until the glances up to the roof to see Crucified Man attached to the ceiling. A photograph reveals his fate: he is being held to the ceiling by Kirie's hands, supporting the ropes that bind him there. Suddenly the hands let go, and Takamine plummets to the stained floor below.

Novelist's is no weakling. He is by far the strongest spirit Miku has encountered so far, with speed and teleportation to boot. A single attack can halve her health, and he may also emit a scream that can blind her for a few seconds. While under this blackout, Miku must rely on only the core circles in the viewfinder to see her attacker. The Paralyse auxilliary command is almost essential.

The statue... is at the Shinto gate...

Defeating Takamine reveals his sixth notebook scrap, in which he recounts his last hope of sealing the Hell Gate. He has found four of the five Buddha statues needed to unlock a piece of the True Holy Mirror, and he has located an old document with a clue to the location of the final statue.

Make observance to the Buddha, At the base of the large gate, So that the souls of the piteous maidens, Can reach up to the heavens.

Examine the right pillar of the gate to find a HeadlessBuddha statue and a document informing you how to bury the Rope Maiden's spirit. Place the statue with the others to open up a three-by-three collection of boxes. The five limbs of the Rope Maiden lie in five of the boxes, and the statues must be placed with the correct limbs. Examine the grid to see the bloody outline of the crucified maiden, then place each statue with the correct limb. Once all five are in the correct places, the small door opens to reveal the Holy Mirror.

Is this the holy mirror...? It's just a piece of it.

Miku takes the piece and is hit by a vision of death scenes around the mansion. These end with the familiar silence, causing her heart to skip a beat. Turning slowly to the mirror, she sees the reflection of Kirie behind her. Frightened for her life, but rooted to the spot, she turns back to see no one there. The reflection continues to advance, coming right through Miku's own and eventually reaching the surface of the mirror itself. Then she pushes through into the real world with her roped limbs hanging weakly. In a flash, she is joined by a host of troubled souls that seem to emerge from her back; these are apparently the source of her multiple arms.

Miku gets just a microsecond to take a picture, before being grasped by Kirie and taken to her own personal hell. Miku is tied, laid out on a circular table while the ropes are drawn ever tighter until...

Black.

She is visited by a vision of children forming a circle around her, chanting as they dance. Eventually she comes to, waking in the doll room to the sound of feet running and hiding. Looking to her wrist, she sees a rope fade to leave just the familiar marks.

She is cursed.

---

• Eternal Legend
  • Project Zero
    • Walkthrough
      • Himuro Intro
      • Strangling Ritual
      • Demon Tag
      • The Calamity
      • Kirie