Uragawa Elementary Closes After 151 Years as Last School in Hamamatsu District Shuts Down

Mar 25, 2025 | News On Japan

HAMAMATSU, Mar 25, 2025 (News On Japan) - Uragawa Elementary School in Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City, closed its doors after 151 years, marking the end of an era for the Uragawa district. Established in 1874, the school was the last remaining elementary school in the area, where there were once four.

With its closure, both elementary and junior high schools have now disappeared from the district.

"Wow, it’s been so long. It still looks the same," said one former student, reunited with old friends at the school nestled in the mountainous Sakuma area of Hamamatsu.

A total of around 400 people, including seven current students, alumni, and local residents, attended the closing ceremony held on March 23rd.

During the ceremony, all seven students took the stage to share their memories and words of gratitude.

"It makes me very sad because the playground, the oak tree—so many memories are here," said one student. Another added, "Even when I grow up, I want to make use of what I learned here—how to speak up and how to stay connected with the community."

With three sixth graders set to graduate in March 2025, only four students will remain in the next school year. As a result, Uragawa Elementary will be merged with nearby Sakuma Elementary School.

"I want to make lots of new friends and do well in school," said one child. Another added, "I’ll work hard until I can play soccer properly."

Founded in 1874 during the Meiji era, Uragawa Elementary once had over 900 students in the late 1950s. But the student population steadily declined due to the broader trend of depopulation.

"It’s sad to see my old school disappear," said a graduate. Another expressed hope for the future: "I want the current students to enjoy their time even after the merger with Sakuma Elementary."

The ceremony ended with everyone singing the school song together. With the closure of Uragawa Elementary, the last remaining elementary school in the region, all local schools—elementary and junior high—have now closed in the Uragawa district.

Source: SBSnews6

Players to Watch When Japan Faces the Netherlands

Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 when the Samurai Blue face the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas, a clash that will showcase some of the game's most talented players and pit two ambitious teams against one another in a crucial Group F opener. While Japan arrives without injured winger Kaoru Mitoma, one of its most recognizable stars, the squad still boasts a wealth of talent drawn from Europe's top leagues.

El Nino Returns, But Japan Faces Another Hot Summer

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that an El Niño phenomenon is believed to have developed this spring, warning that Japan is likely to experience above-average temperatures nationwide this summer despite the climate pattern's traditional association with cooler summers.

Narita Airport Advances Compulsory Land Acquisition for Runway

Narita International Airport Corporation is expected to announce next month that it will apply to the national government for project certification as part of the process to enable compulsory land acquisition for the construction of a new runway at Narita Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Education NEWS

Japan Ranks Last Among OECD Countries in Sleep

Japan, which records the shortest average sleep duration among OECD countries, is launching new efforts to tackle widespread sleep deprivation, including the opening of specialized sleep disorder departments and programs aimed at improving children's sleep habits through sports and physical activity.

Why Birthrates Differ Between Kyoto and Shiga

Birthrates in neighboring Kyoto and Shiga prefectures have moved in opposite directions, with experts pointing to housing costs, commuting convenience, and stable employment as key factors shaping where young families choose to live.

How Historical Revisionism Fuels Modern Prejudice Against Ainu

A panel exhibition held in Sapporo this year has reignited debate over what many experts and Ainu activists describe as a new form of discrimination—one that denies the Indigenous status of the Ainu people and seeks to reinterpret the history of discrimination they endured in Japan.

Japan Toothbrushing Drill Draws Record 326,000 Students

Elementary school students across Japan took part in the National Elementary School Toothbrushing Event on June 5th, with children at approximately 6,000 schools learning proper brushing techniques and oral hygiene practices under the guidance of dental hygienists.

Japan's Birth Rate Falls to Record Low 1.14

Japan's total fertility rate, which represents the average number of children a woman is expected to have during her lifetime, fell to a record low of 1.14 in 2025, underscoring the country's deepening demographic challenges.

Historic Kyoto Girls' School Opens Doors to Boys

As Japan's shrinking youth population continues to reshape the education sector, a girls' high school in Kyoto has announced plans to become coeducational beginning next academic year.

Hokkaidō 1997 | Heart of the Country

Heart of the Country” is the story of Shinichi Yasutomo, the extraordinary principal of a rural elementary school in Kanayama, central Hokkaido, Northern Japan. Yasutomo is a man driven by his vision for learning and his passion for educating the heart as well as the mind. (TRNGL)

Challenges Foreign Workers Face in Japan

An Indonesian bus driver working in Tokyo says language barriers and differences in communication styles remain among the biggest challenges facing foreign workers in Japan, highlighting the importance of support from employers and colleagues as the country increasingly relies on overseas labor.

< 2 3 4 5 >