A Classroom Wing Strung Along One Long Corridor
The Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building (旧鮎川小学校北校舎棟, Kyū Ayukawa Shōgakkō Kita Kōshatō) is a single-storey wooden classroom wing in Machimura, Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, built in 1953 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 23, 2012.
It runs east to west between the gymnasium and the Central Building, under a gabled roof of interlocking pantiles, and covers 571 square meters. An entrance hall connects it to the gymnasium on its north side.
The city's floor plan gives the North Building a length of 62.78 m and a depth of 9.1 m. The northern 2.27 m is corridor and the southern 6.83 m is classroom space, and the standard classroom is 9.1 m wide.
The Room Sequence and the Corridor Wall
The Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building was registered as a building that contributes to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs describes its layout in some detail.
The corridor runs along the north side. The library occupied the east end, the music room the west end, and ordinary classrooms filled the space between. The floor plan shows three ordinary classrooms, a preparation room to their west and one more room beyond that, labelled a computer room when the plan was drawn.
On the corridor side, each classroom wall has a doorway at either end, with wooden wainscoting and a band of sliding windows in between. Because every classroom follows the same layout, the corridor wall repeats one rhythm from end to end: door, wainscot, windows, door. The Agency calls the long corridor, lined with uninterrupted wooden fittings, a calm and gentle space.
The music room was altered later. According to the Yurihonjo City Board of Education, the partition between it and the corridor was taken out in December 1975, giving the room its present open form. The floors were sanded in a 1991 renovation, and in 1997 the outer windows were replaced with metal sashes. The wooden fittings on the corridor side are original.
What to See in the Ayukawa North Building
The highlight of the Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building is its corridor, a single straight run of 62.78 m. Above the cedar floor, the vertical boards of the wainscot and the sliding windows over them continue in regular order. Stand at one end and look toward the other to feel the full length of the building.
Notice too how evenly the classrooms are sized. Each is 9.1 m wide, and wherever two rooms meet, their doorways appear as a pair. Just walking the corridor shows that the whole building is assembled from one repeated module.
At the west end, the former music room has lost its partition wall, so its boundary with the corridor is less distinct than in the other rooms. This is where the 1975 alteration can be seen on the spot.
Today the North Building houses the reception desk and toy shop of the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan, two play rooms with more than 100 kinds of wooden toys, a crawling room for children aged 2 and under, a toy-making workshop and a children's theater in the old music room. The crawling room is floored with Akita cedar boards.
Visiting the Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building
The North Building is the way into the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan. Reception is at its east end, where you buy tickets. The reception area and toy shop can be entered without a ticket, but most of the rooms farther west are in the paid zone, where admission is 810 yen for adults and 610 yen for children.
Once inside the paid zone you can walk the Ayukawa corridor from end to end. The building is a children's play space, so at busy times it can be hard to see down the corridor. If you want to study the architecture, come soon after opening.
Strollers cannot be used inside and are left at the front entrance. Children of elementary school age and younger must come with an adult.
Photography is allowed, but flash and tripods are not.
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Q&A
- What rooms were in the Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building?
- The Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building had its corridor on the north side, the library at the east end, the music room at the west end and ordinary classrooms in between. The floor plan shows three ordinary classrooms and a preparation room.
- When was the Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building built and registered?
- It was built in 1953 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on February 23, 2012. It was altered in 1975, 1991 and 1997.
- Do I need a ticket to enter the Ayukawa North Building?
- The reception area and toy shop at the east end are free. The play rooms and corridor beyond are in the paid zone of the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan, at 810 yen for adults and 610 yen for children.
- What should I look at in the corridor of the Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building?
- The wooden fittings, which repeat the same sequence for every classroom: doorway, wainscot, sliding windows, doorway. Looking down the full 62.78 m of the corridor makes the rhythm clear.
- Is the Ayukawa North Building suitable for visitors with babies?
- Yes. There is a crawling room for children aged 2 and under, and a nursing room. Strollers, however, must be left at the front entrance.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Ayukawa Elementary School North 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 571 m² |
| Owner | Yurihonjo City |
| Public Access | Open as the reception area and paid zone of the Chokaisan Kino Omocha Kan |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs, Database of National Cultural Properties: Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00009119
- Cultural Heritage Online: Former Ayukawa Elementary School North Building (Japanese)
- https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/heritages/detail/228992
- 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
