Inaba

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Inaba is a location in the Persona series. It is a fictional city in Japan where the plot of Persona 4 takes place.

Profile

Inaba is a city in the mountains of Japan that has a population of around 50k.^[1] The city center is a flat area surrounded by mountains called Yasoinaba^[2] and the mountains surrounding Yasoinaba are collectively known as the Yasogami Hills.^[1] The major landmark is the largest of the Yasogami Hills, Mt. Yasogami. The local plant is cattail, large amounts of which can be found downstream on the Samegawa River. Its animal is the rabbit and many facilities around town use rabbit logos or decorations.^[3] Inaba's town specialties include dyed clothing, pottery, and the Amagi Inn.^[4] But their dyes, pottery, and nature life are not particularly famous nor do they have a special local product.^[3] More recently, there has been an attempt to revitalize Inaba by turning "Inaba Beefsteak" into a local specialty, but since there are no meat farms in the city, rumors have begun to spread about what the meat actually is.^[3]

Inaba is located between multiple larger metropolitan areas, but the residents do not benefit from this because a trip to the metro areas takes around three hours, even by train, making it inconvenient for commuting. The only train station in the south part of Inaba is Yasoinaba Station, which acts as the central hub station for the local Inaba line. The line does not go directly to the city, and travelers must transfer to a limited express train at the Yasogami Hills terminal. There are only a few bus routes: One going east-west that connects Inaba to neighboring cities and one less-used route going north-south that connects the city center with Mt. Yasogami. Public transport is limited to the train and a few buses, so people prefer to get around by car. Still, most residents live out their lives within Inaba itself, as the only connection to the outside world is the national highway, which runs for 300m at the city's southern edge, and there are no expressways to easily access neighboring cities.^[3]

Historically, Inaba was first established as a mountain castle village during the Sengoku period when a feudal lord built a castle on Mt. Yasogami and a town formed around the base of the mountain. During the Edo period, it became known as a hot springs area, and more people began living there. But after the castle burnt down in an accident, many people started to leave. During the Meiji period, coal was found in Mt. Yasogami, and a coal mine opened in Inaba. The mine brought many people to Inaba, and it went from being a town to a city. In the Showa era, the coal preparation plant and coal mine in Inaba began closing due to the oil boom. As of 2011, Inaba has gone through a decline in population, and many of the remaining citizens are descendants of the coal miners who stayed after the mine closed.^[5]

Places of Interest

Yasoinaba Station

Yasoinaba Station is the train station that the protagonist arrives and departs from. It is the only train station in the southern area of Inaba, and acts as the terminus stop on the local Inaba Line. The line also includes stops at Higashiinaba Station (East Inaba) and Okina Station. In the opening movie of Persona 4, the protagonist transfers to the Inaba Line at the Yasogami Hills terminal after riding on the Atorasu train.

Yasogami High School

Main article: Yasogami High School

Yasogami High is where the Investigation Team attends school during the day time from Monday to Saturday. After school, the protagonist can work on his Social Links with his classmates and members of his school clubs.

Central Shopping District

Main article: Central Shopping District

The Central Shopping District is made up of smaller local businesses and a community shrine. The protagonist can visit the area to shop for items and equipment, plus other activities.

Junes Department Store

Main article: Junes

Junes is a large chain department store in the Persona universe. The protagonist and his friends use Junes as their hideout and enter the TV World from the appliances department thanks to the large TV on display.

Samegawa Flood Plain

Main article: Samegawa Flood Plain

The Samegawa is a river that runs through Inaba. The protagonist can visit the flood plain and river bank for quests, events, and to go fishing.

Dojima Residence

Main article: Dojima Residence

The Dojima Residence is where the protagonist lives during his year long stay in Inaba. At the house, he can study, do some part-time jobs in his bedroom, socialize with his uncle and cousin, and use the home shopping TV program.

Amagi Inn

Main article: Amagi Inn

The Amagi Inn is a traditional style Japanese inn with an outdoor hot springs bath run by Yukiko Amagi's family. It is located in Inaba's hot springs and inn district, halfway up the Yasogami Hills.^[1] The inn is the last known location of the first murder victim, Mayumi Yamano.

Inaba Police Department

Main article: Inaba Police Department

The local police station is the workplace of Ryotaro Dojima and Tohru Adachi. While not a playable location, it is visited multiple times during the plot, and is a setting in the anime and audio dramas.

Inaba Municipal Hospital

Main article: Inaba Municipal Hospital

The protagonist can go to the hospital from the bus stop in the Central Shopping District for the Devil Social Link. Through the Devil, he can also unlock the Death Social Link. The hospital is not a playable location, but it becomes a major story location during the November and December plot.

Hilltop

This unnamed hilltop that overlooks Inaba is the location of the Temperance Social Link. In Golden, it is also visited during the end of summer fireworks viewing.

Mount Yasogami

Mount Yasogami is a major local landmark, famous for fabric dye and pottery.^[6] It and the other mountains surrounding the city center are known as the Yasogami Hills.

Ski Resort

Exclusive to Persona 4 Golden. During February, the Investigation Team visits an unnamed ski resort in Inaba located on Mt. Yasogami.^[7] If the player has unlocked the Hollow Forest, they can access it by traveling to the mountain cabin near the ski resort and entering the TV there.

Game Appearances

Persona 4

Inaba serves as the main gameplay map of Persona 4 and is where the plot primarily takes place. The protagonist arrives in Inaba and begins living with his uncle and cousin while he attends high school. When he arrives, Inaba has been experiencing a loss of population, and the large chain store Junes opened around a year ago, causing various smaller shops to close down. Kids his age often visit the nearby Okina city for fun. As the game events unfold, he gains the ability to travel around Inaba and visit Junes, the Central Shopping District, and the Samegawa Flood Plain. The news about Mayumi Yamano's scandal then her and Saki Konishi's deaths shake up Inaba. During the end of November, a thick fog settles, and people begin inventing conspiracy theories about the fog being poisonous or being from Junes.

Persona 4 Golden

In Golden, the protagonist can explore Inaba at night by getting a part-time job. During the new June storyline, the protagonist gets a scooter which he can use to go outside of Inaba to the nearby Okina or go all the way to Shichiri Beach. During the new February storyline, there is also an unnamed ski resort on Mt. Yasogami that the protagonist visits with his friends.

This section contains spoilers. (Skip Section)

By doing Marie's Social Link, the protagonist learns that her true identity is Izanami-no-Mikoto, a local goddess who once filled the role of protecting the people and granting their wishes. In the new epilogue for Golden, the protagonist returns to Inaba and finds the people of the Central Shopping District motivated now that Junes has agreed to have a local products section. Additionally, Marie has become Inaba's news channel weather forecaster who uses her powers to change the weather.

End of spoilers.

Persona 4 Arena

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In Arena, Yu Narukami comes back to Inaba to visit during Golden Week.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Shortly after the events of Arena, an effect similar to the Dark Hour occurs in Inaba and the whole city is engulfed in a red fog. Yu is pulled into the Velvet Room by Margaret and Marie where he learns that an unknown culprit is attempting to merge the TV World with Inaba. Margret defines the resulting Inaba as a labyrinth that exists in its own special time. During this combination of the TV World and the Dark Hour, electronics do not work and regular people who cannot use Personas nor have the potential for the Dark Hour disappear. Similar to the TV World in Arena, all of Inaba has been plastered with signs for the P-1 Climax and Yasogami High has turned into a tower similar to Tartarus. The Persona users encounter Shadow fakes of their allies and fight their way through Inaba while Marie protects the townspeople with her powers. In Ultimax, Marie's role as Inaba's local goddess is also expanded upon: Yu likens Marie to Inaba itself. If something is wrong with Inaba, then it is likely affecting Marie too.