Shōwa Jūkudō, Former school building in Shiroyama Town, Japan
Shōwa Jūkudō is a former school building located near Shiroyama Hachimangū shrine in a central part of town. It displays architectural features of Japanese educational institutions from the early 20th century.
Aichi Prefecture built Shōwa Jūkudō for youth social education; because of the prefecture's financial difficulties, the budget passed the assembly only on condition that part of the cost be covered by donations, and 40,000 of the total 160,000 yen came from contributions. Some 1,081 youth group members were mobilized as unpaid labor during construction. In 1943 the military requisitioned it, using it as the Army's Tōkai military headquarters during the war.
The name was chosen by Aichi governor Shibata Zenzaburō; the original plan, drafted in the Taishō era, called it simply "Kyōka Dendō". The shrine regards the building as a forerunner of the Imperial Crown style, while Nagoya University's Nishizawa laboratory classifies it as eclectic. It stands on the site of the former Ninomaru of Suemori Castle.
The building stands inside the grounds of Shiroyama Hachimangū in Shiroyama-chō 2-chōme, Chikusa-ku, on the site of the former ninomaru of Suemori Castle. It is about a seven-minute walk from Kakuōzan Station on the Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line. The structure was sold by Aichi Prefecture to the shrine in 1967, and the lease to Aichi Gakuin University ended on 30 April 2017.
The building sits on what was the second bailey of Suemori Castle. Its name was chosen by Aichi governor Zenzaburō Shibata; the original plan, drawn up in the Taishō era, called it simply "Kanka Dōdō". Construction cost 160,000 yen, of which 40,000 came from donations after the prefectural assembly made fundraising a condition of approval.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,627 contributors worldwide.