Kaimei School

Overview

Kaimei School is a Giyofu-style (quasi-Western) former elementary school building in Unomachi, Uwa, Seiyo, Ehime Prefecture, and is known as the oldest school in Shikoku. Built in 1882, it now serves as a museum that stores and displays roughly 6,000 documents. The building is designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Highlights

• ●An 1882 school building said to be the oldest in Shikoku
• ●Giyofu architecture with striking white walls and arched windows
• ●Designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1997
• ●Around 6,000 textbooks and school documents on display

History

Kaimei School was built in 1882 (Meiji 15) in the former town of Uwa, Higashiuwa District (now part of Seiyo). Regarded as the oldest school in Shikoku, it is distinguished by its Giyofu architecture with white plaster walls and arched windows. In May 1997 it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan. Inside, some 6,000 valuable documents are preserved and exhibited, including textbooks from the Edo period through the early Showa era and records of school administration.

Map

33.3642, 132.5136 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Walk the historic streets of Unomachi to reach Kaimei School
2. 2Admire the quasi-Western facade, white walls and arched windows
3. 3View Meiji-to-Showa textbooks and school records inside
4. 4Explore the surrounding Uwa Cultural Village as well

Did you know?

💡 The collection lines up textbooks from the Edo period to the early Showa era, conveying what lessons were like in those days. As a facility of the Uwa Cultural Village within a designated preservation district, it tells the story of the region's educational history.

Nearby spots