Yamaku Academy

Yamaku High School - Setting of Katawa Shoujo

Yamaku Academy (山久学園, Yamaku Gakuen), sometimes known as Yamaku High School (山久高校, Yamaku Kōkō) in early releases, is a high school for the disabled, located somewhere in modern Japan. It is the main setting of Katawa Shoujo.

Description[edit | edit source]

Yamaku Academy resides in a gated campus resting atop a hill that overlooks a small town that gives the perception of being in a remote location, even if a city is not too far away. Inside, the school grounds are prominently filled with well-maintained green space and gardens with a clear path that leads to the various facilities therein. The school building proper is a brick-and-mortar construction that is joined by the smaller auxiliary building of the same build. In contrast to the older aesthetic of the exterior, the interior of the school was heavily modernized and created with the school's special accommodations in mind, with wide hallways and handrails in abundance. Through the course of the game, Hisao experiences the school through five different levels: the lobby, the cafeteria, the second floor, the third floor, and the roof. The lobby is present upon entering through the main entrance and is situated on a floor above the cafeteria. The second and third floors are virtually identical to each other, save for their facilities, with the second floor notable for its large library and a quiet de facto "tea room" utilized by Lilly and Hanako, and the third floor being the location for all of the senior classes including Hisao's 3-3 as well as the art room amongst the other unused classrooms. The roof is accessed through a set of dilapidated stairs and is lined with gravel and bordered with a chain-linked fence, some of which have collapsed. Run-down benches are scattered around the edge, offering a spot of tranquility in the school grounds.

The auxiliary building holds most of the official businesses of the school, such as matters relating to the Yamaku Foundation. However, more relevant to the specific needs of Yamaku, the auxiliary building also tends to the medical needs of the student body with its 24-hour nursing staff. The level of care provided here ranges from a casual visit to the head nurse's office on the first floor to the swimming pool for physical therapy.

Located some distance away from the main buildings, past the gardens are the dormitories, set on a slightly raised ground. Much like the school building, the interior of the building was renovated to be accommodating to the student body, although it was noted that their origin as unused buildings on the campus made their layout less intuitive than the school building. The dorms provide a home for most of the students and are divided by gender. Within the male dormitory, the layout is established by four rooms per corridor that branch off the main hallway, each sharing a bathroom unit. The multiple floors can be accessed by both the stairs and elevators.

Also within the school grounds are the running track that is frequented by the track team and various other sporting activities.

The Student Body[edit | edit source]

While Yamaku Academy primarily caters to students with various physical disabilities, they will occasionally accept those who are able-bodied as well. However, they will not accept mentally-disabled students.

The school uniform of Yamaku is not actually a single mandatory uniform. Instead, it's a collection of clothing articles that the students can combine for their attire. This allows students to choose clothing that better fits their disability (such as Rin and Miki).

Important Locations[edit | edit source]

Yamaku High features several locations:

Main Building
Medical Building
Library
Gym
Male and Female Dorms
Running Track
Pool (talked about, but never explicitly shown)
Cafeteria
Yamaku foundation offices

Clubs and Teams[edit | edit source]

Yamaku Academy has many clubs, actively pushing students to join them:

Art Club
Book Club (stated by Misha to be the most popular club)
Music Club (mentioned by Lilly)
- The Deaf Band (mentioned by Misha; it's unknown if this is part of the music club or a separate entity)
Literature Club (mentioned by Lilly and Misha on random occasions)
School Newspaper (Hanako joins this club during Lilly's route)
Photography Club
Science Club (started by Hisao and Mutou in Emi's route)

Additionally, there are two sports teams:

Track Team
Baseball Team (mentioned by Lilly)

List of Known Students and Staff[edit | edit source]

Students[edit | edit source]

Staff[edit | edit source]

Trivia[edit | edit source]

Hisao, upon first seeing it, comments on the gate being too 'pompous' for what it is.
Despite having a 'grand' exterior, classrooms and other areas appear quite plain and simple, with basic wooden desks, old windows and classic blackboards (but as Hisao would say: 'Simple and efficient.').
It is suggested that Yamaku has a large amount of funding, which would explain its size and its many features.
"Yamaku" is not a real Japanese word.
Some of the photos of the academy are actual photos of Brown University.
Yamaku's exact location is never explicitly revealed. However, a few hints exist as to its possible location:
- Iwanako's Letter is addressed to a "City Miyagi." The place in Japan with the closest name would be Sendai City, capital of the Miyagi Prefecture.
- cpl_crud of Four Leaf Studios, after the release of the game, revealed that while he was photographing the city of Sendai for research, he imagined Yamaku as being in the location of the remains of the Sendai Castle (located here).
When asked if Yamaku's mascot was a fish, Aura replied "Sure. Why not?"
It is not entirely clear where the Student Council room is. In Risk vs. Reward, it is stated that it is "as simple as turning two corners" from the first-floor lobby. However, occasionally in Shizune's route, the background graphic that shows up when Hisao leaves the Student Council room is often associated with the third floor hallway.

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