A 1929 Timber School in Jinsekikogen
The Ono Community Center (former Ono Elementary School Building) (小野公民館（旧小野尋常小学校校舎）) is a single-storey timber school building of 1929 at Ono, Jinsekikogen Town, Jinseki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on July 1, 2003. It is now used as a community centre (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records it as a single-storey timber building with a tiled roof and a building area of 761 square metres; registration number 34-0042, owned by Jinsekikogen Town.
The Village School of Ono
According to Hiroshima Prefecture's Hiroshima building stories, it was built as the school of the former Ono village, with construction completed on October 7, 1929; the architect is unknown.
Its design was typical of early Showa timber schools, but few such buildings survive in the prefecture, making it valuable (Hiroshima Prefecture).
Why It Was Registered
The Ono Community Center was registered as a building that has become a model of design. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that timber school buildings are now rare in Hiroshima Prefecture, and that this one conveys what early Showa school buildings were like.
What to Look For
The Ono Community Center is a single-storey building on a long east-west rectangular plan, with a corridor 2.1 metres wide along the north side and classrooms to the south (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The main entrance opens at the centre, and the pupils' entrance is at the west end (Agency for Cultural Affairs). Hiroshima Prefecture explains that the classrooms face south and the corridor north for daylight.
The exterior is clad in clapboard, and many of the original wooden window frames survive (Hiroshima Prefecture), preserving the look of an early Showa timber school.
Visiting the Ono Community Center
The Ono Community Center is in use as a Jinsekikogen Town community education facility, and we found no official information on visits. The Agency for Cultural Affairs gives the address as 900-2 Ono, while Hiroshima Prefecture gives 745-1 Ono, Jinsekikogen Town.
Q&A
- When was the Ono Community Center built?
- In 1929 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How is the Ono Community Center laid out?
- A long single-storey block with a north corridor, classrooms on the south, a central entrance and a pupils' entrance at the west end (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Why is the Ono Community Center valued?
- Timber schools are rare in Hiroshima, and it shows early Showa school design (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can you visit the Ono Community Center?
- It is in use as a community centre; there is no official visiting information.
- When was the Ono Community Center registered?
- On July 1, 2003.
Basic Information
| Name | Ono Community Center (former Ono Elementary School Building) (小野公民館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 900-2 Ono, Jinsekikogen Town, Jinseki District, Hiroshima Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2003/7/1 (Heisei 15) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Single-storey timber building, tiled roof, building area 761 square metres |
| Owner | Jinsekikogen Town |
| Public Access | In use as a community centre (no official visiting information) |
References
- Ono Community Center (former Ono Elementary School Building) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00003470
- Ono community education facility (Hiroshima building stories, Hiroshima Prefecture)
- https://www.pref.hiroshima.lg.jp/soshiki_file/tatemonogatari/page036.html
Last verified: 2026.10.08