Saijo Eiko Kindergarten Building: A Hidden Postwar Modernist Gem in Ehime
Tucked beside a mossy moat in the heart of Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture, the Saijo Eiko Kindergarten Building is a quietly remarkable work of postwar Japanese modernism. Designed in the early 1950s by the renowned architect Shizutaro Urabe (1909–1991), the wooden, single-storey building was registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property in February 2021, together with the adjacent Saijo Eiko Church chapel and pastor's residence. For more than seventy years, it has served as a place where children play and learn, while its restrained modernist lines have come to feel as natural a part of the moat-side landscape as the willow trees and seasonal blossoms around it.
An overview of the property
The Saijo Eiko Kindergarten Building stands within the former grounds of Saijo Jinya, the Edo-period administrative seat of the Saijo domain. Built in 1953 to a design by Shizutaro Urabe, the kindergarten is a one-storey wooden structure of approximately 351 square metres. It is connected by a covered walkway to the Saijo Eiko Church chapel (1951) and shares the same architectural vocabulary, forming a unified composition along the inner side of the historic moat. The building is owned and operated by the educational corporation Saijo Eiko Kyokai, which today runs it as a certified ninteikodomoen (combined kindergarten and daycare).
The story behind the kindergarten
The kindergarten's beginnings are inseparable from the history of postwar industrial Saijo. After the Second World War, Kurashiki Rayon (today's Kuraray) expanded its operations in Saijo and welcomed many new workers. Bible study groups began to meet informally in the company dormitories, and the demand to learn Christianity grew so strong that the Saijo Eiko Church was formally established in August 1949.
A donation of one thousand US dollars from the American headquarters of the denomination, combined with support from Kurashiki Rayon and gifts from believers and the wider community, made it possible to construct a chapel in 1951. A kindergarten followed in 1953, founded by the church to express its mission of education for young children. The architect entrusted with the project was Shizutaro Urabe, who at the time worked in the building maintenance department of Kurashiki Rayon and was a close collaborator of the company's president, the visionary industrialist Soichiro Ohara.
Why it was registered as a Cultural Property
On 26 February 2021 the kindergarten building was officially listed in the National Gazette as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. Three reasons stand out for its designation. First, it is a rare and well-preserved example of postwar wooden modernism, a style that combined the traditions of Japanese carpentry with the clean geometry and rational planning then sweeping European architecture. Second, it forms a coherent architectural ensemble with the church and pastor's residence, expressing the religious and educational vision of a small but earnest postwar community. Third, it is an early independent work by Shizutaro Urabe, an architect who would go on to shape much of modern Kurashiki and design celebrated buildings such as Kurashiki International Hotel and Kurashiki Ivy Square. Among the architect's complete works, the Saijo Eiko complex is generally listed first, marking the beginning of his long and influential career.
Architectural highlights to look for
Although modest in scale, the kindergarten rewards close looking. Built in timber frame construction, it stretches gently along the moat and presents a low, welcoming silhouette suited to small children. To create the wide, open classrooms that early childhood education requires, the architect inserted partial Howe trusses of timber into the roof, allowing pillar-free interiors that still feel light and airy.
The building's exterior shares the same understated modernist palette as the chapel: simple proportions, broad eaves, and quiet harmony with the surrounding water and greenery. A covered walkway physically and visually links the kindergarten to the chapel, so that the two buildings read as a single, carefully composed group. Many of the original details, including parts of the chapel's wooden brick floor finish, have survived, and a careful preservation renovation completed in 2020 reinforced the building against earthquakes while respecting its historic character.
The architect: Shizutaro Urabe
Shizutaro Urabe was born in 1909 in what is now Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture. Inspired during his Kyoto Imperial University days by the work of the Dutch architect Willem Dudok, who shaped the town of Hilversum, Urabe dreamed of becoming a "Kurashiki architect." After joining Kurashiki Rayon in 1934, he began working alongside president Soichiro Ohara to weave new architecture into Kurashiki's historic townscape, a partnership that would later produce the Ohara Museum Annex, Kurashiki International Hotel, and Kurashiki Ivy Square. The Saijo Eiko complex, built when Urabe was in his early forties, is regarded as the starting point of this career-long pursuit of "regional modernism."
Visitor information
The Saijo Eiko Kindergarten is an active educational facility, so the building cannot be entered freely. Visitors are warmly welcome to admire its exterior from the public roads and the path along the moat, where the silhouette of the kindergarten and chapel together makes a memorable photograph at any season. Please walk and speak quietly when children are present, and avoid taking close-up photographs of pupils. Those who wish to learn more about the building are encouraged to contact the kindergarten or church office in advance through the official website.
The building stands a short walk from JR Iyo-Saijo Station on the Yosan Line, in the same green corner of the city as Saijo High School, the historic Otemon gate, and the Saijo Local History Museum. It is best appreciated as part of a leisurely walk along the moat, ideally on a clear day when the famous artesian springs of Saijo, known locally as uchinuki, glitter in the sunlight.
Things to see nearby
The grounds of the former Saijo Jinya are a small but rewarding cultural quarter. The handsome Otemon gate, now serving as the main entrance of Ehime Prefectural Saijo High School, still stands at its original site facing the moat and is a beloved local landmark. Just steps away is the Saijo Local History Museum, another work designed by Shizutaro Urabe, where visitors can explore exhibits on the Saijo domain's history and locally collected minerals and folk implements.
- Saijo Jinya Otemon Gate — the surviving main gate of the feudal-era administrative seat, now the entrance to Saijo High School.
- Saijo Local History Museum — a museum of the Saijo domain's history, also designed by Shizutaro Urabe.
- Uchinuki spring water spots — natural artesian springs that have made Saijo famous as a "city of water."
- Ishizuchi Shrine — the principal shrine devoted to Mount Ishizuchi, the highest peak in western Japan.
- Iyo-Saijo Station and Shikoku Railway Culture Centre — celebrating the city's deep ties to Japan's railway history.
- 📍 Plan Your Visit to Ehime
- Find tours, activities & transport passes near Saijo Eiko Kindergarten Building
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Q&A
- Can I go inside the Saijo Eiko Kindergarten Building?
- The kindergarten is an active educational facility, so casual interior visits are not possible. The exterior, however, can be enjoyed at any time from the public road and the moat-side path.
- When was the building constructed and registered as a cultural property?
- The kindergarten was built in 1953 and was officially registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property of Japan in February 2021, together with the adjacent church chapel and pastor's residence.
- Who was the architect, and why is the design considered important?
- It was designed by Shizutaro Urabe, the architect who later became known for buildings such as Kurashiki International Hotel and Kurashiki Ivy Square. The kindergarten is valued as a fine early example of postwar Japanese wooden modernism and as the starting point of his independent career.
- How do I get to the building?
- It is roughly a fifteen to twenty minute walk from JR Iyo-Saijo Station on the Yosan Line. The site is part of the green moat-encircled former castle quarter, easy to reach on foot or by rental bicycle.
- What is the best season to visit?
- Each season offers its own charm. Spring brings cherry blossoms along the moat, summer reflects the deep green of trees in the artesian water, autumn coincides with the spirited Saijo Festival, and winter affords crisp views of the building's clean lines without crowds.
Basic information
| Name | Saijo Eiko Kindergarten Building |
|---|---|
| Designer | Shizutaro Urabe (Maintenance Department, Kurashiki Rayon) |
| Builder | Fujiki Komuten Co., Ltd. |
| Year of completion | 1953 (with later extensions in 1964 and 1979; preservation renovation completed in 2020) |
| Structure | Wooden frame, single storey |
| Floor area | Approximately 351.11 square metres |
| Address | 236-17 Akeyashiki and adjoining sites, Saijo City, Ehime Prefecture |
| Owner | Educational Corporation Saijo Eiko Kyokai |
| Cultural property status | National Registered Tangible Cultural Property (designated 26 February 2021) |
| Access | About a 15 to 20 minute walk from JR Iyo-Saijo Station on the Yosan Line |
References
- Saijo Eiko Kindergarten — Official notice on registration as a National Tangible Cultural Property
- https://saijoeiko.com/国の登録有形文化財として正式に登録されました/
- Ehime Modern Architecture Database — Saijo Eiko Church chapel, pastor's residence and kindergarten
- https://www.i-manabi.jp/system/landmarks/landmarks/show/44
- Saijo Eiko Kindergarten — Official website
- https://saijoeiko.com/
- The Work of Architect Shizutaro Urabe — Gakugei Shuppansha
- https://note.com/gakugei_pub/n/ne0460d129260
- Saijo Jinya — Wikipedia (Japanese)
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/西条陣屋
- Shizutaro Urabe — Wikipedia (Japanese)
- https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/浦辺鎮太郎
Last verified: 2026.05.05