The Training Building at a Glance
The Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building (Former Awashima Seamen's School Classroom Building), 粟島海洋記念館研修棟 in Japanese, is a single-storey timber classroom block completed in 1920 on Awashima island in Takuma-cho, Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 7 June 1999.
One of the school's classroom blocks, it adjoins the Exhibition Hall and stands on the west side of the site, its long axis running north to south. Classrooms open off a corridor along one side. After the school closed, the building was converted into a training facility.
At 471 square metres it has the largest footprint of the five registered structures. The roof is tiled; the registration number is 37-0022, and the owner is Kagawa Prefecture.
Why It Was Registered
It was registered for its contribution to the historic landscape of the country. The Agency for Cultural Affairs notes that the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building broadly follows the Main Building's design, but with 2 deliberate changes: the gable ornament shown on its front and the small canopy over the entrance are both treated differently from the Main Building's facade.
That is a neat piece of campus design from the early 1920s: keep one family of details across the school, then vary them building by building. The Exhibition Hall simply extends the Main Building's front; the Training Building uses the same vocabulary to say something slightly different.
What to Look For
Look for the gable ornament on its front and the canopy above the entrance, then compare both with the half-timbered gable at the centre of the Main Building. Spotting what was kept and what was changed is the whole pleasure of this building.
Because it runs north to south along the western edge of the site, it presents a long flank wall. That length is where its size, the largest of the five, shows.
Visiting the Training Building
The museum has been closed for renovation since 24 December 2021, so the interior of the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building cannot be visited. The Mitoyo tourism bureau lists the closure as running until 31 March 2027 (checked September 2026).
Set at the western end of the site, it is not as squarely in view from the harbour road as the Main Building or the Exhibition Hall. For now you see what the road allows, and photographs are limited to that. Comparing its gable and canopy with the Main Building is best left until the grounds reopen. Ferry details and the museum's overall visiting conditions are on the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum page.
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Q&A
- When was the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building built, and when was it registered?
- It was completed in 1920 and registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property on 7 June 1999, under registration number 37-0022.
- What was the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building originally?
- A classroom block of the Awashima Seamen's School with a corridor along one side. It became a training facility after the school closed.
- Can you go inside the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building now?
- No. The museum has been closed for renovation since 24 December 2021, and the Mitoyo tourism bureau lists the closure as lasting until 31 March 2027.
- How does the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building differ from the Main Building?
- It broadly follows the Main Building's design, but the gable ornament on its front and the canopy over the entrance are treated differently.
- How big is the Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building?
- It is a single-storey timber building with a footprint of 471 square metres, the largest of the five registered structures.
Basic Information
| Name | Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum Training Building (Former Awashima Seamen's School Classroom Building) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1541 Awashima, Takuma-cho, Mitoyo, Kagawa Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Building) |
| Year Designated | Registered 1999/6/7 (Heisei 11) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Timber, single storey, tiled roof, building area 471 square metres |
| Owner | Kagawa Prefecture |
| Public Access | Closed for renovation (scheduled 2021/12/24 to 2027/3/31); exterior viewable from the road where visible |
References
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Training Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001142
- Cultural Heritage Database (Agency for Cultural Affairs): Main Building
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/101/00001140
- Mitoyo City: Awashima
- https://www.city.mitoyo.lg.jp/kakuka/seisaku/sangyo/14_1/2434.html
- Mitoyo City: Registered Tangible Cultural Properties
- https://www.city.mitoyo.lg.jp/kakuka/kyouikuiinkai/shogai/3_1/history_bunnkazai/13938.html
- Mitoyo Tourism Bureau: Awashima Maritime Memorial Museum
- https://www.mitoyo-kanko.com/facility/awashimamuseum/
Last verified: 2026.09.25
