Shigeru Fujita
藤田茂
Policeman / male / 52 (actor: Hisakatsu Murakami)
A character from 19 years ago (1986), and a police officer who quits his job and takes a leisurely post in a rural town. His rank is sergeant. Having been newly posted to Yamijima's Chuuu Peninsula three months earlier, Fujita hears reports of a suspicious woman having been sighted on the island and conducts a solo patrol of the island, where he becomes caught up in the incident.
Fujita, a native of Yamijima, breaks the island's ancient tradition that those who are born on Yamijima live out their whole lives there, dreaming of success in life and becoming a policeman. However, his personality has led him to get involved in trouble since his youth, and three months ago (more accurately, 3 May 19 years ago - three months before the mass disappearance of Yamijima islanders) he allowed a burglary suspect to escape, causing him to be demoted to sergeant and receive a pay cut (prior to this, he was a lieutenant). Furthermore, due events he is demoted and sent to Yamijima's Chuuu Peninsula, living alone and away from his family. However, despite constantly getting into trouble and sticking his nose into things better left alone, Fujita is unable to change his personality and decides to conduct a solo investigation of Yamijima, his hometown which he has been interested in for some time.
In actuality, since he was born and raised on Yamijima, Fujita knows the legends and customs passed down there, and vaguely suspects that there are "impurities" (Shiryo) around. Since his father's funeral (in 1970), Fujita has not returned to the island and become distanced from his hometown, but from the testimony of the arsonist who burned down Yamijima Elementary and Middle School in 1975 (archive [No.048] Shikai News), and the mass vanishing of the islanders and cutting of the undersea cable the following year in 1976 (archive [No.009] Shikai News), he suspects that the "impurities" have something to do with it. Going by this he heads for the island and encounters "impurities", seeing the lights of the Bright Win (through a warp in spacetime) and heads deeper again into the island. Due to his unwarranted meddling, Fujita ends up becoming trapped in the Reflected World. After becoming stuck in the illusionary Yamijima, Fujita discovers Ichiko Yagura on the Bright Win, using his knowledge of his hometown to his advantage in an attempt to escape by boat. However, Fujita is unable to do this, being stabbed to death by the half-awakened Simulacrum Ichiko. He sees Ichiko as his daughter, Asako. This is the girl he has recklessly risked his life to save. In the end, seeming to give up, he meets his tragic end.
The lights of the Bright Win that can be seen from the incline control room are an illusion reflected into the Other World through the fold in time. You could say that this is where Fujita's doom was sealed.
Reunion with Tsuneo Ohta after 10 yearsThe miraculous reunion between Tsuneo Ohta, who disappeared 29 years ago, and Fujita, who vanished 29 years ago. The two see each other again travelling through time, though the air between them is strained.
The escape route of a former islanderBy using untrodden paths, the two evade the gaze of the Shibito in their journey towards the pier where the boat is moored. This is a unique escape route that a former islander would think to use.
Fujita, an enemy of mankindAfter being murdered and turning for a while into a Shibito, Fujita is attacked by a mob of Yamirei and turns into a Yamibito. The words he says as he is destroyed appear to have some significance, but their meaning is a mystery.
"Omen" (-5:26:51 / Yamijima Gold Mine Processing Plant)
Yamijima was apparently left abandoned and empty after the strange incident 29 years ago. In truth, as recorded in island legend (archive [No.095] Ancient Legends of Yamijima (Those Who Lurk Beneath the Sea), things related to "impurity" (Shiryo) appeared on the island. Having been raised on Yamijima, Fujita was aware of these beings, keeping his cool even when encountering Shiryo and Shibito.
"Regret" (2:49:11 / Aonoku Settlement / Mikami House living room)
Despite successfully rescuing Ichiko, a middle-school girl, from the grounded boat, Fujita releases that he has got himself into something troublesome again, cursing his own nature. His sense of justice, self-esteem and curiosity... All kinds of feelings run together, but in the end his personality causes him all kinds of trouble. "Can't catch a break..." Fujita grumbles.
"Truth" (5:54:58 / Yamijima / Fort 2 Ruins)
After being stabbed repeatedly by the half-awakened Ichiko, Fujita instinctively senses that death is near. Rather than wondering why, the thing that is always at the forefront of his mind - words of apology to his beloved daughter Asako - comes out of Fujita's mouth. "Can't catch a break, huh... I'm sorry, Asako..." Seeing Ichiko as his daughter, Fujita, seeming to give up, accepts death.
Q: By looking at archive [No.061] Letter to Shigeru Fujita, as you can see from lines such as, "My mother works until she collapses..." and his daughter deciding to work instead of going to university, Fujita's home environment doesn't seem to have been a very happy one...
A: The letter was written from the viewpoint of his daughter, so there are likely some twistings of the truth. However, in Fujita's case, aside from mistakes at work causing a demotion and pay cut there are also other things going on, like lending money to friends that isn't returned. His wife ended up cleaning up his messes, which leads his daughter to declare that she won't rely on her father anymore and will save her mother by herself.
Q: Right before Fujita dies, he mutters words of apology to his daughter Asako. What about his wife?
A: While I do think he felt apologetic towards his wife, the relationship between husband and wife is different to the one he has with his daughter, so apologising doesn't come into it. His daughter will understand the relationship between her mother and father better when she grows up. Right now, though, she only feels an arbitrary sense of justice, and blames only her father. Because Fujita is so old, I don't think he knows how to beg for his daughter's understanding...
Past
Born on 3 December 1933
1986 - Allows a suspected burglar to flee and is demoted
Real World
-8:00 - Crosses to Yamijima on boat. Disembarks on rocks near fort ruins
-5:00 - Encounters Shiryo at processing plant. Sees lights of grounded ship reflected into the Other World by the fold in time
Other World
0:00 - Siren. Swept away in red tsunami and loses consciousness
1:00 - Regains consciousness. Sneaks into grounded boat and protects Ichiko
2:00 - Escapes from boat and rests. Plagued by masochistic thoughts
5:00 - Reunites with Tsuneo Ohta, who vanished 29 years ago. Stabbed with a knife by Simulacrum Ichiko, Fujita voices regret towards his daughter and dies. Ichiko regains self-awareness, her sobs and screams echoing in the darkness
Return of the Dove
7:00 - Turns into Shibito
8:00 - Whilst roaming around Yamijima Amusement Park, Shibito Fujita is eaten by Yamirei pouring forth from beneath the ground
9:00 - Turns into Yamibito. Seeking darkness, heads for Mt. Shinari (pylon)
20:00 - Yamibito Fujita is destroyed using Mekkoju engraved with his name