A Grand Wooden School of 1910
The Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building (旧米沢高等工業学校本館, Kyū Yonezawa Kōtō Kōgyō Gakkō Honkan) is a timber school building completed in 1910 on the campus of the Yamagata University Faculty of Engineering in Jonan, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture, and was designated an Important Cultural Property on June 2, 1973 (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records a two-storey timber building with a building area of 1,305.8 square metres and roofs of iron sheet and pantiles, designated together with 90 design drawings and 1 book of construction specifications; designation number 01884, owned by Yamagata University.
Japan's Seventh Higher Technical School
According to Yamagata University, the Yonezawa Higher Technical School opened in March 1910 as the seventh in Japan, after Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kumamoto and Sendai. A Ministry of Education building office was set up in Yonezawa in July 1908, work began in January 1909 and the main building was completed in July 1910.
Yamagata Prefecture notes that Yonezawa, with its long history of dyeing and weaving, attracted a national school centred on textiles, and that the first departments were dyeing and weaving, and applied chemistry. The school became the Yonezawa Technical College in 1944 and the Yamagata University Faculty of Engineering in 1949 (Yamagata University). The prefecture names the architect as 中島泉次郎.
Why It Was Designated
The Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1973. The Agency for Cultural Affairs praises a large building with a front 94 metres long, based on the Renaissance style, with an especially fine central facade. Yamagata Prefecture regards it as a valuable survivor of the higher technical schools built in the late Meiji period.
What to Look For
According to Yamagata University, the building faces north, with wings running left and right from a central block and short end wings at each side. The roofs are hipped; small tower-like stair halls project at each end of the central front, and the main entrance has a carriage porch. The walls are clad in clapboard and the interiors are plastered.
Inside, look for the plaster ornament around the staircases and on the ceiling of the upstairs meeting room, as well as the tiered science lecture room at the rear of the west side; the rooms now house displays on each department of the old school (Yamagata University; Yamagata Prefecture). The university adds that the building served as the model for the present Yonezawa Station.
Visiting
According to Yamagata University, the exterior can be viewed freely after checking in at the guardhouse at the main gate. To see the interior, check the open days on the university calendar and book, in principle at least 3 days ahead, by phone (Public Relations Office, 0238-26-3005) or through the online form; tours may not be possible when no guide is available.
Opening hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (to 3 p.m. from December to March). The exterior walls are under repair, but the interior is open (Yamagata University). Admission is free; take a bus from Yonezawa Station, about 12 minutes, to Yamadai-mae and walk 5 minutes (Yamagata tourism site).
Q&A
- When was the Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building built?
- Work began in January 1909 and it was completed in July 1910 (Yamagata University).
- How big is the building?
- A two-storey timber building with a front 94 metres long and a building area of 1,305.8 square metres (Agency for Cultural Affairs).
- Can I go inside?
- Yes, on open days with advance booking, in principle 3 days ahead, through the Yamagata University Faculty of Engineering (0238-26-3005) or its online form (Yamagata University).
- What should I look for?
- The Renaissance-style central facade and the plaster ornament around the staircases and on the meeting room ceiling (Agency for Cultural Affairs; Yamagata University).
- When was the Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building designated?
- On June 2, 1973, together with 90 design drawings and 1 book of construction specifications.
Basic Information
| Name | Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building (旧米沢高等工業学校本館) |
|---|---|
| Location | 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture (Yamagata University Faculty of Engineering) |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (Structure) |
| Year Designated | Designated 1973/06/02 (Showa 48) |
| Quantity | 1 building (with 90 design drawings and 1 book of specifications) |
| Dimensions | Timber, building area 1,305.8 square metres, two storeys, iron sheet and pantile roofs |
| Owner | Yamagata University |
| Public Access | Exterior open freely; interior on open days by advance booking (free) |
References
- Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building (Database of National Cultural Properties, Agency for Cultural Affairs)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/102/184
- Guide to the building (Yamagata University Faculty of Engineering, Japanese)
- https://www.yz.yamagata-u.ac.jp/school/old-yonezawa/guide/
- Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building (Yamagata Prefecture, Japanese)
- https://www.pref.yamagata.jp/110001/sangyo/sangyoushinkou/him_top/him_maincat1/him_04.html
- Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building (Yamagata tourism site, Japanese)
- https://yamagatakanko.com/attractions/detail_1878.html
Last verified: 2026.10.14