Karasawa Elementary is an elementary school that appears in Fatal Frame: Shadow Priestess. It was built around the beginning of the Showa Period (1926). Sara Washizuki and Kanon Ohtori both attended, as did Sara's mother, who was president of the school photography club in her day. During Sara's time at the school, it was plagued by death and misfortune; a third of the student body died within a year, and there were cases of coma and mental illness as well. One of the victims was Sara's friend Kanon, who disappeared in the pool during a midnight swim. In spite of an intensive search, her body was never found, and the school closed down and was left empty. Sara now believes that some kind of evil spirit managed to bypass the seals placed on the nearby Mount Kegare, and took up residence there.
When Sara, Tousei Ryuuzaki and the rest of the Modern Architecture Group visit the school, they find it still infested with evil spirits. A group of urban explorers also happens to be at the school, and one of them is soon dragged into the swimming pool. The sky grows dark, and more spirits begin to manifest. Sara recognises that the Necromancer has placed the school within a Dark Seal, and everyone will be trapped inside until the seal is broken.
Important Areas
- Classroom 3-2
- When the visitors to the school are separated, they all independently end up making their way to Classroom 3-2. The Necromancer's powers are particularly strong there, and Tousei speculates that this room is where the curse on the school originated.
- Photography Club Room
- Sara and Tousei hope to find supplies for their cameras in this room. It is also strongly connected with Sara's mother.
- The pool
- The swimming pool where Kanon drowned appears to be a hub of spiritual activity. Mikiko Hashiki also disappears there, and many spirits crawl out of the water once the Dark Seal is in place.
- Secret tunnel
- A secret tunnel, intended as a shelter during the war, runs underground between the Principal's Office and Classroom 3-2.
Misc. Info
- In early chapters of the manga, the name was translated as "Karasuzawa", but this was changed later on.
