Kyoto Municipal Museum of School History

Highlight

The sturdy school gate built back in 1901 in the Korai-mon style

The history of modern education in Japan has its roots in Kyoto

Kyoto was the frontrunner of modern education in Japan, as the city opened 64 bangumi-shogakko (community association elementary schools), ahead of other authorities, in 1869. And, founded in 1998, this museum sets out to introduce the developments in modern education in Japan as well as spotlight the history of education in Kyoto and the local leaders whose efforts have helped build and run schools in Kyoto. It is helped in this by the museum building, the old vacant Kaichi Elementary School, which remains essentially the same as when it was built nearly 100 years ago.
The permanent exhibits are divided into 13 corners, such as the “textbook room” with many of the representative textbooks spanning the Meiji and Showa periods and the “Kaichi education data room” that tells the story of the school from opening, to merging and to closing. In addition, planned exhibitions with determined themes are staged several times a year. Also, to encourage citizen participation, the museum holds lectures and workshops on singing, nursery songs and historical documents, etc.