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Retro Japan: Ex-school hall in Nagasaki Pref. saw kids grow up, troops go to war, concerts

HASAMI, Nagasaki — A former elementary school auditorium doubling as a public hall in this southwest Japan town witnessed children growing up and troops going to war, and has been highly praised by concert musicians.

The former Hasami Municipal Chuo Elementary School auditorium and public hall was built in 1937 by architect Genji Shimizu. The wooden Western-style building continued to watch over children during school entrance and graduation ceremonies among other life milestones, and was beloved by locals. During the Pacific War, it was also used as a place to send troops off to war.

This partial-two-story structure features excellent acoustics. Shimizu conducted extensive research on churches and other buildings to ensure that the voice of those speaking on the podium could be easily heard at the other end of the auditorium in an era when microphones were not available. He created a superb concert hall by digging under the podium to make a hollow space and by using different materials for different parts of the ceiling. Many musicians have praised it highly, and the Kyushu Symphony Orchestra has also performed here.

The hall was about to be demolished in 1997 due to aging and a land readjustment project. However, the decision was made to keep it as a result of a preservation campaign by residents and others involved in the music industry, including composer Akira Senju.

The facility from the early Showa era (1926-1989), which was registered as a national tangible cultural property in 2010, continues to be used as a venue for events on weekends and other occasions.

(Japanese original by Minoru Kanazawa, Kyushu Photo and Video Department)

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The Japanese version of this article was originally published on Dec. 19, 2021.

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This series explores Japan’s architectural wonders and secrets of yesteryear. Read more Retro Japan articles here.

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