Originally posted on 14 August 2013
Source: Siren 2 Maniacs, page 58-59

Siren 2: Locations


AONOKU
蒼ノ久集落

A fishing village district containing "Aonoku Settlement", with rows of Japanese houses that retains the island's original topography. Since it had Aonoku Fishing Harbour, the only port the island had until Yamijima Harbour was created, many islanders had lived here since before development began. It appears in both "reality, 29 years ago", right before all of the islanders vanished, and "the present reality". Since so many people moved to the island when the processing plant was first opened, the Mikamis' house is also here. After the mine closed the population continued to decrease, and by 29 years previously many houses had been abandoned. In the northeast of the settlement is connected to Yamijima Harbour via the freight cable car, which is used by the islanders to transport goods. Also, the area's name was taken from the "Roanoke incident" (roanoku jiken).


URYUU FOREST
瓜生ヶ森

The area where the Yamijima Ore Processing Plant was located, and where development on the island began. It appears in Shigeru Fujita's "reality of 19 years ago", and its representation in the "current reality" the way it was at the time of the disappearances 29 years ago. Inside the tunnel there are setups such as trolleys, an incline and an ore-sorting office, and at its height was filled with many workers from the mainland who came to excavate the gold mine. The island's fortunes boomed along with the expansion of the plant, but as resources began to deplete the amount of work decreased, and by 29 years before the mine had already been shut down and abandoned. Since no light can get inside the tunnel, even in the real world it is a breeding ground for shiryo. Its name comes from the legendary Uryuu Island (Uryuujima), said to be "Japan's Atlantis".


YAMIJIMA HARBOUR
夜見島港

A newly-constructed concrete port that was built to replace the fishing port (Aonoku Port) in order to accommodate large ships used in the working of the plant. It appears in "modern-day (abandoned) Yamijima" and the "real world" location at the time of the disappearances 29 years before. Starting from "Yamijima Gold Co." there are multi-storey reinforced concrete residences remaining here, but the port was abandoned along with the closing of the mine, and all that now lives there, on the sloping surface of the hill, are wharf roaches and crabs. The concrete that covers up the natural topography has been severely eroded as it faces the sea, crumbling to a point where it is no longer restorable. Also, it is in the vicinity of the place where Kanae (and Akiko Kiyota) washed up on the island, the "turtle hole", which looks out upon the coast.


HOUYA
崩谷

The area in which Yamijima Gold Mining Co.'s accommodation, constructed for plant workers and their families to live in, was built. It appears in the "real world" as it was at the time of the disappearances 29 years ago. The housing complexes were built of reinforced concrete in typical Showa-period style (3 floors with 12 rooms in each building, 2 dining/kitchen per room, with a children's park), three buildings in total (three main buildings, though the one on the elevated ground to the southwest, the third of the three, isn't shown in-game). Residents quickly began leaving as the mining declined, and within only ten years of it being built the place was abandoned completely, though it appears as though the street lights and some of the interior lighting still functions. The area name is based on Hoer Verde (a place in central Africa where a mysterious incident occurred in which 4000 natives vanished).


HIDARU
碑足岬

A location on the raised ground in the Hidaru district, on the northeast side of the island, that housed Yamijima Amusement Park, known for its ferris wheel. It appears in the real world as it was in its abandoned state at the time of the disappearances 29 years before. At its peak it was bustling with workers and their families, who would go there to relax, but due to decline in visitors along with the depopulation of the island it was closed, and by 29 years ago (Other World) it had already been abandoned. The Self-Defence Force helicopter also crashed on Hidaru Peninsula to the north. Since the overused ferris wheel is the point that connects to the "netherworld", which continues to the World of Nothingness, when descent to the netherworld is complete, countless yamirei pour forth from it. The area's name comes from Gerardo Vidal (pronounced "bidaru" in Japanese), known for disappearing in Argentina. [Info]


SANZU HARBOUR
三逗港

A small fishing port in the present-day (2005) real world, on Chuuuhashima. Each of the port's operators feared Yamijima as "the cursed island", and even 29 years after the incident not a single boat is officially sent there. However, due to Mikami offering the captain of the Shoseimaru a large sum of money, the party of four - Mikami, Itsuki, Abe and Kiyota (five if including Kifune, brought along while working her part time job) - head for Yamijima (for reference see archive item #006 "Mamoru Itsuki's Voice Recorder"). Due to the influence of Otoshigo, who senses the movements of Yuri Kishida (and Shibito Edo), the Shoseimaru capsizes. The area's name comes from the Sanzu River, the border between the world of the living and the afterlife.


SHIOFURIHAMA
潮降浜

An area along the westernmost edge of Yamjima Island containing the wooden, two-storey Yamijima Elementary and Middle School, by the coast, appearing in the real world as it was at the time of the disappearances 29 years before. At the height of production at the mine many children came here, but after the mine's closure the number of students declined continuously, and it was eventually closed. Furthermore, some years later someone not from the island caused a fire that burned it down, and it was abandoned completely (refer to archive item #048 "Shikai News"). At the end of the game, the final battle with Otoshigo takes place at the open area below the school's front gate overlooked by Shiofurihama Lighthouse, and due to Nagai's struggles he is defeated. The area's name comes from Gunkanjima's "Shiofuricho".


SERESU
瀬礼洲

A region in the southern area of Yamijima Island, surrounded by harsh but beautiful nature. The area should have been largely untouched by humans, but 19 years ago (Showa 61/1986) the vanished passenger ship "Bright Win" turned up in the middle of it. Seresu's coast is surrounded by cliffs, and boats shouldn't be able to reach this place... and yet Mother forcibly dragged the vessel here from the real world 19 years ago (after which it is discovered by Shigeru Fujita, regardless of whether or not he was in the real world, sending the dimensions into disruption. By being brought here, it vanished from the real world). Its name comes from the Marie Celeste incident.


KAIOIZAKI
貝追崎

A fort constructed on the northwestern side of Yamijima Island in the middle of the Meiji period. There are two forts, which were used by the Japanese military during the war (Fort 2 Ruins doesn't appear in any in-game missions), but after the war the troops were withdrawn and they were completely abandoned. It appears in the real world the way it was at the time of the disappearances 29 years before. Fort Ruins #1 was constructed both above and below ground, a huge building, and though looking at it from the outside it appears weathered, setting foot in the underground reveals that the weapons storage and passageways remain, and since the inside is constructed like a pitch-black maze, it is impossible to see anything without a light. The area's name is taken from Kaio Settlement (where the Tsuyama massacre of 30 people took place).


Mt. SHINARI
四鳴山

Counting back 44 years from the present time, this "Island Line Pylon #4" was constructed near the peak of Mt. Shinari the year Yamijima's mining plant was opened (1961/Showa 36). The completed infrastructure began huge development on Yamijima Island, though it was originally protected by the islanders for generation after generation as forbidden, sacred land where the holy "mekkoju tree" grew. From the middle portion of the story the pylon, extending into the heavens as a bridge back to ground level, begins to warp and change into the "spider's thread" due to Mother's power (after fusing with the mekkoju in the World of Nothingness). However, just before it reaches the ground the pylon explodes and the spider's thread collapses... The area name comes from Shinar (Sumer).


NETHERWORLD
冥府

A world created by Mother in order to mingle abstract beings from the World of Nothingness (entities created by Mother or the energy of the Mekkoju) with physical beings such as humans. Viewed from the real world it appears as though the only way to open the descent to the Netherworld is by opening the "seven gates" (as hinted by "Konagihishoka", sung by the doves); however, from the World of Nothingness side, the only thing required to open the gate is a sort of ritual (this means that while in-game the gate is opened by Mamoru Itsuki manipulating the seven stone pillars, perhaps others would see it differently or perform it a different way). The legends in the real world or the method used in the World of Nothingness - which is a physical manifestation of the seven gates is a matter of "which came first".


SINGULARITY
特異点

The "unnatural world" (into which Mother, Itsuki etc. fell into) that suddenly appeared as a result of the physical collapse of the pylon (Spider's Thread). Ideally speaking it would be positioned in the rift between the real world and the Nothingness World, but the "Rift World" never actually existed to begin with. The Singularity is "a space in which hypothetical beings that are mathematically impossible exist". It is a world which both is and isn't, and anything can interfere with it. The ghost Shu who appears in reaction to Itsuki dropping the medal, Kanae (Akiko Kiyota) who appears in reaction to Shu, and the Annaki that becomes a physical object. Although Mother directs her rage at failing to infiltrate Earth towards humankind, due to the possibility brought about by the Singularity she ultimately fails.

Note: Incidentally, the names of places in the first game were taken from names in the Bible and converted into Japanese. (For example Karuwari = Calvari.)