Kuze Shrine

Kuze Shrine Kanji 久世の宮 Game Located at Mutsu Region Function Abandoned residence/reportedly haunted house Status Abandoned/destroyed by the Rift

The Kuze Shrine is the ruined real world version of the House of Sleep. It only exists now as an abandoned residence falling into disrepair. It is only physically visited during the very beginning of Fatal Frame III.

While visiting the supposedly haunted house during a photography assignment, Rei Kurosawa catches a glimpse of her dead fiancé Yuu Asou. After seeing him in the house, Rei begins to have strange dreams, and falls under the influence of the Tattooed Curse. Kei Amakura also visits the shrine while researching the Manor of Sleep Legend.

History of Shrine

In the past, the Kuze Shrine was a huge shrine that helped ease the pain of survivors - people who had lost family or someone they loved through a tragedy. Numerous mourners would come to pray for their loved ones, and ask for the Priestess to ease their pain. Apparently, patrons would also bring blood of their departed and offer their own blood as well, to be mixed into ink for the Piercing of the Soul Ceremony.

The Kuze Shrine was run exclusively by women and young female attendants. Men were only permitted in the shrine to offer their pain (as worshippers) or, in the case of a select few, to help aid in continuing the Kuze family line. While the Shrine was run by the Kuze family, most of the family members were adopted - Handmaidens temporarily from other villages to fulfill their role in the Impalement Ritual, Engravers permanently to tattoo the pains of others onto the body of the Tattooed Priestess, and the Tattooed Priestess herself.

After the Unleashing, sometime within the Meiji period, Shrine Carpenters were summoned to build onto the shrine and seal it. When the construction was complete, the place was abandoned.

During Rei's time (1988), the abandoned ruin is connected with ghost stories and urban legends, and is reputed to be a place where you can meet the dead or see dead loved ones.

Also Known As

• House of Sleep
• Manor of Sleep

Known residents

• Kuze Family

Yashuu Kuze, Kyouka Kuze, & Amane Kuze

• Tattooed Priestess

Reika Kuze

• Engravers
• Handmaidens

Hisame Kuze, Amane Kuze, Shigure Kuze, & Minamo Kuze

Hired Workers

• Tengai Narumi - Master Builder
• Engraved Men

Shigeomi Moriya, Nirei Moriya, Tatsumi Moriya and Inui Moriya

• Men in White

Visitors

• Akito Kashiwagi
• Kaname Ototsuki
• Kei Amakura
• Rei Kurosawa
• Miku Hinasaki

Misc Info

• The Kuze Shrine is based on an actual abandoned house in Japan that Makoto Shibata used to play in as a child.

See Also

• For Fan Theories related to the Kuze Shrine, see Theory: Kuze Shrine.