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Fatal Frame IV: Dr. Asou's Research

Who is Kunihiko Asou?

Kunihiko Asou, also known as Dr. Asou, was a scholar of occultism who was active between the late Edo and early Meiji periods. "Occultism" refers to a movement which aimed to prove Eastern ideas using Western technologies that were flooding into the country at the time. Even amongst his fellow researchers of the mystical sciences, Kunihiko Asou was considered peculiar.

Kunihiko Asou conducted research into ghostly beings that only psychics can see, as well other worlds, such as the realm of the dead (tokoyo) and the Netherworld (kakuriyo). In an attempt to produce empirical evidence of these phenomena using Western science, he personally modified state-of-the-art devices of his time, such as cameras, radios and projectors, that he might perceive these "impossible things" for himself.

Due to being viewed as a heretic by the scientific community, most of his writings and research records have been lost, and few now survive.

About the Asou Museum

Within Rogetsu Hall is the Asou Museum, a reconstruction of the room at the former Rogetsu Hall building used by Kunihiko Asou when he visited Rogetsu Isle in order to conduct investigations and research in 1911. Personal effects, equipment and more used by Asou are preserved there exactly as they were during his stay.

This museum affords us a clearer picture of Asou's exploits during his early research than anywhere else. Let's take a look at some of its contents.

▲ Portrait of Kunihiko Asou


▲ The desk used by Kunihiko Asou during his research


▲ A newspaper article from the time of Asou's visit to Rogetsu Isle


▲ Investigating legends of Rogetsu Isle, whose people's faith centred on a spirit realm, Asou was influenced by their masks and methods of interacting with the invisible (such as moonsounds) as he completed his first Camera Obscura




▲ Asou created a number of prototypes before managing to produce the Camera Obscura, capable of capturing images of "impossible things" on film


▲ A draft design for the Camera Obscura. It seems to detail ideas for prototypes


▲ The very first Camera Obscura, completed thanks to the results of his research on Rogetsu Isle, is on display here


▲ A newspaper clipping reporting on the development of the Camera Obscura, accompanied by a portrait of Kunihiko Asou

The phantom footprints of the mystery-cloaked Kunihiko Asou, now lost to time, linger in locations across Japan. Let us retrace the course of his life, using what data I have been able to gather.

Childhood

Kunihiko Asou spent his youth believing "without doubt in an invisible world", a belief which would profoundly influence the course of his life.

Chronology of Kunihiko Asou's movements
Raised on Mt. Kagiroi	Fatal Frame V
Becomes acquainted with Shiragiku	Fatal Frame V
Attends ceremony to send Shiragiku away on Mt. Hikami	Book Next to the Hair, Fatal Frame V

Meeting Shiragiku, a Child of the Shrine

▲ Kunihiko Asou as a boy


▲ The ceremony on Mt. Hikami to send Shiragiku away

Kunihiko Asou was brought up in the vicinity of Mt. Kagiroi, whose residents, it is said, believed that worlds invisible to the naked eye - such as the realm of the dead and the Netherworld - are real and connected to our own.

During his childhood, he became acquainted with Shiragiku, a Child of the Shrine of Mt. Kagiroi, and was the one who accepted her "token" as part of the ceremony to send her off to the sacred Mt. Hikami as a human sacrifice. From his former possessions, we can see that at this time, he made a promise to go to her along with this token.

▲ A note that was kept within the storehouse of the Hojo family, a branch of the Asou family

What is Mt. Hikami?

▲ Mt. Hikami at sunset

A sacred ground that was both revered and feared as a mountain where people would go to die. The water that coursed through it was worshipped as a goshintai, and it was believed that by dying on the mountain, one could attain a "correct death" by returning to its waters. Its landscape, however, underwent a drastic transformation following a severe landslide: the mountain, once revered as sacred, was reborn as a tourist attraction. Over the years, it fell into ruin, and has now come to be known as a suicide hotspot.

Young Adulthood

In his young adulthood, Kunihiko Asou, influenced by Western postmortem photography, began taking similar photographs using a camera he had made himself. Word of his services spread, until he was asked to visit Mt. Hikami and photograph a woman there. These experiences appear to have served as inspiration for the Camera Obscura.

Chronology of Kunihiko Asou's movements
Learns of Western postmortem photography	Dr. Asou's Records 1, Fatal Frame V
Becomes absorbed in creating a camera	Dr. Asou's Records 1, Fatal Frame V
Travels the country researching the "Other World" and conducting fieldwork
Begins taking postmortem photographs	Dr. Asou's Records 1, Fatal Frame V
Hired to take photographs on Mt. Hikami	Dr. Asou's Records 2, Fatal Frame V
Photographs Ose Kurosawa	Dr. Asou's Records 6, Fatal Frame V

First encounter with postmortem photography

▲ A postmortem photograph taken by Kunihiko Asou

Kunihiko Asou learned of Western postmortem photography, where the dead would be dressed up and photographed. As photographs were still so expensive at the time, most people would only have their picture taken for the first time once they were already dead. Believing that these pictures captured death and the soul, Kunihiko Asou taught himself how to make cameras and built one of his own. With this camera, he travelled the length and breadth of the country, taking tomurai shashin or "memorial photographs" - the term he coined for his own, Japanese brand of postmortem photography - and, as word spread, he was inundated with requests for his services.

Asou himself, however, was unsatisfied with these photographs, stating that they "still only [capture] visible light", and that they were "not enough to prove the existence of an invisible world".

Kunihiko Asou would continue to strive, undaunted, to create his own camera that was capable of capturing "impossible things", as well as the soul.

▲ A description of what spurred him to create the Camera Obscura

Venturing into Mt. Hikami

▲ A young Kunihiko Asou

Kunihiko Asou received a request from Mt. Hikami, asking him to take a special photograph. Though the mountain was an insular place, with passage through it forbidden to all but a select few, it seems as though the client must have somehow heard word of his tomurai shashin.

Asou made his way into Mt. Hikami, a mountain it was said that none who entered could leave alive, and yet, unusually, he was granted special dispensation to do so. Oddly enough, it was the very same mountain that Shiragiku, the girl whose token he had accepted as a child, had been sent to.

Enthusiasm regarding the "Other World"

It is evident from Asou's written records, describing his entry into the mountain, that his experiences on Mt. Hikami had a considerable impact upon him. Asou says that on Mt. Hikami - where it was believed that people are born from and return to the water, and that everything is tied together by it - he could feel the presence of not just living creatures and trees, but even the water itself, and, surrounded by them, was able to forget his loneliness.

Having experienced first-hand and become one with an object of religious worship, Asou recalled having believed in the invisible as a child, and began to regain his zealous interest in an "Other World".

▲ On Mt. Hikami, Asou reawakens to the concept of an "invisible world" that he had believed in during his childhood

▲ Asou describes wanting to prove the existence of invisible beings by capturing them on film

▲ Asou believed that, rather than vanishing, people travel to an invisible world following their death

Early Research

Endeavouring to prove the existence of another world by capturing images of entities invisible to the naked eye, Kunihiko Asou's research led to him completing his very first Camera Obscura on Rogetsu Isle.

Chronology of Kunihiko Asou's movements
Visits Rogetsu Isle, where he continues his research into the Camera Obscura	Article: "Prof. Asou arrives", Professor Asou's Notes (2), Fatal Frame IV
Invents the Spirit Stone Flashlight	Old Research Records, Fatal Frame IV
First Camera Obscura is completed	Professor Asou's Notes (1), Fatal Frame IV
Becomes aware of the Camera Obscura's exorcismal potential	Professor Asou's Notes (1) & (3), Fatal Frame IV
Donates a Camera Obscura to Rogetsu Hall	Professor Asou's Notes (1) & (3), Fatal Frame IV
Weds a Guardian (author's conjecture)	Rogetsu Kagura Chronicle, Fatal Frame IV

Full-blown research commences

Kunihiko Asou created a camera for the purpose of "photographing the soul" in the Mt. Hikami area, but, as its effect was not yet sufficient, continued to research further.

▲ The notes of folklorist Keiji Watarai, written about Kunihiko Asou's time taking postmortem photographs

Inventions on Rogetsu Isle

Proactively incorporating Western technology into his work, Kunihiko Asou attempted to prove the existence of the "Other World". Welcomed to Rogetsu Isle with open arms, he invested his funds into developing the "Other World Crystal Radio Signal Receiver", more commonly known as the "Spirit Stone Radio", making use of a crystal radio which at the time would have been cutting edge technology. This radio works by utilising the peculiar detective properties of crystals to pick up signals within a bandwidth matching the wavelength. Zeroing in on the fact that stones have been considered to be possessed of a mystique since ancient times, not only in Japan but around the world, Asou supposed that a special crystal may be able to pick up signals from the Other World. Ultimately, he succeeded in receiving sounds from this "Other World".

▲ Regarding the "Spirit Stone Radio" moniker

▲ A Spirit Stone Radio that was left on Rogetsu Isle

Materials connecting to the Other World

Kunihiko Asou visited Rogetsu Isle, and there, he conducted research into the island's folklore and traditional handicrafts. On Rogetsu Isle, it was believed that the sun represents the visible, outward appearance, whereas the moon governs the invisible interior, and that even after the flesh perishes, the soul remains tethered to the moon. Learning that these religious beliefs regarding the moon were represented in their masks and music, Asou decided to investigate them and attempt to glean from them materials that would form a link with the Other World.

▲ Here, we can see that Asou, considered a heretic in the eyes of the scientific society, was given a warm welcome on Rogetsu Isle

The first Camera Obscura

Owing to his research on Rogetsu Isle, Kunihiko Asou invented devices such as the Spirit Stone Radio and Spirit Stone Flashlight. Worthy of special mention is his completion of the Camera Obscura. Realising that masked people entered a shared state of mind, he came up with the hypothesis that masks may serve as a recording medium. He also discovered that the paints used for the masks would serve as a material for a film that could capture "impossible things".

▲ A description of his discovery of a material for the film

▲ An account of the completion of the Camera Obscura, which also alludes to its potential

▲ A description of his discovery of a material for the film

▲ A description regarding Kunihiko Asou's inventions written by Asou himself

▲ A description regarding the Guardian who served as his guide around Rogetsu Isle. It is exceedingly rare for Asou to write about his own feelings. If he did indeed marry this woman, it would explain why some descendents of the Asou family possess a strong sixth sense

Prime Years

Having completed the first Camera Obscura, Kunihiko Asou set about working on a series of prototypes in order to achieve the ideal Camera Obscura he envisioned. As he roamed the country in search of materials, he continued to further his research into the Other World.

Chronology of Kunihiko Asou's movements
Lends a prototype Camera Obscura to Seijiro Makabe	Folklorist, Fatal Frame II
Begins research into dreams	Fatal Frame III
Visits various locations across Japan	Spirit Stone Radio, Fatal Frame II

Seijiro Makabe and Kunihiko Asou

Even after leaving Rogetsu Isle, Kunihiko Asou continued his research in the pursuit of his ideal Camera Obscura. He loaned a prototype camera and a version of the Spirit Stone Radio he had successfully miniaturised to his friend, Seijiro Makabe. Makabe, a folklorist - considered, like his friend, a heretic by academics - was attempting to study a "festival that must not be witnessed" which was traditionally practised in Minakami Village, presumably believing that he could capture something incorporeal if he photographed it with the Camera Obscura.

▲ An account by Seijiro Makabe, stating that taking pictures with the Camera Obscura creates a link, and hinting at the dangers of its use

Research into dreams

After lending a Camera Obscura to Makabe, Kunihiko Asou began to study dreams, the boundary between life and death, as part of his overarching research into the Other World. During the course of his research, he met a man who had been having the same dream for months on end. The man, who grew up in a village whose legends spoke of dreams and the Other World, told Asou about his dreams over a span of four days.

According to Asou, the man's dreams were "clearly about the 'Other World', particularly the 'Underworld'". However, it seems as though the man vanished out of the blue the morning after this interview was conducted.

▲ Kunihiko Asou was studying dreams, believing them to be the gateway into the Other World

In pursuit of the ideal Camera Obscura (1)

As Kunihiko Asou travelled Japan in search of his ideal Camera Obscura, he created one of his cameras at Mt. Hikami, where he had spent his younger years. Having succeeded at creating a device capable of "capturing the soul" of which he dreamt in his young adulthood, we can see that Asou then built Camera Obscuras themed around the "boxed girls" of Mt. Hikami in his prime years. These cameras, which appear to have been made in dedication to someone in particular, likely indicate what an important place Mt. Hikami was to him.

▲ An account from Kunihiko Asou's youth, discussing his taking of tomurai shashin. These experiences influenced the theme of the cameras' design

In pursuit of the ideal Camera Obscura (2)-1

Kunihiko Asou's quest for materials to create his ideal Camera Obscura led him to Himuro Mansion. The mansion had been the residence of the Himuro family, who took charge of many Shinto rituals over the years due to ruling over the surrounding land. However, after the entire family was slaughtered by its master following a terrible disaster, the nature of these rituals was forgotten, to remain an eternal mystery. Ever since that day, it's been rumoured that the land upon which Himuro Mansion stands is cursed, and that the place has been the setting for many a mysterious incident.

▲ An account regarding Himuro Mansion as researched by the author Junsei Takamine

▲ How Himuro Mansion fell into ruin

In pursuit of the ideal Camera Obscura (2)-2

In this region, there is a legend speaking of a "Holy Mirror" which protects the village from disaster. It is said that Kunihiko Asou explored Himuro Mansion, regardless of the risks, and there obtained a piece of this Holy Mirror, using it to finally complete the ideal Camera Obscura of which he had dreamt since his youth. This camera is considered to not merely capture images of the soul, but to also possess the power to seal away spirits.

Later Years

Perhaps due to his status as a heretic, little is known about Kunihiko Asou's later years. Even the exact circumstances of his death are not known for certain. All that remains now are his inventions, changing hands between enthusiasts of the strange and unusual.

Chronology of Kunihiko Asou's movements
Recalls promise to Shiragiku	Book Next to the Hair, Fatal Frame V
Dies an unnatural death during course of research	Spirit Stone Radio, Fatal Frame II

Reflecting on his childhood

When Kunihiko Asou reached an age where his "bones [were] old and creaking", he reminisced on the promise he had made to Shiragiku as a boy. His writings are those of an elderly, peaceful-sounding man.

Records concerning his demise

No one knows precisely when or where Kunihiko Asou ultimately met his end. I have found an account stating that he perished during the course of his research, but the exact circumstances of his death are unknown.

▲ An account mentioning Asou's death

---

By retracing Dr. Asou's footsteps, we can surmise that he lived a full and satisfying life, toiling bold and undaunted until managing to achieve the ideal he had sought since his youth, and finally perishing during the course of his later research. I suspect that he spent his twilight years living out the rest of a long and fulfilling life, and setting off in pursuit of even greater discoveries.

As someone who found myself entangled with the articles he left behind, I cannot help but hope that he did not die, but rather crossed over to the "invisible world" he had searched for his entire life. (Author: Ren Hojo)