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?

Himatsubushi-hen is both a direct prequel and a direct sequel to Tatarigoroshi-hen. In contrast to the first three chapters, this chapter is shown through the eyes of Mamoru Akasaka, a young police investigator from Tokyo who comes to Hinamizawa in order to investigate a kidnapping of a politician's grandchild. Soon, he too becomes implicated into the mysteries of Hinamizawa. This chapter focuses on Rika Furude as being the key part of the mystery.

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, and Utsutsukowashi-hen