The Administrative Wing at the Center of the Plan
The Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building (旧鮎川小学校中央校舎棟, Kyū Ayukawa Shōgakkō Chūō Kōshatō) is a single-storey wooden school wing in Machimura, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, built in 1953 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 23, 2012.
It stands in the middle of the three classroom wings lined up on the western side of the campus. The building is long and low, running east to west under a gabled roof of interlocking pantiles, with a building area of 649 square meters. A covered passage links it to the North Building, and an entrance hall and passage link it to the South Building.
The campus plan is symmetrical, with the North and South Buildings set at roughly equal distances on either side of this one. The wing that held the school's offices is also the axis of the whole layout.
A Front Door for Guests and a Row of Offices
The Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes an entrance at the north end of the east front, a corridor along the north side, and, from east to west, the principal's office, the staff room, special classrooms and other rooms.
The three entrance halls between the school's wings were built to the same size and spaced evenly. According to the Yurihonjo City Board of Education, only the one serving the Central Building on its east side was designed with staff and visitors in mind. Separate from the pupils' entrances, the school's formal front door belonged to this wing.
The city's floor plan puts the principal's office and a records room in the eastern corner, followed to the west by the staff room, 10.92 m wide and one of the largest rooms in the school. Farther west comes a string of small rooms (broadcasting room, special classroom, nurse's room, rest room, changing rooms), and across a passage at the west end sit the home economics room, toilets and a storeroom.
Compared with the North and South Buildings, where identical classrooms repeat along the corridor, the Central Building has rooms of every size and the most intricate plan of the four. This was where teachers worked, visitors were received and a sick child went to lie down, all under one roof.
What to See in the Ayukawa Central Building
Start with the lapped board cladding outside. Horizontal boards, each overlapping the one below, are painted dark brown, and the posts and window frames are outlined in white. The Agency for Cultural Affairs writes that the cladding gives the building a restful, calming appearance.
The entrance on the east side is unique to the Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building. From the schoolyard, look into the gap between the North and Central Buildings: it is the same size as the other entrance halls, but this is the one that was treated as the guests' door.
Inside, walk the north corridor and you will notice that the doorways are not evenly spaced. After the wide staff room come the doors of small rooms in quick succession. Set against the regular beat of the North Building corridor, the difference in the two wings' roles is easy to read.
The floors were sanded in a 1991 renovation, and the outer windows were replaced with metal sashes in 1997. The cedar floors, wainscoting and wooden fittings date from the original construction.
Visiting the Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building
The Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building lies in the free zone of the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan. It houses the Kitchen Café kino, a volunteer room, a nursing room, a woodworking room and an accessible toilet, so you can walk its corridor and see the interior without buying an admission ticket.
The café serves drinks from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Lunch starts at 11:00 a.m. and runs until about 1:45 p.m. on weekdays and 2:00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays. No admission is needed if you only come to eat.
The woodworking room hosts hands-on sessions and workshops using real tools, for which there is a fee. Dates are posted on the event calendar of the official website.
The corridor of the Central Building is cedar-floored like the rest, so indoor shoes are worth bringing.
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Q&A
- What was the Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building used for?
- The Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building was the administrative wing, holding the principal's office, the staff room and special classrooms. It had the entrance designed for visitors and sits at the center of the symmetrical campus plan.
- When was the Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building built and registered?
- It was built in 1953 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 23, 2012. It was renovated in 1991 and 1997.
- Can I enter the Ayukawa Central Building without an admission ticket?
- Yes. It is in the free zone of the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan, with a café, a nursing room and toilets. The paid areas are the play rooms of the North Building and the gymnasium.
- What are the café hours in the Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building?
- Kitchen Café kino is open from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Lunch is served from 11:00 a.m. until about 1:45 p.m. on weekdays and 2:00 p.m. on weekends and public holidays.
- What should I notice on the outside of the Ayukawa Central Building?
- The dark brown lapped board cladding with its white trim, and the visitors' entrance on the east side. Both are easiest to see from the schoolyard.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building |
|---|---|
| Location | 65-1 Narusedai, Machimura, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered February 23, 2012 (Heisei 24) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 649 m² |
| Owner | Yurihonjo City |
| Public Access | Open as part of the free zone of the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009120
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Ayukawa Elementary School Central Building (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/243593
- Yurihonjo City: Former Ayukawa Elementary School (Japanese)
- https://www.city.yurihonjo.lg.jp/1001503/1002098/1002113/1002126/1003562.html
- Yurihonjo City Board of Education: Former Ayukawa Elementary School, background paper (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yurihonjo.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/003/562/1003562_003.pdf
- Yurihonjo City: Former Ayukawa Elementary School floor plan (PDF, Japanese)
- https://www.city.yurihonjo.lg.jp/_res/projects/default_project/_page_/001/003/562/1003562_004.pdf
- Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan: Floor Guide (Japanese)
- https://chokaisan-wtm.jp/floorguide/
- Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan: FAQ (Japanese)
- https://chokaisan-wtm.jp/info/qanda/
Last verified: 2026.09.24
