| Takano Hifumi 高野 一二三 | |
|---|---|
| Information | |
| Nickname | Grandfather (by Takano Miyo) |
| First Appearance | Matsuribayashi-hen |
| Portrayed By | Tanaka Kazumi |
Takano Hifumi is a character in the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni series, and was the mentor of Tanashi Takemitsu. He is the discoverer of the Hinamizawa Syndrome and first researcher to do a full study on the disease.
Character summary[]
Takano Hifumi is a powerfully built older man who wears circular glasses, has short, gray hair and a mustache.
He was a doctor during WWII who discovered the existence of the Hinamizawa Syndrome when soldiers from Hinamizawa would become psychotic and die. During the WWII, Hifumi met his closest friend, Koizumi. He taught him his studies on the Hinamizawa Syndrome, then he helped him in his search. Koizumi would later help Miyo after Hifumi's death by giving her contacts and a place to work.
Hifumi researched long after after the end of the war, hoping to have it recognized by "Tokyo"; however, his research was ridiculed and the existence of the disease was questioned. Hifumi had dedicated his entire life to his research to the point where he did not even talk to his family and even lived in a separate house than them. When Tanashi Miyoko's parents died, her father recommended that she stay with him.
This was not properly arranged, and Hifumi only came into contact with Miyoko when he received a call from her while she attempted to escape the war orphanage. Hifumi Takano came just in time to adopt her, and from then on she lived with him. For a while, Miyoko called him "my dad's old teacher" or "professor (sensei)" , but soon he became kind of grandfather to her. Hifumi taught her many things, including some basic medicine, the history of Hinamizawa, and the study of the Hinamizawa Syndrome. He was very devoted to his research, even if it meant endangering his life by exposing himself to the strange disease. He modeled his devotion after Noguchi Hideyo, a Japanese scientist who died of sickness in North Africa after he tested himself with his own vaccine for yellow fever. Hifumi tried to go public with his studies, but was denied by the Scientific Community.
Despite developing depression after being ridiculed, Hifumi continued his studies, but eventually he started to suffer from dementia, and was unable to research any further.
Losing his reason for living, Hifumi decided to take his life by jumping off the roof top of the hospital where he was admitted at. He left behind a suicide note, its contents are unknown, but Miyo says that her name was the only one mentioned in it.
After the disclosure of Hifumi's suicide note, many of his family members suddenly appeared, not wanting Miyo to inherit his money and belongings; Miyo, wanting to protect her grandfather's research, decided to settle on a deal out of court, keeping all of Hifumi's research materials, while the rest of his possessions went to his real family.
Miyo remarks that Hifumi was not very close to any of his real family, and after his death, she refers to them as "vultures."
Takano's Report of the Hinamizawa Syndrome[]
Dr. Takano discovered the syndrome about 20 years before the main story. Hifumi wrote a report on Hinamizawa village, and the local disease he named the "Hinamizawa Syndrome". Dr. Takano's seemingly far-fetched theory states that there are many types of parasites in the world that can take control of their host, even if the host is human. It would mean that parasites could control our thoughts. If our thoughts would be controlled by this parasite, it would be like the plague: This means, in turn, would that our thoughts themselves become an incurable contagious disease.
Errors in Takano's Report[]
In Dr. Takano's report about the Hinamizawa Syndrome, he explained that it is an incurable and irreversible disease. He also explained that anyone who enters the village is infected by the disease. However, his report was not quite right. Keiichi was able to bring Rena back to a non-violent state successfully in Tsumihoroboshi-hen, despite her being in the final stages of L5. It was revealed later that Rena was in a position of L5 back to return to L2. Irie Kyōsuke also invented the prototype of the vaccine, which was later the basis of the C-120. C-120 can suppress the terminal symptoms of the Hinamizawa Syndrome.
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