About the Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex
United Church of Christ in Japan Shimamura Church Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex (日本基督教団島村教会島村めぐみ保育園別館) is a single-storey timber nursery building in Yokose, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture, built in 1953 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2008. It belongs to Shimamura Church in Sakaijimamura, Isesaki City, Gunma, and stands diagonally across an intersection from the church lot.
The church and the main nursery building are in Gunma; this annex is in Saitama. The border here zigzags along former courses of the Tone River, so buildings a few dozen meters apart end up registered in different prefectures. The annex carries registration number 11-0119, the 11 marking Saitama.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as timber, single-storey, tile-roofed, with a building area of 61 square meters.
Modeled on the Main Building
Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex was registered on April 18, 2008, the same day as the chapel and nursery main building on the Gunma side.
According to the Agency, the building runs east to west with its front facing north, under a tiled gable roof. At the center of the north side a small entrance projects under a shallow hipped roof of the Yosemune-zukuri type, and a lean-to at the east end holds the lavatories. The walls are clapboard, with plaster at the top of the gable ends.
The Agency sums up the exterior as modeled on the main building. As the church's nursery work grew, it added a small schoolhouse across the road 3 years after the main building and gave it the same face. Buildings that match on both sides of the prefectural line make the nursery read as a single place.
What to Look For
From the road on the north side, you see a long gable roof running east to west with a low-pitched hipped porch jutting from its middle. The contrast between the big gable and the small hip gives this little building its outline.
At the gable ends, white plaster sits above the clapboard. Compare it with the main building across the intersection and look for the same pairing.
Stand at the intersection and you can see the chapel and main building in Gunma and the annex in Saitama at once. The spread of 3 buildings across a prefectural border is what makes this corner unusual.
Visiting United Church of Christ in Japan Shimamura Church Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex
The annex is in use as part of the nursery and its interior is not open. Keep to viewing the exterior from the road, take particular care at drop-off and pick-up times, and avoid photographing children.
The Isesaki tourism association says the Shimamura Church buildings can be viewed from outside at any time, and that interior visits are possible for groups only, by reservation through the Isesaki City Cultural Properties Division.
By public transport, take the Isesaki City community bus Aozora from Sakaimachi Station on the Tobu Isesaki Line to Shimamura Kaiko no Furusato Park. The association's walking plan puts Shimamura Church about 10 minutes on foot from the Former Residence of Tajima Yahei, a World Heritage component, and the annex is diagonally across from the church.
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Q&A
- When was Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex built?
- It was built in 1953 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on April 18, 2008.
- Why is the Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex in Saitama when the church is in Gunma?
- The annex stands diagonally across the intersection from the church, and that plot falls within Yokose, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture.
- What does Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex look like?
- A gabled, tile-roofed east-west block facing north, with a low hipped entrance porch in the middle, clapboard walls and plastered gable tops that follow the main building.
- Can visitors go inside the Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex?
- No. It is in use by the nursery, so please view it from the road.
- How do I reach United Church of Christ in Japan Shimamura Church Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex?
- Take the Aozora community bus from Sakaimachi Station to Shimamura Kaiko no Furusato Park. The church is about 10 minutes on foot from the Tajima Yahei residence, and the annex is diagonally opposite.
Basic Information
| Name | United Church of Christ in Japan Shimamura Church Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex (日本基督教団島村教会島村めぐみ保育園別館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 68-1 Aza Shoden, Yokose, Fukaya City, Saitama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2008/4/18 (Heisei 20) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Building area 61㎡ (timber, single storey, tile roof) |
| Owner | Shimamura Church, United Church of Christ in Japan (religious corporation) |
| Public Access | Exterior visible from the road; interior closed (nursery in use) |
References
- Database of National Cultural Properties (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Shimamura Megumi Nursery School Annex
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00007004
- Walking Plan 3: Former Residence of Tajima Yahei, Isesaki Tourism Association
- https://isesaki-kankou.com/access/tour_plan_index/tour_plan03/
- Shimamura Megumi Nursery School
- https://simamura-megumi.com/
Last verified: 2026.09.24