Summer 1983...Hinamizawa is a tranquil village, but its inhabitants have been plagued by strange deaths and unexplained disappearances seemingly every year. Some say it's the terrifying curse of Hinamizawa's legendary deity, Oyashiro-sama, causing victims to be spirited away by monsters, but is this town harboring dark, horrying secrets even more sinister than any supersition or myth?

Solution to Watanagashi-hen. Meakashi-hen consists of the events of Watanagashi-hen told from the perspective of Shion Sonozaki, with only a few minor variations. In this chapter, the audience sees the true reason for the criminal's murderous actions in Watanagashi-hen — a lost love. The first hints of that which ties together the arcs are given.

The story is divided into a total of eight chapters: four "Question" arcs and four "Answer" arcs. Each chapter keeps the same main characters, but ends in a different way. However, each chapter gives valuable answers, hints, and clues to the previous one, while at the same time bringing forth even more mysteries.
The question arcs are: Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, Tatarigoroshi-hen and Himatsubushi-hen.
The answer arcs are: Meakashi-hen, Tsumihoroboshi-hen, Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen.
The side story arcs are: Onisarashi-hen, Yoigoshi-hen, Utsutsukowashi-hen, and Kokoroiyashi-hen.