The Former Kaichi School in Matsumoto is one of Japan’s most remarkable surviving school buildings from the early Meiji period. Completed in 1876, it is an outstanding example of Giyofu architecture, a uniquely Japanese style that combines Western architectural ideas with traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
Originally built in Honmachi in central Matsumoto, the school building was later carefully relocated to its present site in Kaichi, where it has been preserved as an important reminder of Japan’s rapid transformation during the Meiji era.
The building served as the home of Kaichi Elementary School until 1963, remaining a place of education for nearly a century. Its exceptional historical and architectural value was officially recognized in 2019, when it became the first modern school building in Japan to be designated a National Treasure.
Today, the Former Kaichi School is open to the public as a branch of the Matsumoto City Museum. Visitors can step inside the historic building and discover how education and Western ideas were introduced to Japan during the era of rapid modernization.
The history of Kaichi School can be traced back to Sukyokan, the domain school of the Matsumoto domain. Following the Meiji Restoration, the institution changed its form several times as Japan’s political and educational systems were reorganized.
In 1873, it was established as the First Elementary School Kaichi under Japan’s new national education system. The name “Kaichi” is believed to have been inspired by the official educational ideal of the time: “opening the intellect and developing one’s abilities and talents.”
Kaichi School was also notable for introducing Western-style studies, or “English studies,” at a time when Japan was actively seeking knowledge from abroad. This made the school an important symbol of the country’s new approach to education.
When the school was first established, it used a former building belonging to Zenkui-in Temple, the family temple of the former Matsumoto domain lords, as a temporary schoolhouse.
As demand for modern education increased, a new school building was constructed in 1876 on the former temple grounds. Construction was carried out under the direction of Nagayama Moriteru, the government official responsible for the former Chikuma Prefecture.
The construction cost approximately 11,000 yen at the time, an enormous sum that is often estimated to be equivalent to roughly 200–300 million yen in today’s value. Most of the money was raised through donations from residents of Matsumoto, demonstrating how strongly the local community supported the development of education.
The scale of public enthusiasm was extraordinary. Tens of thousands of people are said to have gathered for the building’s roof-raising ceremony and opening ceremony, reflecting the hopes placed in modern education during the early Meiji period.
In the same year the new school building was completed, a secondary-level institution known as the 17th Middle School was established alongside it. This institution eventually developed into what is now Matsumoto Fukashi High School.
As Japan’s education system continued to evolve, Kaichi School changed its official name and organizational structure several times. Throughout these changes, the school remained an important center of elementary education in Matsumoto.
The building attracted attention beyond Japan as well. Photographs of the school were exhibited at the 1884 World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition in New Orleans and the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, demonstrating the international curiosity surrounding Japan’s rapidly modernizing architecture and education system.
After nearly a century of educational use, the school building was designated an Important Cultural Property in 1961. In 1964, it was relocated to its present location and restored.
Beginning in 1965, the building was opened to the public as an educational museum. Generations of visitors have since explored its classrooms and exhibits, learning about the history of education in modern Japan.
In 2019, its importance was elevated further when the Former Kaichi School was designated a National Treasure of Japan. It became the first school building from Japan’s modern period to receive this highest level of cultural heritage designation.
The Former Kaichi School was designed and constructed by Kiyoshige Tateishi, a master carpenter from Matsumoto. Tateishi had traveled to Yokohama and Tokyo to study the latest architectural techniques and incorporated what he learned into traditional Japanese woodworking.
The result was a distinctive form of Giyofu architecture. Rather than simply copying Western buildings, Japanese craftsmen interpreted Western architectural forms through their own techniques, materials, decorative traditions, and aesthetic sensibilities.
The building is a two-story wooden structure with a hipped roof. Its plaster-covered exterior was designed to resemble a Western stone building, creating an impressive appearance despite its traditional wooden construction.
At the center rises an octagonal tower, while the main entrance features elaborate decorative carvings, including dragons and angels. These details create a fascinating mixture of Japanese and Western imagery.
The building is also associated with the nickname “Giyaman School”, inspired by the approximately 2,500 pieces of colored glass incorporated into the architecture. The colorful glass was a striking symbol of the new materials and foreign influences entering Japan during the Meiji period.
The first floor is organized around a central corridor, with classrooms and staff rooms arranged along it. The second floor contains a spacious assembly hall.
Although Western architectural elements are prominent, traditional Japanese columns, woodwork, and decorative techniques remain visible throughout the building. This combination makes the school an especially valuable example of how Japanese craftsmen interpreted Western architecture rather than simply reproducing it.
The Former Kaichi School is important not only because of its appearance but also because researchers can trace how the building was designed and constructed.
Documents left by Kiyoshige Tateishi, including his Tokyo Depature Record and Construction and Repair Record, provide clues about the buildings he studied and the process by which he developed the school’s design.
Because the building’s architectural influences and construction process can be examined through surviving historical documents, the Former Kaichi School is an especially valuable resource for the study of Japan’s architectural history during the early Meiji period.
The innovative design of Kaichi School influenced school architecture in other parts of the region. Examples include the former Yamabe School in Matsumoto, Takashima School in Suwa, and Kakuchi School in Sakaki.
These buildings represent the rapid development of educational facilities during the Meiji period, when Japan was establishing a modern national education system while still drawing heavily on traditional building techniques and local craftsmanship.
Today, the Former Kaichi School offers visitors an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of a Japanese school from more than a century ago.
Inside the building, exhibits recreate elements of the original classrooms and introduce historical materials related to education. Rather than simply viewing the building from outside, visitors can explore the rooms and imagine what studying at a modern school in early Meiji-era Japan would have been like.
The school is particularly interesting for international visitors because its architecture reflects a fascinating moment in Japanese history. After centuries of limited foreign contact, Japan was rapidly absorbing new technologies, educational ideas, architectural styles, and cultural influences from overseas.
The Former Kaichi School stands as a vivid symbol of Japan’s transformation from a feudal society into a modern nation. Its elaborate Western-inspired appearance tells the story of a country eager to embrace new ideas, while its traditional wooden construction and Japanese decorative details reveal the persistence of local craftsmanship and cultural identity.
The fact that the building was largely funded by local residents is equally important. The school was not simply an official government project; it represented the community’s desire to provide education for the next generation.
More than a century after its construction, the building continues to communicate that spirit. Its classrooms, colorful glass, carved decorations, wooden structure, and historical exhibits allow visitors to see how the ideals of the Meiji era took physical form in Matsumoto.
The Former Kaichi School is conveniently located within the historic center of Matsumoto and can easily be included in a walking tour of the city’s major cultural attractions.
It takes approximately 20 minutes on foot from JR Matsumoto Station or JR Kita-Matsumoto Station. Visitors can also take the Town Sneaker North Course, Matsumoto’s sightseeing loop bus, and get off at the Former Kaichi School bus stop.
Its proximity to other historic attractions makes it particularly easy to combine with a visit to Matsumoto Castle and the traditional streets of the former castle town.
The Former Kaichi School is much more than a beautiful historic building. It is a place where architecture, education, local community history, and Japan’s modernization come together.
From the extraordinary community effort that funded its construction to the Western ideas incorporated into its design, every part of the building reflects the excitement and challenges of the early Meiji period.
For travelers exploring Matsumoto, a visit here offers a valuable complement to the city’s samurai heritage and Matsumoto Castle. Standing inside this elegant wooden schoolhouse, visitors can gain a different perspective on Japan’s history and discover how education helped shape the modern country.