Bibai City Shoto Elementary School, School ruins in Bibai, Japan
Bibai City Shoto Elementary School is a school ruin in Japan featuring a distinctive circular concrete design with three floors, a central spiral staircase, and fan-shaped classrooms radiating outward. The structure connects two round main sections through curved corridors that define its overall layout.
The school was founded in 1906 as Bannosawa Simple Education Center and grew during the operation of the Mitsubishi Bibai coal mine. It closed in 1974, leaving behind a structure that reflects the rise and fall of the local mining community.
The building earned the nickname 'Spectacles School' because its two circular sections connected by curving hallways looked like eyeglasses when seen from above.
The ground floor remains partially flooded with water, while upper levels show broken windows and scattered abandoned furniture. Visitors should move carefully and watch for slippery surfaces, as the interior is deteriorating and unstable.
The structure stands as one of very few circular school buildings in Japan, with glass blocks embedded into the top floor ceiling. These blocks cast natural light patterns into the spaces below, creating an unusual visual effect when the sun shines through.
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