Shizuoka Mountain School, Japan

Shizuoka Mountain School is a traditional-style Japanese elementary school hidden in the mountains. A school has existed on this site since the Meju era, perhaps even dating back to the end of the 1890s/1900s. The school was closed in the 1970s, but it was still used in some capacity until the 1990s. Due to the remote nature of the school, it is free from graffiti and vandalism. This ruin (haikyo) seems to be less popular than other abandoned schools, possibly due to its out-of-the-way location.

Shizuoka Mountain School was so hidden it took us several hours to find it! Trying to get the car close enough to the coordinates was a challenge in itself. A wrong turn led to impromptu testing of the offroad capability of a Toyota Vitz. The second hurdle was finding the pathway up the steep slope. This path was eventually discovered, and was hiding in plain sight. Often a change in view angle can show you the correct path. The final hurdle was the scramble on foot, lugging camera bags and tripods ever upward. We zig-zagged up the mountain following some long-disused footpath. The trail was obscured by leaf litter and the occasional fallen tree. Eventually, we reached the school near the summit. We were not disappointed by this little forgotten relic.

Layout of the school and surrounding areas

Shizuoka Mountain School consists of a main schoolhouse, constructed of wood. There are only two classrooms, which are designated “A” and “B”. Approximately 25 Grade 2 children (ages 13-14) would have attended lessons at the school.

A corridor runs along the back of the school, connecting the rooms. This is rotten and almost entirely collapsed, revealing bare soil below.

Next to the schoolhouse is a smaller building, which appears to be living quarters for staff. The floors in this area were also collapsing. Sadly there was not much in the way of photogenic parts.

There is a play area with a rusty slide, the green paint cracked and flaking. The slide is covered with fallen branches and dead foliage. The nearby swing looks forlorn. Even at midday, the playground is shaded by the dense trees of the surrounding forest.

Overlooking Shizuoka Mountain School from an elevated ridge is a simple but beautiful Hachimansha shrine.

Further down the steep slope is a small village, just a little cluster of houses and a tea farm. A single resident still lives here, an old lady who is a former tea farmer. All the other residents have left or died years ago. There are traces of an old road leading to this small village, but the only way to Shizuoka Mountain School is by foot.