Jirou Tomitake is a freelance photographer who annually visits Hinamizawa village to photograph wild birds, especially near the Watanagashi Festival. This photography work masks his true role as an auditor for the secret organization "Tokyo," monitoring Hinamizawa Syndrome research at the Irie Clinic. He possesses a military background as a former skilled sniper and First Lieutenant in the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF). An accident impairing his vision led to his reassignment as a sniping instructor; this experience provides him with firearm proficiency and steady hands, useful for photography. Within the research project hierarchy, his JSDF rank places him below Kyousuke Irie (Lieutenant Colonel) and Miyo Takano (Major). In most story arcs, particularly the Question Arcs (Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, Tatarigoroshi-hen, Meakashi-hen), Tomitake dies shortly after the Watanagashi Festival, typically clawing out his own throat. This death consistently marks the fifth in a series of annual festival fatalities, often viewed suspiciously by local authorities. The cause is later revealed: Takano Miyo injects him with the drug H173, inducing Level 5 symptoms of Hinamizawa Syndrome and causing his violent self-harm. His death is manipulated by Takano as part of her plan to enact the "Great Hinamizawa Disaster." Tomitake's relationship with Takano Miyo is complex, varying across arcs. Villagers often perceive them as lovers, a perception Takano sometimes encourages with suggestive remarks. Their dynamic is primarily defined by professional collaboration on Hinamizawa's occult history and syndrome research. Tomitake cares for Takano but adheres strictly to his principles. In Minagoroshi-hen, Takano attempts to seduce him into supporting her betrayal of Tokyo and triggering the outbreak, promising complete submission; he refuses, prompting her to order his capture and injection. Similarly, in Matsuribayashi-hen, after capture, he rejects her pleas for allegiance despite her offers. Following Takano's defeat and arrest in Matsuribayashi-hen, Tomitake shows loyalty by trying to help her. In later anime resolutions like Nekodamashi-hen, he vows to bring her "home" after investigations conclude. Their relationship endures, with them returning together to Hinamizawa in the final resolution. During the Answer Arc Matsuribayashi-hen, Tomitake avoids his predetermined fate. Warned by Furude Rika about his impending death, he investigates Takano and the paramilitary group "Mountain Dogs." He uncovers evidence of Takano's embezzlement and her plan to fulfill her grandfather's research through mass murder. Though captured by the Mountain Dogs, he is rescued by a team including Mamoru Akasaka, Kyousuke Irie, and Shion Sonozaki. He then plays a crucial role, coordinating Tokyo's counterintelligence unit "Bloodhounds" with Akasaka, Irie, and Kuraudo Ooishi to dismantle Takano's operation and prevent the Great Disaster. Physically, Tomitake is a muscular man likely in his mid-to-late thirties, with short light brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses. In Hinamizawa, he typically wears a dark green baseball cap, a black sleeveless shirt, green military-style trousers with belt bags, black boots, a dog tag neck cord, a watch, and carries a yellow camera. His official "Tokyo" uniform is a green military-style jacket over a white shirt and dark blue tie. Personality-wise, he is generally calm, easygoing, and friendly, forming a good rapport with Keiichi Maebara and sharing information about the village's history. He can also be reckless and socially awkward, particularly around women. Takano notes his inexperience, referencing his comment that the last time he held a woman's hand was at a folk dancing camp. Comedic spin-offs sometimes exaggerate a determined, manly, or perverted side. Later non-canonical OVAs like *Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira* focus on fantastical or fanservice scenarios unrelated to the main plot and do not provide substantive development or background for Tomitake's character within the core narrative.