The former Yonezawa Technical High School main building, a historic structure that still remains in Yonezawa

• Table of Contents
• A school building designated as an Important Cultural Property that still stands as it did over 200 years ago
• There's plenty to see, including beautiful architectural decorations and rare exhibits!
• Message from the Honorary Director
• Facility information

A school building designated as an Important Cultural Property that still stands as it did over 200 years ago

The Yamagata Faculty of Engineering campus is located slightly south of the center of Yonezawa City .

Yamagata is a Kunitachi university that was established as a new university in 1949 based on the Kunitachi University Establishment Act. It has campuses throughout the prefecture, with Yonezawa being one of them.

Yonezawa was formerly known as Yonezawa Higher Technical High School. Its history predates the founding of Yamagata, dating back to 1910. It is the seventh oldest higher technical high school in Japan.

After more than 200 years of history, that school remains on the campus of Yamagata Faculty of Engineering as the former Yonezawa Technical School main building. As the only surviving building from that time, it was designated an Important Cultural Property of Japan in 1973 and is now open to the public as a memorial hall.

There's plenty to see, including beautiful architectural decorations and rare exhibits!

The main building of the former Yonezawa Technical School is a wooden reproduction of a Western style building, a type of modern architecture that was seen throughout Japan during the Meiji period.

Although it has a Japanese architectural structure with pillars and beams, it has a Western-style structure with doors, windows, and corridors. It is a large, two-story school building with a total length of 94 meters.

Despite being such a large building, the highlight of this building is the meticulous craftsmanship that is so characteristic of Japanese craftsmanship, from the exterior paneling to each and every handrail on the staircase.

Particularly unusual is the decoration of the ceiling in the second floor conference room. The ceiling panels, which are engraved with patterns, are beautifully finished with white plaster, creating a truly exquisite combination of Western aesthetic sensibility and Japanese technology.

Currently, each classroom in the building has been turned into an exhibition room, where materials introducing the history of the school and the achievements of its graduates are displayed. The exhibits are extremely diverse, ranging from items that show the daily lives of students at the time, such as class notes and diaries, to introductions to famous people who graduated from the school. It is very enjoyable to see how the school, with its long history, has promoted the modernization of Japan and contributed to its industrial development.

There are also about 500 pieces of equipment that were actually used at the school and donated modern civilization equipment on display. You can see how machines have evolved over time from the world's first all-in-one computer, released in 1977, to the phonograph invented by Thomas Edison. There is plenty to see here, with valuable items that give you a sense of the weight of history.

*Please note that you cannot touch the exhibits.

Currently, in addition to tours of the building, the classrooms and meeting rooms are used for events such as workshops and concerts. Not only is it carefully preserved as a cultural asset, but it is also used in a variety of ways for both local residents and visitors from outside the city.

Message from the Honorary Director

We spoke to Honorary Director Yoichiro Yamazaki about the future of the former Yonezawa Higher Technical School main building.

"Even among locals, many people don't know that you can see inside the building, so I'd like to promote it more. In recent years, we've started lighting up the building, and many people have come to take photos."

"While this is my personal opinion, there are two things I would like to achieve. The first is to bring back the clock at the front entrance.

It must have been around the middle to late Showa period. At some point, the clock at the main entrance disappeared. Clocks were very rare in the Meiji period, and I think they were a symbol of the main building.

We believe that restoring it will not only increase its appeal as a building, but will also make it a more familiar meeting point and a popular spot."

“Another goal is to turn it into a sacred place of ‘youth.’ This is a place where students once spent their youth. A place where traces of their hard work, study and play remain and can be felt.

There is a monument to the poem "Youth" on our campus, which reads, "Youth is not a period of life, but a state of mind." In this era of 100-year life spans, we believe that "youth" is one of the driving forces that keeps us feeling young, rather than becoming depressed just because we have entered the workforce or grown older.

Youth is something that exists in everyone's heart. I hope that by visiting this place, you can be inspired, find joy and meaning in life, connect with other people, and live a richer life."

The main building of the former Yonezawa Technical High School is a valuable historical structure that is still used today as a place open to many people. This place where past students spent their youth continues to inspire and inspire visitors today. Not only can visitors learn about history and experience technological progress, but the main building will continue to be cherished and passed down from generation to generation as a place where people gather and interact as a symbol of "youth."

Please come and experience its charm for yourself.

* Tours are free, but advance reservations are required. To tour the building from outside, please speak to the guard at the main gate and feel free to tour the building.

For details, please see the "Information about the Former Yonezawa Technical School Main Building" on the Yamagata Faculty of Engineering website .

Facility information

・Facility name: Former Yonezawa Higher Technical School Main Building

・Address: 4-3-16 Jonan, Yonezawa City, Yamagata Prefecture

・For inquiries, please contact: 0238-26-3005 Yamagata Faculty of Engineering, Planning and General Affairs Division

Opening hours: 10:00-16:00 (until 15:00 during winter)

・Admission fee: Free

・Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays

・Parking: Available *Please check when making inquiries.