History/Culture

Iwashina School (Nationally Designated Cultural Historical Property)

The namako walls and school with Japanese shrine-style architecture were completed in 1880.

A wooden building masterpiece, using traditional architectural techniques from Matsuzaki town together with western architectural techniques, the school building is the oldest in the Izu region.

It is a two-story symmetrical wooden building with a hipped roof, and the outer walls are namako walls. It is said that the Iwashina School tablet was written by Grand Minister Sanjo Sanetomi and that Irie Chohachi borrowed the master carpenter’s chisel to carve the dragon above it.

The building has a western design, and it is the third oldest school building in Japan after the former Mutsuzawa School in Kofu and the former Kaichi School in Matsumoto. In 1975 it was given national important cultural property designation. Education was enthusiastically promoted in Matsuzaki, and they were able to collect over 40% of the total building costs for the school using donations.