A Long Timber School Built with Disaster in Mind
The Former Kamiakizu Elementary School Building (Akizuno Garten) (旧上秋津小学校校舎（秋津野ガルテン）) is a timber school building of 1953, altered in 2008 in Kamiakizu, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, and was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property (structure) on February 17, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency records a two-storey timber building with a tiled roof, covering 667 square metres; registration number 30-0319.
A Long Timber School in a Farming Village
The former Kamiakizu Elementary School (Akizuno Garten) is a long timber school in a farming village along a river: two storeys under a gabled pantile roof, with clapboarded walls and plaster at the eaves (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Classrooms open off a single corridor, and an upstairs escape route leads to the hill behind. Concrete partition walls and fire doors, earthen partitions in the king-post roof, and braces and knee braces show a strong concern for disaster safety (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Why It Was Registered
The Agency registered it for its contribution to the historic landscape, a long timber school built with disaster safety in mind.
What to Look For
Look for the escape route from the upper floor to the hill and the concrete partitions and fire doors (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Visiting
It is known by the name Akizuno Garten, and no official information on use or visiting was found.
Q&A
- When was the school built?
- In 1953, with alterations in 2008 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- How was it made safe?
- An escape route to the hill, concrete partitions and fire doors.
- How is Kamiakizu read?
- Ka-mi-a-ki-zu, according to the Japan Post postcode data.
- How is Akizuno read?
- A-ki-zu-no, according to the Agency's reading.
- When was the Former Kamiakizu Elementary School Building (Akizuno Garten) registered?
- On February 17, 2022 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
Basic Information
| Name | Former Kamiakizu Elementary School Building (Akizuno Garten) (旧上秋津小学校校舎（秋津野ガルテン）) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4558-8 Kamiakizu, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture |
| Designation | Registered Tangible Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Registered 2022/02/17 (Reiwa 4) |
| Quantity | 1 building |
| Dimensions | Two-storey timber, tiled roof, 667 m² |
| Owner | Kamiakizu community association (Public Interest Incorporated Association) |
| Public Access | Use not confirmed |
References
- Former Kamiakizu Elementary School Building (Akizuno Garten) (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/101/00014199
Last verified: 2026.10.18