Silent Hill f writer Ryukishi07 says that series producer Motoi Okamoto explained to him that Silent Hill isn't a town but a phenomenon when he asked how the game could be set in Japan. This further confirms the theory put forth in Silent Hill: The Short Message that was divisive among fans.
The series of Silent Hill originally was set in or around the titular American town, but has expanded far beyond these boundaries in the games developed and released since the series' rebirth. The Silent Hill revival has been rocky to say the least, with fans receiving emotional whiplash from the lows of The Short Message and Ascension, juxtaposed against highs of the Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill f.
While the name Silent Hill comes from the town, the series is more centrally themed around the otherworld, a supernatural space that reflects the occupants' tormented inner psyches. In various Silent Hill games you can find notes that describe people seeing the otherworld as being infected by a disease, but this never truly matched what was being told through the gameplay.
As the legendary writer behind the Japanese horror franchise When They Cry, Ryukishi07 found after he was asked to bring his expertise to what would be the first Silent Hill game set in Japan. Speaking to Famitsu in an interview that's been translated by GamesRadar+, Ryukishi07 says he questioned how a game named after an American town could be set in his home country.
"I discussed a lot of things with series producer Okamoto in a meeting after I received the request [to write Silent Hill f,]" Ryukishi07 recalls. "Like 'Why is it set in Japan?' and 'What exactly is Silent Hill?' In the end, we came to the conclusion that Silent Hill is not just the name of a place, it is a phenomenon. Looking back I think I was able to create a pretty satisfying base for the story and world from this."
This theory was first stated explicitly in The Short Message in a note that describes the appearance of the otherworld as, "the 'Silent Hill Phenomenon,' named after a similar event that occurred in an eponymous U.S. town." With this new entry set in Germany, Konami made it clear that it wanted to expand the setting for Silent Hill beyond the former tourist town.
Much of the Silent Hill series is left up to players' interpretation, and this idea is no different. While fans might not be enamored by this explanation, they seem united under their joy at the series expanding outside of the U.S.
After Silent Hill 2 remake and Silent Hill f got the series "back on track," Konami aims to release "about one title per year" in the horror franchise
