Iwashina School

Iwashina School, completed in September 1880, is a masterpiece of quasi western-style architecture in which items characteristic to western architecture, such as the curved lines in its white balconies, were incorporated into traditional Japanese shrine-style architecture.

In Japan, this school building is known as a place symbolizing the Westernization during the Meiji period (1868-1912), along with the former Mutsuzawa School in Kofu city, and the former Kaichi Gakuen School in Matsumoto city.
When Iwashina School was built, education was being enthusiastically promoted in Matsuzaki town, and donations collected for building the school accounted for about 40% of its total construction costs.

Highlights

A work of calligraphy that reads “Iwashina School” is hung at the front entrance and was written by Sanetomi Sanjo, known as the last “Daijo Daijin (Grand Minister)”.
Chohachi Irie, who was a plasterer and artist from Matsuzaki town, created a sculpture of a dragon carved above the calligraphy.
In addition, on a ranma screen in a Japanese style room called “Tsuru no ma” in the west part of the second floor, you can see numerous cranes created by Chohachi, and they look like they are flying towards a red alcove which looks like a sunrise.

Iwashina village’s office building was relocated to a school garden, and it is used as a cafe called “Kaikatei”.
Also, in the garden there is a sign with a four-character slogan that reads “Iwashina tate! (Stand up, Iwashina!)”.
It is displayed on a traditional-looking bulletin board.
Iwashina Elementary School was designated as an important cultural asset by the government in 1975, as it is the oldest existing elementary school in the Izu area, and now it serves as a museum where items such as old textbooks and agricultural tools are displayed, and where traditional classrooms are reproduced and can be seen.

Facility information

Telephone: 0558-42-2675

Opening Hours: 9:00～17:00

Closed: Open all year round

Address: 442, Iwashina-hokusoku, Matsuzaki-cho, Kamogun, Shizuoka

Charge: Adults: 300 yen, Junior high school students and younger children are free

Website: http://www.izu-matsuzaki.com/publics/index/54/

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Iwashina School

Iwashina School

Highlights

Facility information

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