Former Hanawa Elementary School Memorial Hall is a historical exhibition facility housed in a preserved school building in Higashi Town, Midori City, Gunma Prefecture. The wooden schoolhouse was completed in 1931 and has been carefully preserved and opened to the public. On November 20, 2001, it was registered as a Registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan.
Former Hanawa Elementary School was founded in 1873 and played an important role in local education for many decades. The school closed in 2001 following a school consolidation, but strong efforts by local residents led to the building being preserved and reopened as a memorial hall in 2003. On August 1, 2023, the facility reopened after renovation, with expanded and improved exhibits.
The present school building was constructed through a donation from Kaichirō Imaizumi, founder of Japan Steel Tube, now part of JFE Holdings, and a pioneer of Japan’s steelmaking and steel-tube industries.
The two-story wooden building features a gable roof covered with French tiles and traditional weatherboard siding. Its Western-style design preserves many of the characteristics of school architecture from the early Shōwa period.
The building has a corridor running along the north side, while a projecting entrance porch stands at the center of the front facade. Distinctive architectural details include dormer windows with distinctive roof forms and unusual ventilation openings on the roof.
The rooftop ventilation structures are particularly notable because there are few comparable examples elsewhere in Gunma Prefecture, adding to the building’s architectural value.
During the 2023 renovation, the beamed ceilings in the second-floor corridor and some classrooms were restored to more closely resemble their original appearance.
Stepping inside the building offers visitors a strong sense of the atmosphere of an early Shōwa-era school, with wooden floors, classrooms, and corridors that evoke the everyday environment in which generations of local children studied.
Former Hanawa Elementary School is closely associated with two distinguished figures who are remembered with pride in the local community.
Kaichirō Imaizumi was a leading figure in Japan’s industrial development and the founder of Japan Steel Tube. Despite his success in the industrial world, he remained deeply connected to his hometown and donated funds for the construction of the school building.
A bust monument honoring Imaizumi stands on the eastern side of the school grounds. It was erected in 1936 to commemorate his achievements. The monument is made of granite and is traditionally attributed to the architect Chūta Itō.
The other notable figure is Wasaburō Ishihara, often referred to in Japan as the “Father of Children’s Songs.”
Ishihara is widely known as the lyricist of the children’s songs “Usagi to Kame” (The Rabbit and the Tortoise) and “Kintarō.” He also served as principal of Hanawa Elementary School.
His connection with the school was particularly strong, and his work helped convey the importance of education and culture to generations of children in the local community.
The first floor contains a special exhibition room, an exhibition dedicated to Kaichirō Imaizumi, and a room featuring historical educational materials.
A chronological display tracing the history of education from the Meiji Period through the Heisei Period, together with textbooks from different eras, provides an easy-to-understand overview of how education in Japan changed over time.
The corridor also features models of school lunches from different periods, including a recreation of what is regarded as Japan’s first school lunch, served in 1889 in Yamagata Prefecture. These displays offer an interesting look at how school meals developed and are enjoyable for both children and adults.
The second floor includes recreated classrooms from the early Shōwa period and later Shōwa era. Wooden desks and blackboards recreate the atmosphere of an old-fashioned Japanese classroom.
During special events, visitors may even be able to sit at the desks, providing a hands-on way to experience what a traditional schoolroom was like.
The Children’s Songs Room introduces the life and work of Wasaburō Ishihara. Materials transferred from the Children’s Songs Furusato Museum, along with music boxes and other exhibits, create a space that families can enjoy together.
Another exhibition room focuses on the history of the Ashio Line, now operated as the Watarase Keikoku Railway. A recreated waiting room from Kōdo Station and other railway-related materials introduce the development of transportation in the local area.
The granite gateposts at the former school entrance stand approximately 3 meters tall. One of them still bears the inscription “Erected in February 1916”.
The gateposts have shared the school’s long history and preserve an important connection with the original site. They were moved to their present location when the adjacent road was widened, but they continue to convey the atmosphere of the school in earlier times.
The preservation and reopening of Former Hanawa Elementary School Memorial Hall were made possible through the efforts of the local community after the school closed.
The facility therefore serves not only as a place for preserving historic architecture, but also as an important center for passing on the pride, memories, education, and cultural heritage of the local community to future generations.
The warmth of the wooden schoolhouse, the gentle light entering the classrooms, and the sound of footsteps along the corridors all help convey a sense of the children who once studied here.
For visitors to Midori City, the memorial hall offers a unique opportunity to step into a historic Japanese schoolhouse and discover the people, education, and local history that shaped the community.