Tamiya

Tamiya was a servant loyal to a rich man named Mizuo. The servant was willing to do anything for him, and, at his master's request, swapped identities and faces with him via plastic surgery. Thus, Mizuo became Tamiya, and the servant assumed Mizuo's identity. The servant was unaware at the time that their plastic surgery was actually Mizuo's plan to fool the spirit of Sotoba, a vagrant that cursed him in death.↗

Sotoba's spirit attacked Tamiya thinking he was his master, but gave him the chance to be spared: if he managed to throw a piece of popcorn in the air above a nearby lamppost and catch it in his mouth three times in a row, the vagrant would accept his death and leave him alone. If Tamiya failed, the vagrant would immediately kill the man and declare his grudge justified.↗

Tamiya succeeded in catching the popcorn the first time, but a flock of pigeons attempted to grab the popcorn on the second toss. To distract them, Tamiya ripped open the bag of popcorn, letting the popcorn spill on the floor. Tamiya's trick worked and allowed him to catch the popcorn, but the pigeons now surrounded him. To scare the birds away from his third toss, Tamiya lit the popcorn on fire before tossing it into the air.↗

When Mizuo visits a confessional to confess his sins, Tamiya's spirit appears before him. Now holding a grudge against his former master, Tamiya swears to come for him in his daughter's happiest moment. However, he is advised by Sotoba's spirit to watch over Mizuo at all times, in order to ensure he never fools the two of them again.↗

Film History

Tamiya's story is slightly expanded upon in the movie adaptation of At a Confessional. Tamiya is revealed to have been a scammer and a pickpocket without close ties whom Mizuo had hired as his butler. Mizuo requested that they switched place by undergoing surgery to take on each other's appearance, and paid Tamiya handsomely.↗

After Sotoba's ghost kills him, Tamiya's ghost also haunts Mizuo and holds a grudge against him for having put him in this predicament. Like in the original manga, Tamiya constantly haunts and curses at Mizuo, swearing that he will make him taste despair as Maria, Mizuo's daughter, would experience her greatest happiness. As Maria's wedding approaches, Tamiya is seen taunting Mizuo as his hour draws near.↗

Finally, Rohan manages to trick Mizuo and the ghosts into thinking Maria has been killed by a gunman that Mizuo himself hired to kill Lorenzo Grimani 's, Maria's fiancé. As Mizuo plunges into despair at the sight of his daughter seemingly dead, the ghosts enjoy their victory and gloat over him. Mizuo flees the scene and is last seen wailing in an alley, flanked by the two ghosts. Rohan theorizes that the ghosts will not let Mizuo die any time soon to prolong his suffering.↗

Profile details

Status Status based on their final appearance in the part(s) they are featured in: Deceased (TSKR) (Ghost)↗