Kawauchi Elementary School
2011-03-10
Here are pictures from Kawauchi Elementary School (川内小学校) in Chōkai, Yurihonjo, Akita.
The above maps are from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, CC-BY-SA 2.0). Here are some pictures of the Chōkai Gakushu Center (鳥海学習センター), which used to be Kawauchi Junior High School (川内中学校). The junior high school closed in 1999, and its students were sent to Chōkai Junior High School.
Here's some history of Kawauchi Elementary School. The Japanese is copied from the school's website, and I translated it to English.
| Date | Era | 年 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874-07-07 | Kami-Kawa School opens. | 明治 | 7.7.1 | 上川学校創立。 |
| 1879-11 | Kami-Kawa School splits into two schools: Kami-Kawa School and Hirane School. | 12.11 | 上川小学校が分かれて上川学校と平根学校になる。 | |
| 1882-04 | Shimo-Kawa School changes its name to Kōya School. | 15.4 | 下川学校を興屋学校と称す。 | |
| 1882-04 | Hirane and Kami-Kawa merge. Kogawa and Kōya become branch schools. | 15.4 | 平根学校と上川学校が合併、小川と興屋は分校となる。 | |
| 1888-04 | A major education revision occurs. The school becomes Kami-Kawa Simple School. | 21.4 | 簡易科設置、上川簡易学校と改称する。 | |
| 1892-04 | A major education revision occurs. The school becomes Kawauchi Common Elementary School. Kōya Branch School becomes independent and its name becomes Kōya Common Elementary School. |
25.4 | 尋常科を設置し、川内尋常小学校と改める。 興屋分校独立し、興屋尋常小学校となる。 |
|
| 1901-04 | Kōya and Kawauchi merge, becoming Kawauchi Common Elementary School. | 34.4 | 川内、興屋両校合併し、川内尋常小学校と改める。 | |
| 1902 | A new school building for Kawauchi Common Elementary School is built at Uedano. | 35 | 上田野の現在地に、川内尋常小学校を建てる。 | |
| 1903-04-19 | 5th and 6th grade are added to the school, and the school becomes 川内尋常高等小学校. | 36.4.19 | 高等科を併置、川内尋常高等小学校と改称す。 | |
| 1922-09 | A school building addition is completed. | 大正 | 11.9 | 校舎を新増築。 |
| 1924-07 | School building addition completed. | 13.7 | 校舎を新増築。 | |
| 1927 | Supplementary education building addition completed. | 昭和 | 2.10 | 小学校増築、補習学校新校舎落成。 |
| 1929-08 | Uedano Sports Ground is completed. | 4.8 | 上田野運動場拡張。 | |
| 1935-03-26 | School song is written for 60 year anniversary celebration. | 10.3.26 | 校歌制定（６０周年記念）。 | |
| 1940-10-10 | Uedano Sports Ground is expanded. | 15.10.10 | 上田野グランド拡張。 | |
| 1941-04-01 | The school becomes Kawauchi National Elementary School. Because of the wartime nationalistic influence, elementary schools in Japan changed to this system from 1941 to 1947. |
16.4.1 | 国民学校令により、川内国民学校と改称。 | |
| 1956-05-10 | A big fire occurs at the Hirane school. 45 students and 1 teacher are affected. | 31.5.10 | 平根部落大火、児童５４名、教師１名罹災す。 | |
| 1959-05-01 | School flag is created. | 34.5.1 | 校旗制定。 | |
| 1967-11-01 | New school building completed. | 40.11.1 | 新校舎第二期工事完了。 | |
| 1967-11-02 | Water pipe construction complete. For the first time, the school has running water. | 40.11.2 | 水道工事完了、校舎に給水開始。 | |
| 1970-06 | Limited school lunch program begins. | 43.6 | 学校給食開始（牛乳）。 | |
| 1973-02 | Full student lunch program begins. | 46.2 | 完全給食開始。 | |
| 1976-09-01 | The school celebrates its centennial. | 49.9.1 | 創立百周年記念式典を行う。 | |
| 1978-08-01 | The PTA assists the school in creating a rock garden. | 51.8.1 | ＰＴＡ奉仕により、岩石園を造成す。 | |
| 1982-09-01 | Town public research meeting focusing on mathematics. | 55.9.1 | 町公開研究会（算数）。 | |
| 1982-11 | The school name becomes 鳥海町立川内小学. | 55.11 | 町制施行、鳥海町立川内小学校と改称。 | |
| 1985-02-02 | School receives a thank-you letter from the prefectural school insurance promotion group. | 58.2.2 | 県学校保険推進校として感謝状を受ける。 | |
| 1985-07 | Uedano Ground is expanded. Restrooms are built there. | 60.7 | 上田野グランド拡張、屋外トイレ設置。 | |
| 1985-10 | Area public research meeting focusing on Japanese. | 60.10 | 鳥海地区公開研究会（国語）。 | |
| 1986-09-01 | Library and music room construction complete. | 61.9.1 | 図書館、音楽室校舎工事完了。 | |
| 1989-02 | Gymnasium renovation complete. | 平成 | 元年8.2 | 体育館、改修工事完了。 |
| 1990-08 | Staff room, staff changing room, and staff restrooms are rebuilt. | 2.8 | 職員トイレ、更衣室、用務員室工事完了。 | |
| 1990-10 | Chokai area public research meeting. | 2.10 | 鳥海地区公開研究会。 | |
| 1992-08 | 1st major reconstruction is completed. Toilets are converted to flush toilets. | 4.8 | 第一期大規模改修工事完了、水洗トイレ完備。 | |
| 1993-04-01 | Kogawa Elementary School merges with Kawauchi Elementary School. | 5.4.1 | 小川小学校と統合。 | |
| 1993-10 | 2nd major reconstruction is completed. | 5.10 | 第二期大規模改修工事完了。 | |
| 1994-06-09 | The school celebrates its 125th anniversary. | 6.6.9 | 創立百二十周年記念事業として航空写真撮影。 | |
| 1995-09-01 | Area public research meeting. | 7.9.1 | 地区公開研究会。 | |
| 1998-08-02 | Lunch room construction completed. | 10.8.2 | 給食室改修工事完了。 | |
| 1999-01-02 | Computer room is completed. | 11.1.2 | コンピュータ室工事完了。 | |
| 2000-08-20 | 20th National PTA Public Relations Paper Contest commendation. | 12.8.20 | 第二十二回全国PTA広報紙コンクールで表彰。 | |
| 2001-08-24 | A dumbwaiter is installed for getting lunches up to the classrooms. | 13.8.24 | ダムウェーター（給食運搬昇降機）取り付け工事 | |
| 2001-08 | Fluorescent lighting is added. | 13.8 | 照明器具改修工事（蛍光灯）。 | |
| 2002-08 | Flush toilets are added next to the school kitchen. | 14.8 | 調理員用水洗トイレ工事完了。 | |
| 2003-07-18 | Security assurance system is introduced. | 15.7.18 | 警備保障システム導入。 | |
| 2004-10-23 | School's 135 year anniversary is celebrated with School Presentation Day. | 16.10.23 | 創立百三十周年記念式典・学習発表会を実施する。 | |
| 2004 | School designated by MEXT as part of a "plentiful experiences and activities" program for two years. | 16 | 文部科学省委託「豊かな体験活動推進事業」の指定を受ける。 | |
| 2005-03-22 | Yurihonjo City is created in a town merger and the school name becomes "由利本荘市立川内小学校". | 17.3.22 | 一市七町の合併により、由利本荘市立川内小学校と改称。 | |
| 2007-10-18 | Chokai area public research meeting focusing on mathematics. | 19.10.18 | 鳥海地区公開研究会（算数）。 | |
| 2007-11-20 | Genuine performing arts group Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra performs at school. | 19.11.20 | 本物の舞台芸術体験事業「仙台ﾌｨﾙﾊｰﾓﾆｰ管弦楽団」の演奏会を行う。 | |
| 2008 | Symbolic willow tree is destroyed. 25 year forecast is made. | 20 | シンボルの柳の木倒壊，25年統合の見通しが立つ。 | |
| 2009-09-05 | For 135 year anniversary, picture of school taken by airplane. | 21.9.5 | 創立百三十五周年記念事業として航空写真を撮影する。 | |
| 2010-10-22 | Hosts Yurihonjo City Minami Block research meeting. | 22.10.22 | 由利本荘市（南ブロック）授業実践研究会を実施する。 | |
| 2011-06-09 | Designation as "Flower of Civil Liberties". School integration preparation committee is formed. | 23.6.9 | 「人権の花」の指定を受ける。統合小開校準備委員会が発足する。 | |
| 2012-10-07 | Ceremony commemorating closing of the school. | 24.10.7 | 閉校記念式典を行う。 | |
| 2013-03-31 | Kawauchi Elementary School's 139 years of history comes to a close. | 25.3.31 | 川内小学校139年の歴史を閉じる。 |
Chokai Junior High School was built in 1999. Prior to that, there was a junior high school — Kawauchi Junior High School (川内中学校) — located next to the elementary school. When the old junior high school was closed, it became a community center: the Chokai Gakushu Center (鳥海学習センター). The gym of the old junior high school has been converted into a baseball practice area — there's a dirt floor, and there are nets over all the windows.
- Kawauchi Elementary School (Uedano):
39.19009, 140.193668. - Kawauchi Junior High School:
39.191037, 140.193076. - Uedano Sports Ground:
39.191851, 140.194897. - Kogawa Elementary School:
39.156599, 140.246461. The elementary school and Kogawa Junior High School were located on this hill. - Kōya Elementary School:
39.207,140.179. This is the location of the Kōya hamlet. The old school's exact location is unclear.
| Year | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 139 | 134 | 138 | 134 | 123 | 116 |